Human rights health visitor

[Erlisk]

I have seen it here before but the posts are old. Before my baby was born i told my midwife (UK) that i did not want any visits at home. I just like my privacy and want to be able to decide who enters my home. They offer visits as a service so i just decided to not let them in. I was happy to go for appointments.

Then in the hospital when the baby was born, they told me "someone was going to come into my house even if i do not want that". I kept saying no. They kept saying they just wanted to see where the baby would sleep etc. i said no. Then the midwifes came to the door and i told them i did not want them in my house. So they reported me to social services. Social services called me and threatened with official investigation if i do not let the midwifes and later health visitor in my house. Also for the one year visit.

I texted them many times i did not want. I also told them in person. So i have a lot of proof. Ok long story short i let them in.because they threatened with social services investigation = trying to take your baby. I had to let them in, they said everything was fine, and closed the case. But instead of bonding with my baby i was stressed that they were trying to take her away.

So. It is ten months ago so the one year visit is coming and I DO NOT WANT THEM IN MY HOUSE. So i decided to go after them. And yes, it is human rights violation. It is not normal in civilised countries that someone comes to your house without your consent and without a warrant. If you do not let them in they basically threaten to take your baby.

I am not looking for the comments that they are just helping etc. I am not interested in that 😉. What i am looking for here is other moms who went after them. I am researching where to complain. I am also making a list of solicitors who would help me. And maybe some group court case? I will make complaint to NHS. I believe we only have one year for this kind of thing so only people who experienced this last year. Or if you went through going to court and have a good no win no fee lawyer (London or Kent). They are violating human rights you everyone so no, i will not let it go.

I said I wanted nothing to do with them to my midwife. She borderline told me I would be reported to social services if I declined the optional service. It could be seen as me trying to hide something. I accepted one visit and kindly told her I would contact her if I needed her help. Oddly enough I did ask for help with a toung tie issue but she disappeared. I do think it is wrong to force an optional service on mothers who don’t feel like they need it. Vaccines are optional wtf 😳. I hate how nosy and text book they can be.

Friday nights on MN are feral, aren’t they?

Please let them in, they are there to help. My mother had puerperal psychosis after having me and my brother these visits were very important for our wellbeing and hers.

Ok long story short i let them in.because they threatened with social services investigation = trying to take your baby

OP, you aren't being entirely rational. Think about it logically. Why would they want your baby?

Nobody, literally nobody in here is going to help you with this insane crusade.

Human rights also apply to your child, they have the right to life and protection from cruelty. They also have protections within the Children Act and Children and Families Act.
There is a push for more home visits from professionals to safeguard children, I'm sure countless children have been protected from neglect and abuse because of midwife and HV visits.
You're not going to get anywhere going down the legal route. If it even gets into the court arena you will just be wasting a lot of people's time and public money.

People can't even take their children on holiday during term time without a fine because the government thinks it damages education. If anything, there would be a move to making the visits a legal requirement rather than stopping them.

OP, respectfully, you sound like an absolute idiot. There is no human rights violation here, just a petulant and belligerent Mother who is unwilling to allow a home visit.

Bet you weren’t unwilling to accept the other help offered, the scans, the delivery, the immediate aftercare. Do yourself and your kid a favour and sort yourself out.

Your rights to privacy don't override the safeguarding of your baby- I'm not saying that you pose any risk to your baby but health/social care professionals can't take your word for it.

You can opt out of the health visitor service entirely but the problem is that the previous refusal to engage with any professional entering your home will ring alarm bells so it is likely that social services will get another referral if you don't have a 1 year check. You may find though that the 1 year check is an appointment at a clinic- it is in my area anyway but I appreciate all are different.

Actually, I think she's on the money.

I agree, the Lambrusco must be free flowing this evening.

Me too.

Just to add, in your circumstances, you categorically will not be able to sue or pursue any form of legal action for being referred to social services.

You have behaved in a manner that caused legitimate concerns for your child’s welfare. The midwives therefore contacted social services. The midwives are therefore protected by qualified privilege, and cannot be sued or “gone after”. You will not find any solicitor who will do this because it is against the law to prosecute a professional for referring to social services under the safeguarding duties of their role.

You would be welcome to put a complaint in to your NHS Trust via PALs should you wish to do so, however you won’t get anywhere as the midwives have acted appropriately.

I may be wrong, who knows in this day.

Why would anyone report them for doing their job and protecting children? You're on a hiding to nothing with this

Exactly, i think it is not acceptable. They can see the baby at their clinic. Why do they push so hard to invade the privacy of your home? This feels more like Russia or China because they do not respect human rights. I think people would win at The European Court of Human Rights with this.
And yes, i want to change it. There are other ways to make sure that children are safe. For example i would be for drug/alcohol testing. Those are the parents who are an actual danger to their children.

Your ott reaction here is a red flag.

They are concerned about your child because you are being so hostile. It is making them think you have something to hide. Personally I think your attitude and manners IS the problem here.

Our rights are not absolute, they are limited by the rights of others. The child is not you, but a separate human being, even though it was a part of you not long ago. So your right to privacy is not absolute, but is tempered by the child’s right to be free from abuse (and health visitors are protecting this right of the child). It can of course be very upsetting - the very fact that they check. Do they not trust me? Does the fact that they check mean they think I’m an abuser? But compare it with, say, security checks at an airport. Some checks are for everyone and some random checks are just for some randomly selected people, but would we say that the authorities think we are bad people because we are being checked? No, the authorities are limiting our right to privacy by the rights of the others not to be killed in flight. Or if we see a police car patrolling. Would we say that the police think we are bad people because the car passed right next to us and the officers were looking around? No, they were limiting our right to privacy (not to be looked at) by the rights of others not to be attacked.

Few people on here seem to understand the basis of law. If there is any suspicion that the OP's baby is in danger, the authorities are duty bound to investigate. There appears to be no grounds for them to do so and the OP is perfectly within her rights to refuse access to her home. She has agreed to attend appointments although again, unless there is a health need, she is not obliged to do so.

The length of the visit or whether the health visitor is nice or not is neither here nor there. I don't want the state in my home uninvited either, OP. They have no place in my bedroom. As for keeping children safe...the state's record on this suggests it's not a strong point regardless of how many homes they pry into.

@Erlisk this is not Russia or china....its great Britain. You really need to engage with the professional help you are being offered. .....you sound unwell

Article 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998 guarantees the right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondence, but it's not absolute. Public authorities can interfere with this right, but only if it is in accordance with the law, necessary in a democratic society, and pursues a legitimate aim, such as national security, public safety, or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

Look it up. You are falling under the legal exemption clauses within the human rights legislation which are designed to protect others

You haven't got a leg to stand on.

Just so you know, social workers can enter your house with the police. Why not let them visit, just so they know everyone is safe?

Why should someone be grateful? As adults many of us can weigh our kids and highlight concerns, if necessary.

OP, I think that if you approached the conversation about health visitor involvement in the same way as you’ve described it here, that may have raised red flags. While I agree with the general principle that you shouldn’t have to have anyone in your house without consent, that doesn’t override safeguarding your child. If they had concerns about your DC’s wellbeing, then that really overrides you not wanting people in your house.

As an aside, though, I don’t think it’s right that professionals threaten SS involvement if you don’t accept HV visits. I was told, when I asked if the service was mandatory, that it wasn’t but it would be a red flag if I refused. I didn’t refuse, btw, I was mainly curious tbh.

However, either the service is mandatory, or it isn’t. It’s unfair to say to parents that a service is optional and then see it as a red flag in and of itself when the service is refused (of course I’m not talking about situations when there are additional reasons to be concerned…) If refusing HV visits is considered enough to warrant a call to SS, then they should just make the service mandatory so that parents know where they stand.

It’s your baby’s ’human right’ that professionals ensure they are being looked after safely in decent living conditions and not have a mother who has the most ridiculous ‘principles’ that the baby could be living in squalid condition and no one would know.
Your behaviour has red flags all over it.