Pre Birth Initial Child Protection Conference

[BettyBlue712]

Hi Mumsnet

I hope this is posted in the correct place.

I was recently referred children’s service whilst pregnant. This initially began as a ‘section 17 assessment’. I have been told they are now holding a strategy meeting for a ‘section 47 assessment’ and it will be going to a pre birth initial child protection conference.

I have been told that even before the strategy meeting, assessment and conference my child will be placed on the minimum of a child protection plan whilst pregnant and after birth.

I’m slightly confused as I thought the next step after child protection was removal at birth?

Could anyone advise me on what to expect over the next couple of months, I’m in my second trimester so a little bit to go…

Does the confirmation of a cp early on in pregnancy pretty much mean removal at birth? It’s difficult as I’m trying to predict what the social workers are going to do before they tell me.

Logging off now @BettyBlue712 but wishing you all the best with things. Remember that of course you will feel anxious so having someone with you will help whoever that is - sounds like your mum is a good support. Forget arguing with people about drug addiction etc etc. Your situation is different. Just remind yourself that everything you do to work with MH and SS is a positive step for you and your baby. Take care.

I have first hand experience of this as a person close to my family used drugs (things like heroin and crack cocaine) whilst pregnant.

Her baby was physically very poorly at birth and she didn’t see her child whilst she was in care. Fortunately she’s under a special guardianship within the family but she is still small and a little behind due to the significant effects of drugs.

I will do anything and work with anyone to keep my child. I feel that’s the difference

I will do anything and work with anyone to keep my child. I feel that’s the difference

And that is what they will be looking for. All the best.

I will do anything and work with anyone to keep my child. I feel that’s the difference

Including leaving the country while still pregnant?

I’ve clearly said ‘work with anyone’

As stated I felt I had to leave the country as I was panicked!

I’ve had some lovely support on this thread and feel able so much more positive. Thanks for contributing to that :)

You have the right to support to look after and keep your child, I don’t know if you’ve mentioned it but have they offered any support

At this moment in time there hasn’t been any support offered.

It seems to be more geared up to ‘if you’re unwell we will escalate this and potentially remove baby’ instead of putting support in place for us both.

Hopefully this will change once I raise it with social care.

Put in an official complaint. Escalate it as well. Talk to your MP

I would actually avoid complaining , it can be seen as a red flag and defensive. It’s better to ask for a change in social worker calmly and keep pushing for support etc and working with them as if there’s a complaint being investigated alongside it will make things difficult.

I’ve rang specialist perinatal mental health to ask for some support and medication. They are going to put something in place before the weekend.

I’ve contacted children’s services to let them know I’ve been experiencing breakthrough symptoms of illness but that I’m accessing support (hopefully this doesn’t go against me)

Everyone so far seems to be really understanding about why I cancelled my care and felt termination was my only option and they’re helping me out it back together.

I’m hoping to keep this thread open and post updates now and then. If, on the off chance, it helps one other person navigate pregnancy with a serious mental illness then I’ll be happy :)

If, on the off chance, it helps one other person navigate pregnancy with a serious mental illness then I’ll be happy

Other than addiction, presumably.

That’s really good news OP, please do come back and update us. Really hoping for a good outcome for you & your baby.

@BettyBlue712 OP sounds like you need some support with dealing with social services. I work in maternity so here are some suggestions..
Whichever hospital you were receiving care at, have a look online to see if they have a maternity voices chair person, so for example, I'd google 'Hillingdon MVP chair' etc or 'Hillingdon maternity voices'
The maternity voices chair works alongside maternity but are deliberately not directly employed by maternity so they can advocate for women. I'd explain to them what you're going through, and that you've left your antenatal care because of this. I'd strongly suggest you rope maternity in to support you with this, but would be better if someone like the chair could advocate on your behalf to the seniors in maternity directly. Once you have support from maternity who have their own mental health team, I'm sure you will get further with social services. Please keep going to your antenatal apps as this may be used against you to demonstrate that you're being negligent.

I did not choose to have a mental health diagnosis.

Women who choose to buy and take heroin on a daily basis have made a CHOICE.

Addiction is an illness.

Thank you so much for your post!

I’ve made a lot of progress today. The specialist perinatal mental health team organised an urgent appointment with their consultant psychiatrist.

I’ve been prescribed a low dose pregnancy safe medication which I’m starting to take tonight.

I’ve politely asked for a new social worker to be allocated and requested a meeting with the manager of the team. I’m hoping we can put a better plan together, especially now I’m accessing extra support.

If you want to discuss drug use during and after pregnancy, you could start your own thread.

I’m sure at least some posters would agree that exposing your baby to heroin and crack cocaine isn’t great, even if it is an ‘illness’ …

If someone hurt your family and said ‘oh sorry I was high on heroin, I have an illness’ would you just accept that?

Its great to hear your update @BettyBlue712 ! I will keep watching out for your updates. I think its so helpful to talk about these things openly and a lot of people who are struggling will find your posts really helpful. Ignore the bait-y person banging on about addicts, not the point of your post. all the best.

Nice one OP that's exactly the proactive/open approach you need to be taking.

Delighted to hear you’ve been so brave today OP. Those conversations must have been so so scary to start. Well done. Really hope you feel supported and more hopeful soon x (and thank you for also being brave enough to update here too).

I’ve put my mental health support in place and I’m having a conversation with a specialist midwife who works with ladies who have mental health problems tomorrow.

One thing I wanted to ask if anyone has any advice; how do I go about communicating with children’s services? My last proper conversation with the social worker was very acrimonious, we both said things that we probably shouldn’t have.

I’ve asked for a meeting with the team manager and have been told I need to give a reason why to which I explained I think myself and baby need a new social worker as I feel we’ve not got off to a great start.

I’ve not heard back yet but I’m slightly concerned as the social worker is likely to say I was ‘difficult/challenging/rude’ during our last interaction, which is true and I’m embarrassed about, but so was she.

You would probably want to be more specific about what the issues are. What exactly was said maybe? But I’ll see if other posters agree as I don’t know if that’s a good idea or not

@BettyBlue712 personally I would just be honest about what was said and why you said it. People say things they don't mean all the time and then upon reflection think 'oh dear, shouldn't have said that'. But it makes you a much bigger person to own it and ask them to help you move forward with it all. Just because you are in the situation you're in doesn't mean you should have to work with people who make you feel uncomfortable or belittle you, so if you genuinely think you can't build bridges with your current social worker then just tell them it's really affecting your mental health when all you want to do is engage and work with them towards the common goal.

I’ll be totally honest, these are the negative things I said:

1 - That I didn’t trust children’s services, thought they were terrible people and don’t know how they sleep at night (I know, not my finest moment)

2 - They know I was considering a termination due to the stress of their involvement. I had contacted a well known healthcare provider that offers terminations, for some reason my GP was contacted by the provider and that information was shared with children’s services. As I’m currently under children’s services I have no privacy within healthcare or anything else that comes under a government sector I think? I’m not criticising, I know it’s just information sharing.

3 - When I was considering a termination I cancelled my antenatal care because I didn’t feel I could face attending appointments around lots of happy pregnant ladies, when I was in a negative place. This has now been sorted and I’m seeing an enhanced support midwife who specialises in mental health, instead of having to explain my mh to a new midwife at every appointment.

4 - Probably the absolute worst things. My ex partner informed them I would potentially runaway with baby. I also told social worker ‘I would stand in front of a train whilst pregnant to stop them taking my child’ the latter was whilst I was sobbing after she told me my child would be on a minimum of a child protection plan.

Can I turn this round? I’m 18 weeks, I know I’ve made some really, really bad mistakes. It was just all in a complete panic.

I would add that I’ve not actually missed any appointments, scans, phone calls…

I don’t have another appointment for nearly 2 weeks so cancelling my care briefly did nothing to negatively affect baby from a physical care aspect.

I am not on new medication so hopefully this helps. I’ve decide to keep baby’s Dad at arms length as he really isn’t helping right now. He’s not attended any appointments, scans or offered any support whatsoever.

I don’t criticise him for this but I don’t feel like I need to be prioritising someone, keeping them up to date, keep sending scans etc when they really, really do not care and have no interest.

To the social worker he is ‘god’ and he gives all the right noises to them, nods his head at the right times etc but he’s been pretty shitty with me.