Covert investigation Child Protection

[doraexplora]

Please help me.... I urgently need advice from anyone who knows safeguarding procedures or has been through a similar experience, my child started primary school this week and I am convinced they have been assessing/testing her psychologically on her first day as part of an investigation. Last year a complaint was made against me to my daughter's nursery school (I don't know what the complaint was because no one will tell me due to confidentiality; only that a complaint was made) and I have had a year of covert investigation from them. I thought now that she had started a new school we would start afresh but I'm convinced they have been assessing her. Is this possible??? Is it correct safeguarding procedure??? I have never had a meeting to discuss a complaint against me, nor have I been visited by social workers/police/health visitor. This can't be happening.

HI OP. I hope you feel better today and the ladies above have given you enough information to feel calm. As an anxiety sufferer, it only takes a small throwaway comment from someone else to set me off for days of physical symptoms. Mine include a cramping, sick stomach, shortness of breath, feeling dizzy, teary and hot.
I imagine if I felt under investigation like you have, it would set off my anxiety majorly. Maybe keeping the Psychiatrist appointment would be a good thing. Anxiety is a recognised illness and stressful situations can really bring out the worst of it.

SS will always visit you and tell you the nature of a complaint about you and the outcome. They cannot tell you the name of the person who complained. IF SS haven't been to see you then I doubt that you are under investigation.

A covert investigation which includes monitoring, observing or listening to persons, their movements, their conversation or their other activities or communications is governed by the provisions of RIPA. For an investigation to take place without this is not legal. There will be a document trail, or there is a cover up of phenomenal proportions going on. However I'm not sure how this interplays with FOI. I suppose it's just possible that (like a super injunction) you wouldn't be allowed to know even of the fact of the investigation.

But I frankly doubt there ever was an investigation - I don't think the woman who made those odd comments ever is anything to the nursery. As others have pointed out, investigations are overt (except in truly exceptional circumstances), and it strains belief that other parents would have been told - let alone that all of them would have colluded in a conspiracy.

I think the woman made random nasty comments to upset you, and sadly it's worked.

I hope the GP's psych referral comes through soon, and I too recommend a return visit to find out where it has gone, or see if the GP can help you in any other ways.

Are you still in contact with this woman, or have you dumped her?

If you have not dumped her, do it now, since:
a) she will not be able to find out the results of any accusations, and it seems that is what she wants
b) she will not be able to make another accusation if she has had no contact with you, since it would be clear she was lying.

please chase up the gp referal, you sound in a very bad place.

having worked for CP and LA for many years I can tell you, this isnt possible. Schools dont have the time, resourses or need to carry out a convert op. They have ss to refer to if their concerned and if they didnt they would be in trouble. SS if they were concerned would have called, popped in or made an appointment to see you. There is no way a convert op would stand up legally, so it doesnt happen.
I think you need to get yourself some help, chase up that appointment and be sure if ss were that concerned they would have rearred they heads by now.

Hi OP, just in reference to the GP appointment: the NHS waiting list is currently at 4 months in my area before a phonecall to book an appointment in one months time. You should hear back soon when you are at the top of the list.

Just after the complaint we had to take a bear home to photograph our weekend, and since then we have had our photos taken outside of school grounds, I have been interrogated by parents (who have ALL been told about the complaint it is glaringly obvious)

Do you mean that you saw other people talking your photo in the street?

What is this interrogation from the other parents? What were they asking you?

Did your friend tell you why she had reported you? Did you ask her?

The playing thing at your daughters new school sounds normal and harmless, as is the bear to take home thing, think all nurseries do that.

I'm a KS1 teacher and I can honestly say that I have never been asked to do anything like pyschological testing, have never come across it and wouldn't be qualified to do it. On a child protection/neglect issue we are told to look out for physical signs and then report them to head - we are not allowed to ask the child questions and if they confide anything to us - again -report to the head.

Lots of sympathy - not actually suprised if you are feeling paranoid - there's so much negativity in the press etc regarding social services (I am sure most undeserved)- I probably would be too.

OP - it sounds like this is a really troubling issue for you. If it's dominating your life, and making you scared, it's worth going back to your GP about it. It does sound like paranoia, eating you up and making you miserable.

Nursery bears coming home are pretty common (we had several). Photos of family for nursery (so the child can have a book of the important people in their life) are common. Red lines in playgrounds are common.

Psychologically testing a child on their first day of reception does not seem plausible. The complaint being known by all other parents, but all record of it being destroyed by the council, no visits from SS, no notification to you that there is concern for the child: not plausible.

if the GP thinks you are being paranoid, I think he/she is in a better position to diagnose that we are.

Get his help, take his advice, try not to push your anxieties on to your child

To me it sounds as if this woman has been playing with your head to upset you. From what she said I completely understand why you feel so scared.

What were other parents saying to you? Could this woman be behind what they said.

Some referrals take a long time so just chase it up. They can help you with your feelings of anxiety. It doesn't matter how the anxiety started.

For the record Dora, I don't believe that you need a referral to a psychiatrist

OMG! how can you make that diagnosis on two posts with no past history or knowing any details at all, let alone being qualified

Very very dangerous advice

I agree with Dandy, I used to manage volunteers working with children and famillies as well as working with them myself and the CP process was written in stone: and we always informed a parent if we had to make a referral unless the problem was so huge that imminent removal was anticipated.

I acn;t say that covert investigations never happen as I am not a SW but I an absoluely say I have never been aware of one and if they were happening without my involvement that would ahve been beyond odd.

The bear is a standard nursery / reception thing, they even sent one home with ds3 who at teh time had non verbal autism (can talk now); pointless but on the 'nobody is to be left out' rule. Count yourself lucky it wa a bear; ffor a time Reception had a 4ft bee you ahd to lug home until the parents kicked off.

Locally a psych referral is 6 months plus, a short delay in expected times can be as simple as a staff member going sick but sadly waiitng times are climbing: when ds3 was assessed PAediatrics was an 8 week wait, closer to 8 months now- same across all the NJHS.

I don't think itw ould hurt you to see the psych; impossible to know someone's state of mind via the web but DH ahd paranoia as part of depression and I have had some psych experience and I would not be amazed if it were diagnosed. That's a positive really; anything that can be helped and your confidence restored is only going to improve your life right now.

Hugs

Dora - as others have said, a red line in the playground is a way of keeping the children in 'their' area of the playground, without putting in physical barriers. The dses old primary school did this, to keep the infant and junior children apart - so the bigger juniors weren't running through the little ones, risking knocking them over.

Regarding the teacher playing with your child - this was, I am sure, the teacher getting to know her new pupils by playing games with them - a very normal and good thing for her to do.

I agree that you should go back to your gp and talk to him - and get him to chase up the referral for you. He might be able to arrange for you to see a community psychiatric nurse in the meantime, who may be able to help you put your fears and anxieties into perspective.

Something I have found has helped me, when I have had these horrible worries that won't go away, is to do this visualisation. Visualise yourself packing the anxiety/worry into a box that is attached to a big balloon. Close the box and then let go - and watch the balloon carry the worries away - seeing them get smaller and smaller, and eventually vanish altogether. Feel the weight of the worry leave your hands as you let go of the balloon.

I hope this helps a bit, and I hope you can get past these worries and be happy.

{{{hugs}}}

Op as a student social worker I can tell you that investigations DO NOT happen without informing parents, that is the LAW and social services would never ever break this, can you imagine the press and media out rage if this where to happen. honestly they would all be sacked a nd probably jailed.

A teacher would never be involved in any psychological assesments like that, they just simply dont have the time or qualifications. Even under a legitimate investigation it would not be a teachers job and a psycologisit or psychiatrist would not carry out such detailed tasks as you describe with the red line, I have read many accademi c and assesmnet papers and guidance as part of my degree and can tell you, Often assesments used by proffessionals are well documented in academic literature and have been used for years to prove per determined hypothesis. I have never heard of any assesment involving children crossing red lines. Belive me when I tell you What you believe is happening just simply IS NOT.

you do need to see your GP again, and he is not part of what you believe is happening. Do you have cpn can you talk with them at all.

I think some posts here are not helpfull and may fuel Ops worries and further prevent her seeking well needed support.

Dandy - I don't think it is inappropriate to at Peachy's big Bee - though I was more .

I bet she had an evil grin on her face when she bought it. I'm just thankful all three dc went through primary school before the 'school bear' thing gained popularity.

Dandy school SENCO with an evil streak

Although apparently it was a gift to the school.

Not sure I beleived that though, unless she made the gift.

Not that I and SENCO have history or anything, noooooo.