Should doctors working with parents with mental health issues be compelled to pass that information to social services?

[JaneGMumsnet]

Hi,

BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour are discussing depression tomorrow morning, in the light of an Ofsted report which says that children whose parents have mental health difficulties are poorly supported and protected, and they've asked us to ask you what you think.

In the light of the reports, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission are proposing there should be a legal requirement for doctors and specialists working with parents with mental health issues to pass that information on to Social Services and other agencies. What do you think?

Would this improve joint working between children's social care and adult mental health services, and lessen risks for children?

Or would such a requirement mean that fewer mothers would be willing to talk about their mental health issues, including post-natal depression, with their doctors?

Many thanks for sharing your thoughts,
MNHQ

[WorraLiberty]

Absolutely awful idea.

Most parents I know recoil at the very thought of SS getting involved in their lives...rightly or wrongly that's the way it is.

I'm sure this would stop the majority of people seeking much needed help.

[nextphase]

Terrible idea (are you seeing a theme here?)

Ye, if there is a child protection issue, with for ANY REASON, report to SS.
Why stigmatise MH issues further? Its not the only reason children are neglected?

Oh, but you could train Dr's more in PND - "you obviously don't have PND as your BF, and managed to get dressed and come here today" put me off getting help for a further 6 horrible months til DH dragged me back.

[PurpleStorm]

This sounds like a very bad idea.

I think this would frighten a lot of parents away from seeking help for any MH problems they might have or develop.

Also, referring every single case of a parent with MH problems to SS would presumably greatly increase their workload, and increase the chances of cases where the MH issues do present a child safeguarding issue slipping through the cracks.

I'm also pretty sure that GPs and MH professionals are already required to refer on to SS in cases where they believe the parents MH problems are bad enough to put the child at risk.

[GlaikitHasHerFizzBack]

If I thought for one minute SS would be informed about my PND I would not have gone to my GP. I must admit my HV came round a few times unannounced after I was prescribed Ads, just to see how I was doing. Perhaps she was checking all was ok. And if it weren't she might have contacted SS. But as a one size fits all rule. Bad idea, really bad.

[gazzalw]

It will serve no 'useful' purpose than to further stigmatise those with mental health problems and reverse much good work done by professionals and stakeholders over the past fifteen to twenty years.

It truly is a slippery slope..... [frown]

[Lucyellensmum95]

joiemecconue"Nobody with a severe mental illness is going to be managing just fine otherwise how is the illness causing the 'severe impairment' necessary for diagnosis?" You clearly know nothing about mental illness.

I have mental illness - I need help, I am getting it, from my GP and via counselling. I do NOT need a social worker and I do not emotionally neglect my DD. I do not need extra support in caring for my child - its the one thing i CAN do actually.

[JaneGMumsnet]

Morning all,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this thread.

The Woman's Hour discussion about this topic will be broadcast at 10am today - looks like it's the second item on the programme.

MNHQ

[HorryIsUpduffed]

Hear hear, lucyellensmum.

[Nilgiri]

To put this in perspective, there are parents on MN with severe physical impairments who have begged and begged for more help from SS and got zilch, even when SS are legally obliged to provide it.

IIRC, at least one disabled MNer has had SS threaten to open child protection proceedings if she doesn't drop her request for domestic assistance.

So what is this magical extra "support" that would be forthcoming if we had compulsory notification?

[SirBoobAlot]

Agree completely, Lucyellensmum.

[Pilgit]

a bloody awful idea. there are many fab SWs but this would stigmatise the parent and we would then be made subject to other peoples interpretations of MH issues. it would feed the inherant paranoia and would only make people not come forward for treatment. this would cause greater problems.

there are very few parents with MH issues that are a danger to their children.

[Goldmandra]

Well nothing that guy said made me think they need to do this.
GPs and psychiatrists can already refer to SS if they feel a family needs support. All that is lacking is the funding for supporting those families before they reach crisis point.

Another box ticking exercise and more paperwork for clinicians and SWs is the last thing anyone needs.

[joiemecconue]

I know enough about my own mental illness to recognise retrospectively that when I've been ill in hospital or having treatment at home nobody has put the children first. It shouldn't be stigmatising to ask the question about how best to support young carers.

[Lucyellensmum95]

Thats a good and fair point but there are degrees of mental illness, not everyone needs that levels of support and those that do should get it. I dont however think ss are necessarily the right service.

[joiemecconue]

I agree with you there, and I don't think it should be an automatic referral but as a previous poster said a home visit from a suitably qualified family support or youth worker would be good. I hope my children aren't damaged and I know I don't hit or starve or otherwise abuse them but I have long episodes of depression where I'm detached from them. It can't be good for them. :( There is lots of help for me, I have a great cpn and psychiatrist but nobody has ever assessed the children to see if they need extra support.

[headinhands]

I think there is such an unhelpful taboo wrt ss that the system suggested above at present would deter people from seeking medical help as is clearly seen from the posts above. It would be more productive if the myths surrounding the work of the ss were addressed to dispel the notion that they are eager to pounce and snatch babies away.

[raininginbaltimore]

I asked for help and support for my son and husband. Over and over, we asked social care, sure start, doctors, etc when I was admitted. They couldn't help because my husband works full time and earns too much £30k).

[SouthernComforts]

If this had been in place when I needed help, I would not have gone to my GP.

Sincerely hope this never comes into force

[VivaLeBeaver]

As a general rule, no.

However there is already something in place. A dr or MH nurse will tell someone at the start of an appt that stuff is confidential unless there is something that's deemed a child protection issue and then they have to report. So that safeguard is already there.

I think anything above that will discourage people from getting help.

[joiemecconue]

What do people think is the best way of not overlooking children's needs without deterring people from seeking help? Should everyone in the family have a carer's assessment automatically?

[joiemecconue]

I think the safeguarding threshold is quite high, somewhere between that and everything being fine there must be lots of invisible and worried children who don't understand what's going on.

Perhaps not in primary care but when people are more unwell?

[Goldmandra]

The mental health professionals already refer families to SS for support as well as if there is a CP concern. What is needed is funding for SS to give that support because at the moment they get assessed and then told they can have nothing unless the child is judged to be at risk.

[joiemecconue]

Perhaps it doesn't need to be the main ss, perhaps a mh sw with special training in supporting young carers in a family context could be attached to each community team?