getting together information and support for EVERYONE in the child protection system

[Spero]

I am posting here, mainly because I am not sure what I am doing and I don't want to do anything against the rules or contrary to the site ethos.

In a nutshell, a lot of us have been contributing to various threads since before Christmas about the child protection system in the UK and all the controversy that has arisen since the case of Alessandra Pacchieri and the issue of 'forced adoption'.

We have perspectives from every part of the child protection system - there are birth parents, adoptive parents, social workers, lawyers etc and we think it could be a good idea to try to do something to bring us all together, to help people get access to information that is balanced and useful, particularly if they are facing care proceedings or worried they might be.

At the moment, we are thinking a blog could help, with different people providing short posts about their experiences and providing links to other sources that we know are credible and reliable. This could be very valuable for all of us - I am a lawyer for e.g. but I would love to know more about what doctors working in child protection are looking out for, and I would like to get more perspectives from birth parents about what they think is good or bad about the system.

We are also wondering if there could be a separate topic in 'Parenting' - Dealing with child Protection issues or similar, which could link to the blog, once we get if off the ground.

So sorry quite a lot of info there. Trying to précis

1. We have a lot of untapped knowledge and experience and would like to pull it altogether to provide a good source of reliable and balanced advice
2. We would like to start a blog, does anyone want to contribute or can think of snappy name?
3. We would like to use the power of mumsnet to steer people towards our information and provide another platform for discussion and debate

4.What's the best way of going about this?

Any comments, thoughts welcomed.

Mrs DV, I think it should be as long or as short as you feel comfortable with. From your postings I think we can be confident that you won't ramble on in unfocused and boring style.

Why not start with - I have changed some details about the ages, genders of children involved etc because I want to keep our identities confidential. I don't see any problem with being upfront about this. I don't see how anyone could possibly object to you not wanting you or your children's circumstances splashed all over the internet.

We have already had some nasty comments from the FASSIT brigade and I would not put it past any of them to try and 'get at' people who are contributing.

this is why I am asking people to confirm they are ok with me linking to blogs etc.

we also have a twitter account now!

Yes!

@CPResource , right?

thats the one

We are now 87 followers on Twitter!

I just wanted to pop in to say a massive thanks to every one who has contributed. Without Westmoreland I would still be sitting in a darkened room trying to set up categories on wordpress and failing.

Without our contributors the web site would look amazing, but wouldn't actually have much in it. I have just received tonight an amazing and detailed post with advice to parents with a mental illness who are facing care proceedings - thanks. you know who you are.

We are getting a lot of feedback and almost all is positive. I hope we can keep this going. Please feel free to contribute - send anything you want to post to [email protected]

And finally a big thanks to mumsnet. Thanks for letting us post, for having discussions about these issues in ways that I am sure other forums would not have allowed. thanks for allowing us to meet each other because what we have managed to achieve is a perfect synthesis of all our talents; not one of us could have managed this alone.

I will now report my own post so my thanks are delivered to HQ!

I saw this thread last week and was planning to post and promptly forgot. You have reminded me today because the @CPResource twitter account followed me. I'm a named nurse for safeguarding children and more importantly a mumsnetter

No idea if I can help but i'm willing to. I'm off to catch up on the thread and I have name changed as MN is normally a space for me to be a mum rather than a nurse if that makes sense.

don't worry we aren't stalking you! I went on a twitter frenzy last night following anyone interesting looking in the hope some of them would follow us back !

I remember seeing your twitter and thinking wow a safeguarding children nurse that sounds like someone we want to know!

West don't worry I didn't think you were stalking me! I'm far too boring

I'm happy to help in any way I can, i'm quite new to my role but i've experienced quite a lot in a short period of time. I think the web page is a great idea and looks really good. I'll also retweet the page when I get a minute and at a time of day more people are likely to see it.

Good job, all of you! (Or us?)

@Spero
If you are missing a particular contributor (kinship carer or MH patient for example) might be of help to post you are looking for them on other parenting forums too? Just an idea....

I agree there is a lot of useful info on the "parents with MH" section, but might add that the last item around hearing voices and thoughts of suicide could perhaps be expanded in some way. It is entirely possible that someone experiencing these types of thoughts won't act on them, just as it is entirely possible that they will.

If properly risk assessed, ie the likelihood of a person following through on these thoughts, there may be different outcomes and resources needed. It might be that a person experiencing these thoughts has simply missed medication and that taking their meds, together with a listening and supportive ear, is all that is needed, or it might be that they need immediate hospitalisation.

This also relates to a post earlier on the previous thread, around how risk is identified. There is a lot of work going on to improve the way communities work to identify risk of suicide, before an emergency response is required. But that said, from experience, there is generally room for a lot of improvement for assessing and managing risk of suicide. I would love to see this campaigned for in some way.

May I ask, was this item written by a professional or by someone who has personal experience, or both!?

I'm wondering if it would be helpful to identify a bit about the background the author of pieces, so people can see where it has come from.

And also a link to the Samaritans!

08457 90 90 90

www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help-you

Might add posting in rush, so sorry to dollop that in mid-flow. Don't mean it either to sound insensitive or critical of the piece in any way, some really crucial advice in there.

thanks Nose, I will add the link but our contributor wants to remain anonymous.

I don't know her full background, but her post certainly read to me as if she knew what she was talking about and I found it very informative and helpful.

But we are not naive - this is the internet, we can't carry out full background checks on everyone who posts. If we think the information sounds credible, we will publish it and hope that if anyone spots anything dangerously wrong, they will contact us for corrections and clarifications.

We probably need to put a disclaimer on the Home Page pointing that out, so thanks for the comment.

I will link to Samaritans.

Please DONT be scared of being critical - this is exactly what we need. This resource will live or die because of is contributors. We don't want to be adding to any advice which is harmful.

Nose, I have added this to our front page - is this helpful?
Disclaimer

We added this paragraph after a helpful comment from one of our contributors.

This is the internet. We can't carry out extensive background checks on everyone who contributes. If we think something looks credible and helpful we will publish it. If we get something wrong, please tell us. When contributors are happy to be identified, we will provide as much identification as possible to let you feel confident about them. But a lot of our contributors want to remain anonymous for pretty obvious reasons and we have to respect that.

But it is good advice on ANY internet site - be cautious. You often can't be sure who anyone is. Don't use this site to replace getting help and advice from the trusted real life professionals you know. We hope it will act mainly as a useful signpost to you.

Also re your point on risk identification - you might be interested in this piece just published by Philip Measures about his concerns about Serious Case Reviews and the information they are getting.

www.childprotectionresource.org.uk/category/professionals/other-professionals/

That's totally fair enough and understandable. Agree it is a really well informed piece. And yes a disclaimer around sources might be good.

Another link come to mind for use wherever you see fit!

familylives.org.uk/

I think you must have already given us the family lives link as it was one of the first I put up on Links and Resources!

Keep em coming.

Oh not me, and yes you're right it is there. I never think of it as "Family Lives" but as "Parentline" as a stand alone resource, but they do so much more now too!

I think I missed a couple of your posts there for some reason.

That item by Philip Measures is great!

Absolutely agree that any independent panel has to be expert in CP and very disconcerting that:

a) LSCB’s are no longer Public Bodies

b) Their Chairs are now appointed by Local Authority Chief Execs

c) OFSTED inspect them

I would finally make a call for the routine involvement in SCR’s of experienced practitioners who are independent of the Case and the Local Authorities / agencies concerned and also for their inclusion of Overview / Expert Panels.

Unless and until it can be clearly demonstrated that SCR’s are completely open and truly independent there can neither be professional, and even more importantly, public confidence in their integrity.

Couldn't agree more with his conclusion.

Tis no place for journalists. In some cases they could have appropriate access to details etc, but to play a part in the decision making, are they on drugs?

When someone has a moment and is inspired, it would be great for an easy-read summary of the key concerns around this (would like to help by offering but a bit out of my area!)

I feel certain the role of independents in scrutiny of cases (not just serious review cases but possibly random/other cases too) is the key to allaying concerns and increasing public confidence.

Even with the best of intentions, journalists/MPs and the like just do not have the specialist expertise.

Having very recent experience of writing IMRs for SCR and in contrast seeing a colleague working with the 'new way' I would agree wholeheartedly with the concerns raised by Phillip Measures.

I hope you have commented on his piece! He is very concerned - I had no idea about any of this, so already I am learning lots.

I will do Spero, I must admit some of thr information in his piece is enlightening for me too!

And this is a prime example of why this resource will be equally invaluable to families and professionals alike and has my full support!

(Not that I carry any weight lol but happy to jump up and down with pom poms as and when)

@Spero

Are the conspiracy theorists all wound up for your blog? Because they seem pissed someone is challenging them to publish the truth and they don't want that stuff online...
You've been invaded lol

Its actually disappointingly mild! I thought they would all be out in force.