Neil Morrissey - Care Home Kid.

[shimmerysilverglitter]

Did anyone watch this? Absolutely heartbreaking .

I've just watched it. You're right - it was heartbreaking.

yup quite uncomfortable viewing near the end

Very sad indeed but fascinating. Part Two on Thursday. So hard for him realising what may have happened to his brother.

Thought the other people he met who had been in care with him or with his brother were really brave to talk about their experiences - as was that lovely girl in Scotland who is in care right now. She should be very proud of herself - as should the carers at that home.

I was going to start a thread about this, that's why I came over here.
It was very moving, especially his not knowing what happened to his brother in that terrible care home.
And also how forgiving he was with his social worker.
Neil Morrissey has leapt up in my estimation.

Part two? Thanks edam will make sure I watch it. I always thought that social services/authorities tried to keep siblings together I'm shocked/sad at how they deliberately placed them in different homes. but it did make me wonder what would have happened to them both if left with their parents?

No idea but siblings still get split up these days. Often because there's no placement available for all of them, or sometimes because SWs think that's appropriate.

Would be interesting to find out how much SW theory and practice is based on detailed research with people who have actually been on the receiving end...

Also wonder how that SW who met Neil will feel when he realises what must have happened to his brother, either as a direct victim or a witness. Clearly the parents were neglectful but I wouldn't want to have that on my conscience.

"edam: Would be interesting to find out how much SW theory and practice is based on detailed research with people who have actually been on the receiving end... "

• yes, got a funny feeling the answer would be very little sadly.

It does make you wonder if/how much people/SWs knew that abuse went on in some homes.

That programme was utterly heartbreaking and I cried, which never happens at tv things. I though he came across wonderfully well in it & as someone else said, he has really gone up in my estimation. One of the things I found very sad was how he had no recollection of the neglect, all he remembered was the fun and mischief with his brothers. The stories the other people told were very chilling, especially the 2 guys who were in the same place his brother had been sent to

Isn't it hard to imagine to little boys being brought to a courtroom and never being allowed home again? And no goodbyes to parents etc. Shocking. I thought is partner seemed lovely and in a silly way I was SO glad to see that he has a partner and a happy personal life, because it is none of my business but I would have been even sadder for him if he'd been on his own iykwim? I will watch on thurs, but will be more prepared this time.

Bluddy - BBC2 - I would think they'll repeat it/have it available online

ikwym millionaire - i was shocked that he'd had such a traumatic childhood - he always comes across as being really upbeat. He handled himself really well - i don't think i could have been so brave to retrace a past like that.

Missed it but read article on it in my local paper. The home he was sent to was local to our area.

this was on but i was busy with dad. I missed some bits. what happened to his brother? he seems to talk about "steven" quite a bit and what may have happened to him at his care home.

Where is the brother now? does he no longer have contact?

yes utterly heartbreaking.

I only saw a little of it, but it was clear that his brother is dead.

Did they speak to his parents or other brothers?

You did see him with his other brothers at one point - they went back to see the old family home/ It was fairly early on in the programme, so they were mainly discussing the mischief they'd got up to as boys. His oldest brother also either ended up in care or in the penal system in some way (may have been a young offender's institution). They don't see each other much now

Steven is indeed dead - they said he died in his thirties. I guess we'll find out what happened to him in the next part. It was a heartbreaking but interesting programme. The way he changed in his viewpoint as he spoke to people and found out that, in fact, social workers had been involved with his family for a lot longer than he thought raised him in my estimation - he showed a maturity I would probably not have expected from him (confusing him with his Men Behaving Badly character, I suppose).

I think the general view you hear of NM is that he's a bit of a knobhead (sorry) what with the Amanda Holden situation ..... but he came across as having had a very damaged upbringing. Just awful to hear the stories of abuse, but thank goodness he had "Aunty Margaret" - sounds like she cared a great deal for him.

My SIL started her life in care, and although (luckily) she was adopted at a reasonably young age she has struggled her whole life with feelings of rejection and never quite knowing who she is and where she came from. I really felt for him looking at the records, as I've seen her going through her own records desperate for answers.

It was quite shocking, but it's good that a "celeb" can bring this issue into the spotlight.
When we were kids, we would be threatened with being sent to "Penkhull homes" as punishment for being naughty, in fact I would have probably ended up there if my sister hadn't taken me in when my father remarried after the death of my mum and basically disowned me.
It was weird to see him driving around places that I know very well, I don't live too far from there now.

Me too, Malificence - i remember the name, too. I was brought up in Stoke - he would've been at the sixth form at the same time as my sister.

It was fascinating but heartbreaking. Some very brave people talking about horrific experiences Neil Morrissey coped with the information about his parents very well, but then some of the people who talked about their time in care homes described how they'd had to create a mental block so that they could get though life. Maybe it affected him more than he actually expressed.

I wonder whether people knew that children were being very badly treated at the Penkull homes then, if they had a bad name locally? Gather that's what happened in Ireland with abuse at Church-run homes - parents would threaten children with 'behave or you'll go to XXXX'. Not that they knew the full extent of it, but they darn well did know something was very wrong. If so, it's extremely sad that no-one felt able to challenge the authorities.

They had a name just as a children's home, edam. That in itself was the threat.

Hi i was in the same time as neil,it was not all that bad, my time spent there was most enjoyable with my brother and sister anthony,david and rosemary taylor,we were in mr hulmes or humes house(house parent) second house up from the gates at the bottom of the avenue on the left.

It was compelling viewing, interesting to hear that your experience was okay tony 45.