Panorama - I want my baby back

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

Anyone watching?

This promoting of the idea that SS want to steal babies makes me very uneasy...

Spero my child has always been in my care thank god. Just shared parental respinsibility with the LA. These r all first time mums in this unit and they will pay £4500 a week because if they do get to put that child up for adoption they get bonuses from the government. It was tony blair who brought it in years ago as there wasn't enough babys being put up for adoption. 90% of people lose there babys in these units. Do u honestly think someone deserves to lose there baby over becoming 'overly involved' in another residents life. I certainly don't but they say by building friendships in the unit is a 'negative relationship' and that's enough to lose PR of your own child. And unless a family member has passed an special guardianship assesment ur baby will go into foster care. Most of the time if they go into foster care there be adopted.

suesspiciousminds.com/2012/08/16/what-should-you-do-if-social-services-steal-your-children/

No. This idea that government pays a bonus to have babies taken into care is a lie I am afraid.

This lie JH has been telling for years and never offered any proof.

I am sorry you believe that, but it is not true.

And as I read your post, it was not chewing poppy seeds that attracted the attention of SW but your violent partner?

BoH

I'd agree (barring the issues Spero raised).

GP's will be considered if they put themselves forward. I agree wih you in that, if no other faimily members do put themselves forward, its not a lot to ask SWs to give them a bell and ask is it?

Ailee, are you saying that the government is currently or has in the past paid for babies to be removed from innocent families for adoption and that, by association, every single professional involved in that pathway is in on the conspiracy ?

Who is feeding you this information ?

inlovewithgarp - thanks for posting the suspicious minds blog. I hope anyone who has spoken with Hemming will also read this.

I hope you can sign him up to any support network you start.

there is some great and helpful information on the internet but we need to start making everything accessible and steering people away from Hemming et al.

bunchoffives It was me that said about the poppy seeds. My baby was never removed from my care I was put in a family assesment unit so they could monitor me with my child as they didn't have enough evidence for a full care order at that time. If I hadn't of pushed to have the toxicologist test the samples again I would of lost my child though. They don't think to tell u how a health food can make u accused of a heroin addict b4 doing the test. Altho at the hospital I went to I have made sure no woman will be put through this again as they've sacked there safeguarding midwife I recorded a phone call of her screaming I was a druggy an poppy seeds couldn't cause a positive opiate result. That only happened months after I managed to get the toxicologists report though.

Orestes - of course, I would hope that SW could be proactive and contact family members.

But when SW are utterly drowning in heavy case loads, they have limited time to play detective and track down family members. They usually have to rely on the parents passing on details such as address and phone numbers.

This is an argument for more support given to families BEFORE things get so bad that the courts have to get involved. So SW can form relationships with the wider family and all can work together if they can to keep parents and children together.

But a lot of cases go to court because the families are so dysfunctional and fractured. A lot of my cases, my client simply has NO functioning and supportive adults in his or her life. It is really very sad.

It is true that they get bonuses. Tony blair brought it in when he was prime minister. I have never spoke to any of these people that preach about the family courts an do not plan to either as I believe they don't know everything. Ur correct my ex partner was the reason the SW got involved. As police report all insidents to them.

Ailee B - I agree, it must be very worrying and frustrating to be accused of being a drug addict if in fact you have just been eating certain foods.

But what about your violent partner? What happened with him?

AileeB - Tony Blair was very worried about the number of children who were in care and stayed in care for YEARS, never being adopted. He wanted to speed up the adoption process for children who were ALREADY in care.

He certainly did not want LA to snatch babies from otherwise loving homes to get them adopted.

There are no bonuses now and there never have been any bonuses paid for baby snatching.

it is sad and shocking that this awful lie has such currency.

Don't get me wrong I'm not slating all SW. My one has done all she can to support me and help me get through these proceedings. It was the prebirth one who made up all these lies. I just wish that people could speak out and more support could be given to families b4 they think of court proceedings. At the end of the day unless a child is being physically or emotionally neglected there better of with there parents. A rapist gets a farer trial in court.

Yes, and the very sad and shocking effect of that is that families who could and can be helped before situations become past the point of no return are too terrified to seek the help that they deserve.

You're being a tad naive Spero I think. Their intentions may be good but misguided. As I said previously on another thread we are now in the situation where a pendulum swing from highly publicised cases in the media where abuse has not been idenitified now means an over zealous attempt to find abuse where none exists. This helps no-one as the meagre social work resources are being hopelessly spread when they should be focussed on children in genuine danger. Reform of the system is crucial - and this has been recognised by Sir James Munby. I have had personal experience of this system and I have no confidence in it whatsover. My wife has been portrayed by social services as a bad mother simply because she is autistic and the threat has been made that our children could be taken away from us. That social services can make threats against capable an loving parents when there are others who are genuinely abusing and neglecting their children shows me how those resources are being used without sensible focus and inefficiently. I do wonder how the rest of Europe seems to manage without forced adoptions on such a massive scale as seen in the UK.

My ex partner is still in jail and is no longer party to proceedings that god! There's to many children in care ur correct but not enough newborns an sadly that's what people want. When I went into labour (I ended up having a slow labour and it lasted 2 weeks) I was told about proceedings then. As far as everyone was concerned I was about to give birth. I spoke to a man Ian Joseph. He offered to pay for me to flee to Ireland but I refused. Thank god my labour stopped so I could get a solicitor or my baby wouldn't be with me now. I've had a bad expirience with the LA but like I said they're not all the same and I hope it is a minority.

After nearly 15 years at the sharp end, there are many things I am but naive is not one of them.

Thank you BoF for linking

No problem Spero, I certainly hope people find it informative, I know I did. JH had me absolutely terrified. He comes from an ilk of people who refuse to take any responsibility whatsoever for the situation they find themselves in....

I don't deny mistakes are made though, but this is the trouble - you only ever hear in the media "they took this baby and got it wrong" OR "they didn't take this baby and got it wrong".

nothing inbetween about all the good work done by SW's. and some of them are diamonds.

and for ME to say that is saying something...

Sorry Ailee B, it's getting late!

So when you were in the assessment unit, after you had split up with your violent ex, you were tested for opiates. And because you had been eating poppy seeds you tested positive? Have I got that right?

Had the midwife recommended poppy seeds?

Ailee B - you had a very lucky escape from Ian Joseph. I hope to god you are never in a position again where you have to contact him.

At least it is now clear to me who has been giving you this misinformation.

I don't think one single person has said or even implied that everything is hunky dory with the way things currently are in the social care system and family courts

This govt and previous ones are at fault, for the wholesale withdrawal of the resources required to do the massive task of keeping all children safe at all times

Who's Ian Joseph Spero?

Yes, some pennies dropping all over the place.

I am not naive, but I am tired. So had better go to bed.

It is lovely to hear of the success stories. We don't hear enough of those. I hope your stories give comfort to anyone lurking, who has been in contact with JH or IJ and is afraid.

Please don't give up and please don't leave the country.

Ha - yes, IJ told me to flee to Ireland or Northern Cyprus.

I declined with thanks.

AileeB, £4500 per week!. The average parental residential assessment lasts twelve weeks as far as I know (waits to be corrected).

So that's £54,000 + all the legal costs of going through proceedings. Even not counting the other costs that's a hefty chunk of change.

The bonus the council was getting, how much was it?