By: Margaretta

Margaretta — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:16:57 +0000

Stands back from the keyboard in aazmeenmt! Thanks!

By: Nelly

Nelly — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:36:26 +0000

As a social worker who has been involved in a case similar to this one, I am upset and frustrated to read the biased and ill-informed reporting in the Telegraph article.

I accept that social workers can and do make mistakes, and that there have been dreadful cases where wrong decisions have been made. It is for this reason that there are so many safeguards in place throughout the court process in order to ensure that every other possibility has been explored before the judge makes a placement order (which allows a child to be placed for adoption and for contact with the birth family to be reduced).

The fact that the case has been going on for 3 years shows how much work has gone into trying to keep this family together. If she needed extra support, this would have been offered – she would have needed to be willing to accept the support. If family or friends were offering support or alternative care this would have been assessed. It is obviously in children’s best interests to stay with their birth parents, but if there’s evidence that the child is at significant risk of being harmed (and believe me, there has to be overwhelming evidence, even if this has to be confidential and can’t be reported on by the press), then the court has to make a decision about what form of alternative care will be in the child’s best interests.

Having read the available information, this seems to be a desperately sad situation where all the professionals involved have had to make very hard decisions about how best to ensure a vulnerable young child is protected. The potential consequences of getting this decision wrong are well known. It may be that the European Court of Human Rights finds that this local authority has not done enough to support this mother, or that the court has made the wrong decision based on the evidence. However, articles like this deliberately play on parents’ fears and do nothing to help families or protect children.

By: kn

kn — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:51:08 +0000

a slightly more in-depth reading of the case here. debate continues in the comments also

http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2009/06/03/there-are-worse-things-than-fiddling-expenses/

By: Annika

Annika — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:41:42 +0000

Since when did anyone need an IQ test to raise children??

Another example of when social services get it wrong.

Hope her daughter is able to come home. Thanks for highlighting this x

By: Anji

Anji — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:42:30 +0000

You’d have thought so wouldn’t you! The article even says her friends and family have all offered to support her if she needs help!

By: Alex T

Alex T — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:34:05 +0000

‘Without support, the psychologist claimed Rachel would pose a “high level of risk” to the child.’