Are Child Care Services ever held to account?
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Brief background - Our daughter put on CPP after OH investigated for IIOC. Knock was November last year.
Its been SIX weeks since CPP plan agreed.
We have had Zero communication with SS since then.
Many text messages sent to SW - voice mails left, no answer.
No Core Group meeting.
No 3 weekly visit from SS (mentioned at conferance)
No starting my Supervising Course, documented as starting three weeks ago.
No Risk asesment for OH.
Prior to OH moving out they were round every other day threatening with having our child taken into care.
Called SS who wont give me any contact details for Manager or anyone else in their department. Took my number and assured me they would ring me back (Yawn!).
Other than the generic "Make a complaint" form online it seems SS are totally uncontactable and are utterly unchallengable. I have made a formal complaint but had no response.
With Solicitors costing a minimum of £250 per hour we simply cant afford this route.
Ive looked for contact details of the Director at County SS but nothing.
The only person I can possibly contact is our MP but with the stigma surrounding these offences I doubt they will be likely to get involved.
I am horrified that a govenment body can get away with this behaviour and there seems no way to bring anyone to account.
Yes I am supporting my OH. My child desperately wants him back in her life and is struggling emotionaly with this.
Is ther anything I can do to re-engage SS in moving forward?
Thanks.
Its been SIX weeks since CPP plan agreed.
We have had Zero communication with SS since then.
Many text messages sent to SW - voice mails left, no answer.
No Core Group meeting.
No 3 weekly visit from SS (mentioned at conferance)
No starting my Supervising Course, documented as starting three weeks ago.
No Risk asesment for OH.
Prior to OH moving out they were round every other day threatening with having our child taken into care.
Called SS who wont give me any contact details for Manager or anyone else in their department. Took my number and assured me they would ring me back (Yawn!).
Other than the generic "Make a complaint" form online it seems SS are totally uncontactable and are utterly unchallengable. I have made a formal complaint but had no response.
With Solicitors costing a minimum of £250 per hour we simply cant afford this route.
Ive looked for contact details of the Director at County SS but nothing.
The only person I can possibly contact is our MP but with the stigma surrounding these offences I doubt they will be likely to get involved.
I am horrified that a govenment body can get away with this behaviour and there seems no way to bring anyone to account.
Yes I am supporting my OH. My child desperately wants him back in her life and is struggling emotionaly with this.
Is ther anything I can do to re-engage SS in moving forward?
Thanks.
If your child is on a CPP you should be getting visits every 2 weeks.
I had an intial conference back in November, still to this date haven't had a core meeting but they put the blame on me due to working full time when in actual fact they cancelled 2. They are full of threats, and lies.
Is your OH allowed supervised contact with yoir child?
Hope you're OK - it's a horrible time isn't it.
Also I tried getting legal advice - they aren't interested until it goes to court, they basically sided with SS and told me to think about what I was doing by staying in a relationship.
I had an intial conference back in November, still to this date haven't had a core meeting but they put the blame on me due to working full time when in actual fact they cancelled 2. They are full of threats, and lies.
Is your OH allowed supervised contact with yoir child?
Hope you're OK - it's a horrible time isn't it.
Also I tried getting legal advice - they aren't interested until it goes to court, they basically sided with SS and told me to think about what I was doing by staying in a relationship.
Keep doing everything youre doing youre end. Your SS should have given you their email as a bare minimum. Do you have the chairs email from your CPP meeting? If not there should be information somewhere about the independent body where youll then either find a number or a name of them you can Google and then ring, ask to speak to a chair. They need to be informed that SS one havent seen you and a core CPP meeting should have been made by now. Theyre meant to see you every 10 days on a CPP
Thanks
The chair isnt mentioned in the meeting minutes, neither are the police or the school so ive no idea who she was or how to contact her. OH has been banned from the house by SS but otherwise supervised contact is ok, although in the minutes it states this needs to be risk assessed. Its just a game to them. Its absolutely impossible to get in contact with anyone in SS - theyve got it tightly sewn up!!
The chair isnt mentioned in the meeting minutes, neither are the police or the school so ive no idea who she was or how to contact her. OH has been banned from the house by SS but otherwise supervised contact is ok, although in the minutes it states this needs to be risk assessed. Its just a game to them. Its absolutely impossible to get in contact with anyone in SS - theyve got it tightly sewn up!!
So is your OH not allowed in the house at all? Or as long as it's supervised?
I'm in the same boat as you - they took my daughter into her bedroom , 2 of them and once they left I had her in tears as she said she didn't know what to say, and she didn't know one of them very well.
I later tried to call SW to see what the hell went on, and did not get a response. The last visit we had she was 'ill' and someone else was sent out.
Can you try phone the children's centre or wherever you had your conference as they should have details of who chaired your meeting.
I'm in the same boat as you - they took my daughter into her bedroom , 2 of them and once they left I had her in tears as she said she didn't know what to say, and she didn't know one of them very well.
I later tried to call SW to see what the hell went on, and did not get a response. The last visit we had she was 'ill' and someone else was sent out.
Can you try phone the children's centre or wherever you had your conference as they should have details of who chaired your meeting.
Just called SS and NO - they wont tell me any names or give out any numbers or emails. Same old "we will get a manager to call you". Bail says OH can be at the house just not sleep over but SS were adamant that he cant so much as step inside the gate. There is no hint of any messages or contact offending so I think its over the top. He cant even come in when she is at scool - which is a 45 minute drive away "incase accidental contact occurs". Worth pointing out that they werent bothered about any of this until the SW returned from her three week holiday in the sun! Honestly I cant beleive the utter sh1t the social workers spout, and how in gods name they sleep at night I dont know. OH is convinced he will never be allowed to sleep at home until our daughter is 18. This is deeply upsetting for her as she misses him so much. He was supposed to start a risk evaluation 2 weeks ago but like everything else nothing has happened. The whole system is a disgrace.
I had a core meeting yesterday (my first one within 5 months) and I find that SS never note down what they say, and I'm wondering if that's why they don't respond to emails and phone calls as then it's some sort of evidence for the amount of times they are slipping up. After my girl was questioned in her bedroom by 2 SW's I emailed asking about this, and then yesterday in core meeting she point blank denied that no questions were asked then put the blame on me saying she was fine while they were there so why was she so upset after we left. Honestly I've had enough. I know they are here because of him (like they like to remind me) but they could just be a little more support instead of bringing up a new threat every visit. After yesterday within an hour I started with a migrane, and was throwing up all afternoon I struggled doing school run. I'm so lost, and just find myself not knowing what to do anymore.
No they are not and it's appalling. We escalated a complaint to the Ombudsman and our LA lied to them to get our complaint shut down. We have issued a PAP which a solicitor said our claim is with the insurers and heard nothing since. Got a stage 2 complaint open with them which started in October and they still haven't/wont release their findings to us. I'm just going to see if any solicitors will get involved now under Article 8 x
This is outrageous honestly - I don't know how they sleep I really don't.
I spoke to someone on here one of the advisors, and she said after every meeting to email everything that was said to the SW so it's all on an email whether they reply or not is a different story.
It would be so much easier to try get through life, if they were just a little more supportive.
I spoke to someone on here one of the advisors, and she said after every meeting to email everything that was said to the SW so it's all on an email whether they reply or not is a different story.
It would be so much easier to try get through life, if they were just a little more supportive.
They absolutely can be held accountable.
I've just reviewed my outcome for my stage 2 complaint. 9 upheld, 1 partially upheld (SW didn't record the call so my word against hers) and one no finding (mental distress caused to me, they didn't have my medical records to prove it. They could have asked)
They failed us on the following points, this was a child protection SW aswell.
Innappropriate and intrusive questioning
Lack of empathy and emotional support
Record errors, unprofessional tone and inappropriate language
Misleading and conflicting information shared during assessment
Delays in communication and lack of timely responses
Inaccuracies and omissions in children's reports and failure to action formally requested amendments
Failure to follow child in need procedures, including unannounced visits without informed consent
Lack of transparency and involvement in decision making
Lack of child centered practice and no direct work with children
signifiant delay of complaint handling
If anyone needs any help complaining, give me a shout. It's taken over a year but all my evidence proved I wasn't gas lighting myself!
Cirrently waiting for the local authority to send me a proposed financial remedy for everything they've done wrong.
I've just reviewed my outcome for my stage 2 complaint. 9 upheld, 1 partially upheld (SW didn't record the call so my word against hers) and one no finding (mental distress caused to me, they didn't have my medical records to prove it. They could have asked)
They failed us on the following points, this was a child protection SW aswell.
Innappropriate and intrusive questioning
Lack of empathy and emotional support
Record errors, unprofessional tone and inappropriate language
Misleading and conflicting information shared during assessment
Delays in communication and lack of timely responses
Inaccuracies and omissions in children's reports and failure to action formally requested amendments
Failure to follow child in need procedures, including unannounced visits without informed consent
Lack of transparency and involvement in decision making
Lack of child centered practice and no direct work with children
signifiant delay of complaint handling
If anyone needs any help complaining, give me a shout. It's taken over a year but all my evidence proved I wasn't gas lighting myself!
Cirrently waiting for the local authority to send me a proposed financial remedy for everything they've done wrong.
Well done you! It takes a lot of courage and strength to push back and complain especially when going through all this. Shows it's worth it! So glad they didn't just cover it all up and have found in your favour. Inspirational!
Hi, please could I ask how you started your complaint? As I am having to go down this root.
