When to report bad parenting?

delain

I've got some anonymous neighbours, they will report anyone to any agency for anything. We're all pretty damn sick of being investigated for things we haven't done!

izzybusy23

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Nope. Not down here. Too many malicious people, I guess.

and if there is something wrong, surely you should have the courage of your convictions to stand up for a child.

As stated in my previous post; what if the family you were reporting were notorious in the area and would make your life a living hell??? You have the right to remain anonymous from repercussions. You have done your bit by the child by reporting it.

Social Services have to accept anonymous concerns; I have never heard of any that would make you give your name and address before taking the concern seriously!

izzybusy23

Tygermoth wrote: »

A work colleague and I were visiting ASDA. On leaving the store we walked up to the car to leave. We were nattering idly and making way for the woman next to us who was unpacking her trolley. I then watched in utter shock as the small toddler aged child who was stood in the trolley was delivered a strong downward punch to the face.

What scared me even more the child did not cry or scream after this blow, just stood quietly? She was forcefully grabbed by the arm lifted and placed in the child seat where she received three more similar blows.

At this point the woman noticed we were rooted to the grown in shock staring at her. She swore at us and jumped in her car and pulled away.

My colleague noted her registration and got in to our car just looking at each other in utter shock. Suddenly there was a bang at the back of the car. The woman had realised we had noted her reg and come back. She had reversed her car over the back of ours so we could not leave and was banging on the doors and windows screaming to us to get out.

We called the police, who could hear the lady screaming and yelling advised them of the goings on. They were very reluctant to send a car. However the woman suddenly realised we were already on the phone to the police and left. The Police promised to follow it up and ref the matter to SS.

Now this is all very upsetting but what upset me more was a week later i called the police to see what the outcome was.

Nothing.

Yup they went to the house and stated ‘all seemed to be in order’ nothing further was done.

As such i have little faith they will do anything in your case....

In that case I feel (as the police obviously had her address) you should had made a concern to your SSD and asked them to look into it further. At least that way your mind would had been put at rest. That woman and her child might had already been known to the SSD..

gratefulforhelp_2

Report it, but soft-pedal the chav comments.

peachyprice

izzybusy23 wrote: »

As stated in my previous post; what if the family you were reporting were notorious in the area and would make your life a living hell??? You have the right to remain anonymous from repercussions. You have done your bit by the child by reporting it.

Social Services have to accept anonymous concerns; I have never heard of any that would make you give your name and address before taking the concern seriously!

Forgive me if I'm missing something, but giving your name to SS doesn't mean they should pass it on to the family that has been reported, from that perspective you should still remain entirely anomymous.

I can understand completely SS wanting to know your name 1. to elimnate malicious reports and 2. they may need further information from you.

patchwork_cat

WHy is smacking on the hand considered better than smacking on the bottom. If you smack the back of the hand you can damage it,(my mum was a Dr in Alder Hey A &E) but smacking once on a well padded bottom and not in anger is better if you must smack IMO.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

izzybusy23 wrote: »

As stated in my previous post; what if the family you were reporting were notorious in the area and would make your life a living hell??? You have the right to remain anonymous from repercussions. You have done your bit by the child by reporting it.

Social Services have to accept anonymous concerns; I have never heard of any that would make you give your name and address before taking the concern seriously!

You don't live down here then. They were, and if by living hell, you mean saying to a 5 year old 'I am going to set fire to your house and burn you, your Mummy and your cat to death when you are asleep tonight', they were.


No right to remain anonymous. They did not and would not do a thing. So the kid concerned is planning on getting a boyfriend and baby so she can get out as soon as possible.

ali-t

although social services can take anonymous calls it is very difficult for them to take any action unless when they visit they see evidence of the complaint e.g. if you complain the children are physically assaulted but report it anonymously and the SWD visit and there is no bruising or other evidence of physical assault and the family deny it then they can't do anything about it. This is why it is better to leave a name BUT I this would have to be weighed up with the possible outcomes for yourself of reporting any concerns.

Liquorice_Twirls

Sadly, through professional experience, I have seen similar incidents and worse be "investigated" and nothing seem to happen. However, I would still encourage the OP to report her concerns as any investigation may include enquiries being made at the school, the GP's, the health visitor etc and this may paint a bigger picture of neglect and abuse than the one shown (which I believe is terrible enough, but it may otherwise be deemed a 'one-off' and so the parenting be OK enough). Sometimes there are lots of bits of information about abuse and neglect that need joining up together, so by calling SS, the OP is giving this a chance to happen.
And if nothing seems to happen after you have rung, and the abuse happens again, please ring again. Don't assume that because they didn't do anything last time it will be the same this time. (And I hope for those kids sake you never hear that sort of abuse to them again)

meritaten

not to mention that SS take calls from concerned neighbours - visit the family and decide everythings ok. and keep getting calls from neighbours. until the child dies. neighbours are devastated (I cant describe how we feel). but it would have felt worse if we HADNT called. so keep calling!!! and calling and calling!