Social Worker Problems :'(

StressedAndDepressed

blue_monkey wrote: »

Have you spoken to the school?

Still waiting for them to phone me back because the headmaster is busy taking a class and the inclusion office was not available to speak to me.
I did warn them if I don't hear by the morning I'm going to go and sit in their reception until they speak to me!

StressedAndDepressed

blue_monkey wrote: »

Have you spoken to the school?

And a solicitor?
Have an appointment on Thursday to see if they can help make sense of it all.

And HER manager. She must answer to someone - find out who.
Tried that yesaterday, they refused to deal with me as it is her case to deal with, getting so frustrated so I phoned the complaints department and they don't answer the phone!

If your ex likes to make your life hell then I would be pointing the finger right at him I am afraid. When does your son turn 18?
Just under 12 months time, she turned up at the school 2 weeks after his 17th birthday.

Is there ANY way that your ex could be in a relationship with this SW?
Anything is possible because we don't have contact I have no idea who he is seeing, if anyone.

You really do need a solicitor to help you with this I am afraid. Get one ASAP and get them to find out what the hell is going on. Please do it today and find out the legalities of this, not just what we all might think. That is not the right sort of help you need.

As I have had more information from other sources I have become more concerned about this matter and will be getting advice off a solicitor on Thursday, hopefully they can sort this out and get some answers for us.

gratefulforhelp_2

OP just throwing this in as a suggestion...and FWIW it does sound like SW may be linked to your ex.

Is the ex paying child support? He would be liable to pay until the end of sixth form.

It's not some elaborate plot to get out of paying child support (to you) is it?

Toto

Gosh I really feel for you, this is a horrible situation to be in. Keep on asking questions and pushing for answers though because it seems to me every rule in the book is being broken here. At the very least you should have been informed why these visits have taken place and what the concerns are.

I really hope you go and see the solicitor because you need someone on your side here who has a knowledge of the law and who has a bit more weight when it comes to finding out what on earth is going on.

blue_monkey_2

Thanks OP, sorry for all of the questions, just wanted to be sure you have covered all bases.

I am pleased you are seeing a solicitor, you really need to do that to find out what is going on.

Did you try the complaints people I mentioned earlier - have you tried dropping them an email in the meantime just so at least they can call you back. Something is not right here, surely your son - being an adult - can tell her he does not want her to visit and refuse to see her. I would suggest to him that he tells the school that he does not want any further contact with her and see what happens from thereon.

I would also call the LEA and ask them whether an Inclusion Officer following your child home from school to speak to him at the bottom of the street was usual practice. Get them to start asking questions too.

jess1974

This whole thing is bizarre, why are social services worrying about 17 year olds, when there are probably babies and toddlers being abused under their noses....

Spendless

jess1974 wrote: »

This whole thing is bizarre, why are social services worrying about 17 year olds, when there are probably babies and toddlers being abused under their noses....

That's a good point. For a very brief while (few months) my sil was a foster parent to a 15yo girl, in yr 11, but when she decided to move out to a mates just after her 16th birthday but still at school
she did so and wasn't returned to sils care.

StressedAndDepressed wrote: »

Anyway roll onto this year and again we had another visit, this time because my older son's "friend" was claiming that my son was never fed, had no clothes and no bed :eek:, needless to say same thing happened again, all through the house, cupboards, drawers, etc! They made a report and we were told that everything was fine, no reason for any action and case was over, thank goodness we thought!
BUT no! roll on 6 months and our son (who is now 17) comes home from school saying social worker has been back again asking about his bio dad and saying they want him to have his own flat!! So we leave it a couple of days, no contact so we ring them to ask what is going on?! The answer has left us both flabbergasted! We have now been told the 2005 case was made dormant not closed?! And they re-opened it because our son has not been to the doctors in 6 years!!!

I wonder if it's connected to the 'friends' story? Do you know any more about that? And the 6 years not seeing a Dr, it just doesn't make any sense. I should imagine a lot of kids don't see the Drs between ages 11-17. Mine are 8 and 11 and I can't remember last time mine went. Drs are somewhere you go when very young and very old and hopefully not very often inbetween. Am really glad you are seeing a solicitor this week, hopefully they will get to the bottom of it for you.

RacyRed

StressedAndDepressed wrote: »

As I have had more information from other sources I have become more concerned about this matter and will be getting advice off a solicitor on Thursday, hopefully they can sort this out and get some answers for us.

Good wishes for tomorrow. I hope you are able to get some answers.

Spendless

Any more news?

StressedAndDepressed

Hi,
Sorry for the delay in updating but BT decided that part of the country didn't need Internet for the last couple of days it seems, us included .

Anyway yes, we saw the social worker on Friday, who started off by apologizing for some of her comments on the phone, she explained that there was no case as such just a lot of dubious comments had come from school and they had been brought in. In her opinion there was no reason that the school should not of talked it through with us instead of involving social services so now she has spoken to us to address the issues she has marked the case dealt with and is going to speak to the people involved and arrange for mediation with the school which she has offered to sit in on.

Ok the comment from school were:
1. My son is sleeping rough in Iceland's doorway (She accepted that as there are metal doors over iceland's doorway this is impossible) she also spoke to my son who confirmed this is rubbish and he comes home every night.

2. The Inclusion office claimed she was just trying to talk to my son and was trying to catch him on foot and didn't catch up until he was nearly home. - The inclusion office was driving not walking and we live 30 minute walk from the school so she is looking further into this matter.

3. They claimed that my son does not take lunch to school and has been begging other kids for food - He takes a packed lunch daily and money which he showed her during their interview.

4. A complaint was made that he did not have breakfast - He does but how do you prove that!

5. Inclusion attendance officer claims that he told them he did not feel safe at home and HAD to move out before he turned 16. - Slight problem there as he is 17!

6. Inclusion attendance office states she caught my two son's fighting in school corridor - they say they weren't, they probably were but calling in social services for this seems extreme?!

7. My son has suffered severe bullying at this school - School claim to have dealt with the bullies and made my son aware of procedure involved if it happens again - What actually happened was that they told the class as a whole not to bully as it's not nice, that's it!!!

8. Inclusion attendance officer claims to have taken my son to one side to inform him that if he claimed EMA he could pay for his own place - the head of 6th form told the year as a whole about EMA grants no inclusion officer involved.

9. As for the "control freak" comments it seems these stem from my neighbour who claimed that my husband is a control freak who locks us in the house when he goes out or goes to work :eek:. Yes he locks the door on his way out to stop our 4 year old running out into the street which is something he has taken a liking to doing :eek:, but I also have a key inside to unlock it too.

10.With the not seeing a doctor problem, well that comes from my health visitor who because I did not reply to her letter to arrange a sight & hearing check up for my 4 year old within 2 weeks, I was on holiday!, and did as soon as I returned and got the letter!, decided to inform social services she was concerned!

The speech therapy was quite simple, they for some reason do not have records of him attending so I just have to give her a photocopy of the report I had when he finished and that should be straightened out too.

As you can see all the problems with my eldest son and reports come back to the Inclusion Officer who "cannot remember" the names of the boys who claimed my son was sleeping rough, begging for food, etc so social services have promised to pass on the details of their report to the relevant department as well as ourselves so this "Inclusion Attendance Officer" can be investigated properly and that is an end to their involvement as far as they are concerned.



So at the end of the day several small things were put together, some true some not and they raised a red flag of concern, the matter was dealt with badly but it is now hopefully closed and my complaint on the handling of it will be sent in asap.