Social services and children - What would you do?

Pee · 12 August 2013 at 10:22AM

I know a family with two children, one who is about a year old and one about five.

We shared the same landlord and they made a lot of trouble for him and left owing a lot of money which they avoided having to pay by using bankruptcy procedures.

I am very annoyed with the way they treated my landlord, who was taken advantage off because he's kind.

Their current landlords approached me and expressed concern - well, initially about the fact they are struggling with the rent and lying to them - but also mentioned the children being in the house all day, no heating being used in the house back in April and the hygenie standards they are living in.

I am aware the health visitor raised concerns about this before, but they are now in another area with another health visitor.

They have moved four times whilst the eldest little girl has been alive and each time they have moved to a completely new county.

The family themselves did mention that a family member they had argued with had reported them to social services.

I do have some genuine concerns about the children, but the bottom line is I do not think there is any intentional abuse going on and I do not want the children to be removed from their parents.

I am also wondering how much I am letting my feelings towards them persuede me that this is the right thing to do.

amus · 12 August 2013 at 10:48AM

SS don't deal exclusively with wilful abuse, they also deal with neglect . Which is what it sounds like. Anybody with concerns about the well being of children should be report such concerns IMO.

MakeupAddict_2 · 12 August 2013 at 10:58AM

Not liking the way they treat their landlords financially isn't sufficient grounds for reporting them to Social Services.

The key issue is the children's welfare. Are they generally healthy, do they go hungry, do they seem unhappy?

If you think there is genuinely a safeguarding problem here, then report it. Removing children from their parents is a last resort, not a first response. But make sure you have strong evidence to support your claims. If it's only that their lifestyle isn't one you'd choose for your own children (in abstract, whether you actually have any or not) then leave it. You can always rethink if things get worse.

MuAx

marisco_2 · 12 August 2013 at 11:07AM

It seems to me that the family have on-going financial problems and this is impacting on their ability to pay rent, heat their home and keep the place hygienic. People have this irrational fear that if social services get involved then children will be taken away. That is very rarely the case unless it is deemed that the children are at significant harm by staying in their family home. Often they can offer support and put families in contact with services that can assist them. For yourself and their current landlord to have concerns suggests that this family could do with some help.

Troutwrestler · 12 August 2013 at 11:36AM

You want to report them for not having money for heating and the house being what? Dirty, untidy,??

SS wouldn't take away the kids away unless there were serious issues but I can't really see what your issues are.

The whole thing with the landlord has nothing to do with reporting them to SS either IMO

amus · 12 August 2013 at 11:46AM

I wouldn't worry about SS taking the children away OP, they can't even seem to be bothered doing that when a child is being beaten and starved to death.

Too many people are scared to be seen as 'knee jerk' these days, if you have concerns, report them. Lack of heating and adequate nutrition and hygiene IS neglect and should be looked into by SS.

inkie · 12 August 2013 at 11:54AM

respond to your gut feelings. You aren't there to make a judgement, just to voice your concerns if you have any. if that's the case, then speak up, and leave the rest with the statutory agencies.

Racheldevon · 12 August 2013 at 7:39PM

I work within social services. It doesn't matter whether there is intention or not, if you have concerns, based on whatever you have observed that their basic care needs (or anything else) are not being met (which includes some of the things you refer to), then you have a responsibility to share that information. It's not your role to decide whether or not it's relevant information, that's for someone else to assess, and they can't do that if there's missing information. Taking children into care is a) generally a very lengthily process, b) a very last resort. There are many support services and things that can be put into place to support a family, and the threshold for care proceedings is incredibly high.

Pee · 13 August 2013 at 10:50AM

I quite often think when people post things on here that they know what they should do but feel the need to have other people agree with them that it is ok to do it. It d9idn't feel like that to me when posting the question, but I think that was what it was.

I partly wanted someone to say this sounds fine and don't worry.

I have rung up and had a return call and the person I spoke to sounded nice, interested and professional.

I hope there is nothing to worry about, but on the basis that they no longer live near me and I have reported my concerns, there is nothing that I need to worry about.

Social services and children - What would you do?

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