2nd February 2011 - 15th November 2012

The dilemma :
should you complain about things you thought were wrong with social work procedure which resulted in your child being in care for seven and a half months?
Or
should you try to gloss over that it ever happened, hoping your child will just forget, though you never can, knowing that it could happen to another child?

Today, the Head of Children and Families for where we live came and sat on our sofa, and apologised for things that should have been done and weren't.
She gave us leaflets about parents' rights which she had had printed, because of what had happened to us.
She said the little contact with our child when he had been in care was "appalling."
Also, no more children will have to go eight days after first being put in care believing their parents are dead because they are not allowed to see them.
She said she had made it compulsory for an investigation to start 3 days after a child is put in care, rather than social work being allowed to wait three months.
She said parents are now allowed to appeal for a change of social worker, right up to her level.
Social workers should ensure the presence of children at Hearings if children want to go.

She was not concerned about absence of evidence, misleading and serious errors in reports, or social worker opinions outweighing all other professionals'.

However, I think the first two would be covered if there was an immediate investigation. The third would be sorted if you could have a different social worker - though would depend on you being able to get a good one, like the one we have now.

I am not sure we would have got to where we are now, without this social worker. The fact that the new Head of Children and Families recognises him to be so good makes me think she does care. Apparently his application to be a social worker was turned down under the previous Head, but this one recommended him for promotion.

Could a child be put in care again with no evidence?
Yes.
Would he stay in care so long?
No.
Would anything positive come out of what happened?
That would depend on you getting a good social worker. Social workers have the power to change lives.
Luckily our area now has a good Head of Children and Families. Would she have made these changes if I'd not dragged this out for so long?
Maybe.
Would I feel like I'd helped other children?
No.
Would my son have been happier just to forget?
I don't know.
Would I have got anywhere if it had been the previous Head, who'd allowed all this to go on unchecked?
I don't know.

That this Head of Children and Families was appointed gives me hope.
Like many people, I have great faith in Alex Salmond. If he can change the accepted attitude of never questioning, never changing, never asking for better, never trying because you know you can't succeed, who knows what our children will achieve?