I have transcribed the comments in yesterday's interview from the ex-Social Worker as they confirm that the courts should not rely on Local Authority Assessments.
Journalist: This woman left the profession after ten years she is concerned that government targets for numbers of adoptions could lead to families being wrongly split up she has asked to remain anonymous
ex-SW: I think the court system fails some families. I would say a small number.
I went into social work to support families to stay together
but I became increasingly aware that people couldn't trust the system
I think that having targets for numbers of adoptions is ridiculous
I don't think it should happen. There's a possibility that mistakes are made in assessments and that some children are taken away that shouldn't have been.
Journalist: Those mistakes equate to years of heartache ....
Journalist: This woman left the profession after ten years she is concerned that government targets for numbers of adoptions could lead to families being wrongly split up she has asked to remain anonymous
ex-SW: I think the court system fails some families. I would say a small number.
I went into social work to support families to stay together
but I became increasingly aware that people couldn't trust the system
I think that having targets for numbers of adoptions is ridiculous
I don't think it should happen. There's a possibility that mistakes are made in assessments and that some children are taken away that shouldn't have been.
Journalist: Those mistakes equate to years of heartache ....
Comments
Also good comments by other workers in assessments would be ignored and the sw would just use her own comments.
It is totally biased. Also if the social workers are behaving in a bullying and intimidating way it can really affect assessments,especially if one is vulnerable with a mental health problem or learning disability. Their harshness treatment of the parents and spite, can turn one into jelly. The anxiety one displays will therefore be used against you.
This is confirmed by the governments latest guidelines on dealing with parents with learning disability.That the parents suffer great fear of losing their children that this can lead to abnormal conditions and abnormal responses in assessments. Especially when the centres are an alien environment to very young children and one can't explain what is going on.
When I explained my position to a contact staff,I was told well just realax and try and enjoy your time with the child. There was no acknowledgement from social services of the stress these assessments cause.It is like being under exam conditions and you don't know if you will pass(and that pass depends on if you lose your child, or if trivial things will be used against you.
I actually played with my child constantly as I was frightened if I had a sit down once I would be criticised for not playing with my child enough.
This is how malicious the whole thing became.
One of the staff told someone close afterwards that the assessments were not as bad as the sw was making out.In fact when X came home they said my contact was of a high standard. But no will speak up and actually say this in court. As social workers seem to have unaccountable power over other workers.
In fact when X came home they said my contact was of a high standard.
They system is crazy and illogical and there is nowhere for parents to turn if things turn malicious. The SS complaints system is geared to protecting their own workers. one finds that parents are treated with equal hostility and maliciousness from complaints officers and you are thwarted at every turn from getting your complaint dealt with fairly and impartially.