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BBC runs story about adoption targets

The BBC website has run the story about adoption targets.

It is quite easy to spot a situation where the Social workers are trying to steal a baby. Firstly, they prevent the baby remaining with the mother. Secondly, they argue that noone else in the family (grandparents, aunts, uncles etc) is good enough to look after the baby and then they gradually reduce contact.

In the mean time the Family Courts rubber stamp the proposals from the social workers.

One woman (from Buckinghamshire) who tried to run away with her baby was sentenced earlier this month to a year in prison for doing so. She is not a threat to society. If the prisons are full why is she locked up.

I am still collating the figures to make a more precise calculation as to the numbers of babies stolen by social workers each year.

Comments

cjred said…
Mr Hemmings, you are an idiot - no Court in this country would agree an adoption order where it was not in the best interest of the child. By suggesting that this is the case, you are undermining the child protection system and putting children at risk. Due to your irresponsible actions, a person who may have concerns about a child may not raise this for fear of the child being taken away, when actually this is a last resort. It is my suggestion that you are using an emotional issue to get your name into the press and therefore national coverage which you would not otherwise have. It would be much less harmful if you simply followed your colleague's example and started to date a cheeky girl - I believe there is one going spare!
Lauren said…
I cannot believe this news story. Children are only ever removed from their parents as a last resort, to state as it did in that news article that children are removed from their parents in an effort to fulfil adoption targets is at best ludicrous.

Social Workers do not 'steal' babies! If a child is at risk there are many procedures and evaluations that are undertaken before it even gets close to ending up in court.

Actually its not about being a threat to society its about the threat of significant harm to the child. Any child who is at risk will be assessed and then appropriate agency involvement will be initiated. Nine times out of ten (if a risk is perceived to be the case), said family will get support from appropriate agencies and the issues resolved.

I really do not think you have any idea Mr Hemmings what you are talking about.
Jock Coats said…
Courts rely on the "sophisticated" case put forward by social services departments surely. I'll bet there are plenty of cases where the birth family are ill-equipped, educationally, emotionally, financially and in all sorts of other ways to fight a case made by such professionals.

At the very least, if the statistics show a rise in the number of one to fours being adopted greater than the trend number of one to fours being put up for adoption then there's some explaining to do.
Unknown said…
Scampy, get on MSN, TAGL. I need to talk to you about Stu [-]
Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said…
If this story is true then it is a major nation scandal.

I would expect nothing less than major jail time for anyone involved or conniving with such disgusting practise.
John Hemming said…
I am well aware of the details of what happens. I would not have tabled the EDM had I not felt secure of my ground.

Not all Social Workers misbehave, but some do. That is sufficient to cause a mass of misery.

The courts frequently simply rubberstamp the recommendations of the Local Authority.

I will not respond to all the comments that quickly, but am to respond when things calm down.
Lee said…
John, this is the first time I've heard about this issue (via the BBC) and it seems very disturbing. I'd like to read the evidence and I'll be following up the links to Justice For Families to find out more. I'd like to write a report on the issue - if you have some sort of dossier of evidence you'd like to share, drop me a line. I can readily believe that the story has the ring of truth to it, given the government's view of the parenting capabilities of much of the British underclass.
s.instoke said…
Mr Hemmings I am bitterly disappointed in your clearly one sided biased report twisting fact to suit your own glory. As if the media does not already twist facts enough. As a social worker student I am horrified and have experienced bias attitudes continusly shaped by misrepresentaiton and headline captions. I am studying my hardest to make a difference to children and families in placements and this to me is just another smack in the face to all the hard work whihc is never recorded, no self respecting social worker would ever bow to the pressures of the local authorities our value base is too strong for that.
John Hemming said…
I have emailed the spreadsheet of the statistics to the person who requested information. There is no real response required to the social workers who simply resorted to abuse.

I would make a point that a system that has no "checks and balances" and merely relies upon a "value base" is destined to go wrong.
WiccanHippy said…
cjred, you are indeed an example of pseudo-intellectual B/S, if your comments arise to nothing more than dating a cheeky girl, i fail to see why anyone should take you seriously.
Children are removed from their parents under the umberella of MAY BE AT RISK IN 4-8 YEARS TIME, that is a fact. Last resort my ass.
Its pretty clear to see who are the social workers here, guys you really crack me up!

Keep up the excellent work Mr Hemmings!
Unknown said…
For the people who are doubting this report. This is very real.

I personaly know of families who asked the social services for help. Help was refused. When the parents were in despair, they asked for help again. The help social services gave was to remove all the children.

I personaly know 3 mothers who had their children removed at birth. All are fighting to get their children returned, but the social workers in each of the 3 cases have lied in their reports to the court. The mother was refused permission to record any conversation or interviews to protect themselves.

The list goes on.

To the people who are doubting this - this child snatching is very real. The LA have adoption targets to reach - potential parents looking to adopt want happy smily faced children for adoption, not children with behavior problems, so as targets need to be reached, parents with minor peoblems are being targeted.

Ever wonder why there are so many private adoption agencies springing up? Guess who starts them? Ex social workers who were in the child protection department.

The bottom line - child snatching is happening. The social services are using "emotional abuse" (amongsed others) and the parents with that lable can't do anything to get their children back. All the parents I have met have nothing wrong with them other than that they care to much for their children.

Ask the BAAF - they asked for adoption targets, now they don't want adoption targets.... but the problem is already getting out of control.

Well done Mr. Hemming. Thank you for exposing this. It is well over due and should have been exposed ages ago. We need more MP's like you!
Well done John. How admirable it is to see an MP standing up to speak out and fight for justice when what he sees is wrong on so many levels. At the next election vote, the liberal democrats get my vote!

To all those that leave nasty comments on your blog, perhaps they are worried things will come out into the open once and for all and are panicking that openess will come back to bite them? When you really think about it, as if an MP would put himself out there open wide for criticism if he wasn't sure of the facts first. Wake up!
sparrow1 said…
Those who believe the Family Court system in the UK can be trusted to correct over-enthusiastic Social Workers and miscarriages of justice are either deluded or inclined to the odd bit of perjury.
Even some journalists of note have realised that something has gone horribly wrong with the application of justice for children and parents;

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,6-2513335,00.html

It took years for conservative folk to believe that British justice could make routine errors (the Guildford Four and Birmingham Six can testify to that). Is it going to take years for those same people to believe the courts aren't blundering again? But this time miscarriages are occuring near enough every week and this time the victims don't have the benefit of public scrutiny to correct the blunders.
Justamum said…
cjred he is using this issue as you put it because hes the only mp who has guts enough to make it public. may i suggest you open your eyes and stop protecting your own interests such as your livelihood perhaps.
how can you defend a child protection system that acts upon the probability of abuse in the future (Chrystal ball thinking) how can you defend a court that ensures its decisions and very basis for removing a child in secrecy.not only do you insult his intelligence as his views are based on facts unlike social workers, but you insult the very many parents for who this farcical child protection system has been exposed. if parents have abused their child they deserve to have their child taken, but as you well know many children are taken simply on the whim or erroneous observations of the social services...you say its the last resort to remove a child from their family their are so many i know personally that didnt have this option or indeed any support in which to care for their child.do not twist this around,many social workers are overzealous and underhanded and as a consequence many innocents are sacrificed in order to make sure the guilty dont get chance to slip the net. this is not justice this is an abomination of family law and human rights.
paula
Unknown said…
All week we have been bombarded by coverage of the homosexual adoption debate and now this revelation. Not a good era to be a child in the UK.
nobody said…
Lets just get one thing straight here for all you who think this and other injustices do not happen in the child protection system, first of all, what cloud you living under, obviously you been charmed all your life, either with a silver spoon or just blindness to the fact there is good and bad in all sectors of this countrys system....

It does not only go on in adoptions with the system it also goes on with them supporting child sex abusers to rear up children, depleating loving parents and families to bring their children up in secure safe enviroments. Let it be known to you if you open your eyes up to read the cases out there, it is the people that are shouting about it who are telling the truth and the ones that do not want it heard keep silent and scorn the rest....

In the past there have been judges, social workers, etc making decisions about children, solely not in the interest of children, due to their own selfiness, greed of welbeing and money, and if you can not accept this goes on in society then uncover your eyes and wake up, as the day is close for justice and when you do awake the shock will be paramount and sickening to you,as you will be ashamed to know you stood by people that abused the innocent children of this country with your ignorance...

John has taken on a role here to open your eyes, a one man crusade that is going to shine through with the truth, it is only the blinkered and wrong in society that do not want to adhere to it, so join this fight and show you will not stand by a country that lets it children be subjected to abuse by the very gov. that says it is protection our innocent children.....

Too many people are broken hearted, I am for one, but that does not stop us fighting to get the truth out about this system and my words should not stop you engaging in some research for your selves to see that your future generations are not touched by this unjust corrupt system....
nobody said…
Another thing to wake your senses up, Is the role of solicitors in cases involving abused children, this is the other side of the coin!! once an offender has been found, he has an option!! yes! an option! he can on his solicitors advice,plead guilty to get a lighter sentance, or if he pleads innocent his solictor and barrister fight his case to get him of the hook, this usually happens as they throw all sorts of laws at the judge and jury and other side to paint their client in a good picture.

Now ask your self how many of these so call abusers should be in prison as i can tell you, the true child abusers are 90% out there on the streets with just cautions and some that have put their hands up to something they have not done,only because they have been accused and the solictor tells them if you plead guilty you get a lighter sentance,are sitting inside prison for something they have not done....

That is how cuckoo this country is, they put in prison 90% of the time innocent people and the guilty ones who use the law in their favour are out there on our streets still getting away with abusing children...

Wake up as this system is so corrupt, it would make you all throw up if you knew how much you have been blinkered to what really does go on..

The racket of adoption is by far the same as child snatchers, evil people that want to fill their own pockets and doesn.t matter if they hurt you,your neigbour, your family it does not matter because at the end of the day, the persons benefitting from it are the gov. with their figures, the managers in ss with their bonuses, and the people that want to seperate children from loving famiies, who actually corruptly use any lies that will paint their client black....

I can say until you been touched by this corrupt system in your lives then don't print aword until you know the truth. and the only way you are going to do that is ask the people who it has affected and research into the part of society that keeps quiet about it!!!!.....

Then you try and sleep at night!!
nobody said…
Quote-cjred said Due to your irresponsible actions, a person who may have concerns about a child may not raise this for fear of the child being taken away, when actually this is a last resort Quote

How much do you stand to loose when the truth gets out, oh gosh is that MONEY!!

Well who ever you are, our children are more important than money and your ignorance, Go live in your riches, because as soon as the truth is out; the truth will be there for all the world to see, and YOU will have a few coins left and the clothes on your back you stand in when all the truth is out.

And still the most important things to us will be our children!!! not you; as you are one of the ones who support such a misguided system in this country due to the greed and selfishness to open your eyes to truth!!!!....

The system is afraid of those that shout their stand, they are the ones who stand up to social services in the first instance, the abusers, who get away with it and keep or get rid of social services, that is why they do nothing as the social services are afraid to act on them people.
Now us and I speak for many, were good honest people who thought that the ss were going to help us,either via just asking for help or malicious lies said upon some, that made the social services listen to the bad people to gain the good peoples children, if you can not accept this happens in society then try asking for help your self, even try their free service for enquiry!! thats all you have to do for them too invade your life!!. then when they realise you are a easy target to boost their figures, they will start their ruling upon you, your life will immediatly change to their way of thinking and when you suddenly realise this is affecting your children and you know it is not right, you try stopping it, then you will experience what others have been through, you can speak out what you know then, that you do not know now.....don't take my word for it, TRY IT!!!!

The ss, would rather support a bad family to bring up children as they are too afraid to try anything on with them and persecute the innocent, so much so many of us, were quiet, nice people before our lives were touched, now we have come out of our shells and bringing out the truth so no one else gets hurt. but saddly we had to experience it first to learn this.....How about you doing the same first, Then we may listen to you!!!

Good grief you deserve it!! but think twice as if you do have children , they are innocent and they DO NOT DESERVE IT, SO WAKE UP.

I asked for help to get my daughter couselling as she was SExually abused from the age of 11! by her step father...

The social services felt this did not impair his ability to father his two baby sons!! oh lets not forget HIS family had been repremanded for sexual activies on my sons,NY THE SOCIAL SERVICES, he had a caustion already for underage sex and since this happen 16 years ago, they have been through hell in that house, with this pervert.. SO DON'T COME BACK TELLING ME WHAT YOU KNOW IS RIGHT, AS I AM TELLING YOU, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS SYSTEM, IT SUPORTS ABUSERS, AND ABUSES CHILDREN IT'S SELF.....

GOSH YOU ARE ENOUGH TO MAKE A SAINT SWEAR!!!

AS YOU CAN SEE WE WERE THE VICTIMS AND THE ABUSER WHO ADMITTED IT TO OUR FACES, WON....

NOW SIT DOWN HAVE A THINK AND REALISE WHAT YOU READ IS RIGHT, AS ADOPTION TARGETS ARE FEEDING HUMAN BEINGS GREED FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY NOT THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN...

I HOPE YOU HAVE THAT LOUD AND CLEAR......
rebel said…
Mr John Hemming...

As many will agree, you are certainly NOT an Idiot and how dare people suggest such a thing.

There are many sites all over the internet to which i am sure people would be completely appauled by upon realising what is really going on in this Country.

The privacy in Family Courts needs to be addressed immediately.. yes, there is a need to protect children.. but chikldren are being wrongly removed from parents on the basis of possibilities and probabilities.

Emotion harm?? so if you and your partner argue when things get on top of you... then this warrents losing your children?! I don't think so!

Family courts and the privacy within them.. are for the best interests of the child in most cases... what about the parents, the loving, caring ones that have not even harmed a hair on their childs head.... is it far for them to be ordered to keep it all secret?! I don't think so.

Social workers going into hospitals and claiming a right to take a baby from a mother.. before she's even been given a chance to actually 'mother' that baby?! is this legal..... i don't think so.

The Government wanting a 40% rise in Adoption rates... where are all these babies and children coming from.... 40% increase.. good god, the Government will own every child in England by the next generation.

to the abusive posters on here..

This is happening, not in every case.. but it definately IS going on ... wake up and do something about it!!

If you don't care then fine... but think of your childrens future... your nieces, nephews etc and don't be so damn ignorant.
nobody said…
JUSTICEMAKER HAS SPOKEN SO HEED THE WORD, ACT ON IT AND TAKE CARE AS WHILE I HAVE A BREATH IN MY BODY THE WHOLE DARN WORD IS GOING TO HEAR WHAT I AND OTHERS HAVE HAD TO GO THROUGH, AND I ASSURE YOU TOO, I NEVER ASKED TO BE BORN IN THIS HORRIBLE WORLD BUT NOR DID OUR CHILDREN, SO WHY ARE THEY BEING TREATED LIKE THIS IN A COUNTRY THAT LIES AND PRETENDS IT CARES FOR THE SAFETY OF THEM, AS PARENTS WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB AT RAISING OUR CHILDREN, THE GOV CAN.T GET NOTHING RIGHT, SCHOOLS, HEALTH, NOTHING!!!! NOT EVEN CHILD PROTECTION!!!!...
GET IN THE REAL WORLD AND OPEN YOUR EYES TO WHAT IS AROUND YOU,NOT JUST WHAT "YOU WANT" TO SEE.

BE DIFFERENT WHILE YOU CAN AND JOIN JOHN IN THE FIGHT TO MAKE A BETTER PLACE FOR ALL CHILDREN, BECAUSE IF YOU DON.T IT WILL SOON LEAD TO TAGGING CHILDREN,CHIPPING THEM AND SOONER OR LATER YOU WAIT, THE ROBOTS WILL BE GIVING YOU MEDICINES IN YOUR BED IN HOSPITALS BECAUSE HUMANS DO NOT CARE NO MORE,MARK MY WORDS THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN!!..
sf said…
cjred, it is not Mr Hemmings that is the idiot but yourself. Why dont you sit in the next adoption case at your local court and see for yourself. Oh bugger, I forgot. YOU CANT. Secret courts stealing children and no one can find out about it except those brave enough to speak up. Take it from an ex 'customer' of social services cos Ive been there. I, for one, will NEVER report anything to these bumbling nazis, just in case ive got it wrong. No one deserves the kind of treatment they dole out eg - House too tidy so obsessed with housework to the kids detriment. House too messy no routine kids 'at risk' (of what they never say. This issue NEEDS national, nay, international coverage because its too close to Berlin circa 1938.
David said…
I can identify a case (though it is ongoing and so I do this anonymously) where a child was removed illegally- it went to high court and the Social Services department were fined £50,000. That child has had behavioural problems since birth but Social Services have refused to admit that and insist the cause was abuse. They tried to force the parents to split- apparently a common tactic.

There appears, at least in this department to be a systematic belief that men are always to blame.

The sibling of that child was also removed - she is just two and plans for her adoption were made. I am a relative but not immediate parent of the children involved. The 2 year old has never suffered any ill health or been at risk, yet she is in care.

Other tactics used. Have assessments done by expensive 3rd party centres who provide a report saying that the parents failed to meet basic needs. This despite excellent reports from a nursery and health worker.

Even worse- reports that were favourable about the parents were doctored by the same social worker who removed the child illegally to make the reports negative before presenting to the court.

If any of this sounds fantastic or fiction, I can assure you that they are not. If you wish to know more, please leave a comment.
nobody said…
SO CJRED;
WHERE WERE SOCIAL SERVICES WHEN THESE POOR CHILDREN NEEDED THEM!!
Two children found dead by police;
Saturday, 27 January 2007, 19:47 GMT
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6306471.stm
nobody said…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6306471.stm


that link got shorten, it should be
stm on the end.
nobody said…
s.instoke

I would not bother training any more, as once you get in there you will experience what others have gotten out of, because the pressure to go against your wishes and reconmendations to help good children and family is so emmense, you are wasting your life in a place like social services, go do better with your life, be a nurse or nurserynurse, work with children but in a sector that really does care....
Lucille said…
This is happening to my sister right now. The fact that Mr Hemmings is investigating this and will speak up about it may literally save my two nieces from a lifetime without their family and prevent my family from being destroyed. THANK YOU SO VERY VERY MUCH MR HEMMINGS. When I read the article in The Times I couldn’t believe it… it was like someone was writing about our life right now. This explains the ‘strangeness’ of the whole care proceedings... nothing seemed to be above board and the continual lies are shocking! The lies build up (hundreds of pages) and become impossible to refute…. Nevermind the fact no one seemed to listen. My whole family have told the Judge and every solicitor who has been involved we believe the social workers involved are underhanded and lying – not one of them tried to do anything about it.
We i.e. my mum and dad, my other sister and I have all also put forward we would like to be carers if they don’t deem my sister able enough (the social workers caused my sister to have a nervous breakdown and now are using it as a reason not to give her children back!). However, even though we are a family of good standing with several properties and basically have the complete means and love to look after my sisters children not one of us has been even seriously considered. They just seemed to brush it under the carpet. I myself am a 24 year scientist (First class honours) who adores her two nieces. I own a half a million pound property in London and have (if this court case we are in was not happening) my days and evenings free (I basically tick all the boxes the good social services look for). I am saying this to exemplify that the social workers are willing to overlook anyone who puts up for carer of the children even if the person is the ideal person to do that…. This shows their sole intent is to put the children up for adoption. The same day they took the children (6 months ago) they told my nieces they were taking them to get a new mummy and daddy (reported by the one good social worker or maybe by a bad social worker who just made a mistake!!).

I could never believe anyone would do this but this is happening to my sister and I am ecstatic it has been found out. Now I understand the saying ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing’. If Mr. Hemmings and other good men did not speak out about this, then these kidnappings (dictionary definition of kidnapping is “to forcibly take”) would carry on. The fact that what these social workers are doing is now public has given my family and I that extra little bit of needed strength to ensure my two nieces are not stolen from us and hopefully ensure no other children and families ever have to go through this again. Thank you John from the bottom of my heart.

This stealing of my two nieces has caused my sister to have a nervous breakdown and had to be admitted into hospital. Thank G-d she has now recovered – but if they succeed in what they are trying to do then I do not believe my sister would be able to survive. The social services took my two nieces 6 months ago and have prevented every single member of their family from either seeing them, speaking to them, writing to them or even sending them birthday presents! They are 4 and 6 years old and have made them believe their family has abandoned them. We are a very close knit family who see or speak to each other every day…for this to suddenly stop would be traumatizing for an adult nevermind two little girls.

I would like to mention that after we get our missing two family members back I am going to fight and try and bring justice upon the social workers involved and the solicitors working for them (as I believe they know what the social workers are doing). If any other person stole a child (nevermind two!) they would be jailed for many years! I am going to fight for justice to happen to all that was involved in this traumatic injustice. I believe those involved should be punished by imprisonment just like anyone who pre-meditates the stealing of a child from a family. If there is anyone out there that would like to help in any little way please get in touch….I would greatly welcome any help whatsoever. If we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much.
Unknown said…
BOING for scampy [wave]

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