Justice For Families

I am a social worker in a child protection team. I am in disagreement with the children's guardian who was appointed during private proceedings which concluded in June this year.

I feel this guardian has formed a very negative opinion about the mother of the children involved and is unable to move on from this. She was unhappy that the case was not dealt with under child protection, despite there being a variety of services being put in place to prevent this. Mother has complied with almost everything asked of her.

The mother is not the brightest spark and has a history herself but she is basically doing okay and the school and health visitor also have no concerns. Her problem is that she has hooked up with a couple of unsavory men in the past and there has been DV - she has called the police each time and got rid of them. She has also got into fights herself in the past. However she had a positive parenting assessment and now has more insight into her actions and the effects on her children.

The guardian has now written to our director of social services complaining that the matter has not been dealt with properly and that mum's latest partner (father of her baby) is living in the home. I was instructed to complete a S47 and cannot find any evidence to support this assertion. Now she is threatening another complaint to the head of service if we do not take this family to CP conference. I disagree as there is enough monitoring in the family (school and health visitor) and mother is doing pretty much okay at the moment - in fact before the 1st letter from the guardian the case was going to be closed. We are putting more stress on the family by continuing our intervention. Mother has with held things from professionals in the past and it is possible that she is concealing this man (though i can't get anything out of the children either). I'm not sure how we can progress to CP conference without any evidence that he is in the home and with no concerns from any other professional.

Has anyone come across such strong disagreement before and how was it dealt with?

By the way - the guardian hasn't even seen the family for the last 6 months.


Comment
You and your managers may wish to consider making a formal complaint about the guardian's behaviour, given that she actually no longer has a role with the family (since her involvement ended when the private law proceedings did) and is essentially rubbishing the multi-agency cp process since her concerns are a) out of date given her lack of recent contact, and b) unsupported by any other agencies involved who actually are seeing the family currently. Does her manager know what she's up to? Given the current workload issues at CAFCASS, wouldn't there be better uses for her time?

Other than that, I just wanted to say I think that the actions taken by yourself and your department are both appropriate and professional and to not let yourselves be bullied by this person..

Good debate that one ^^
The Guardian is "unable to move on". Nicely put.

Where did you find this information, it's fabulous, what a great find, GOLD DUST
Can you please post a link, it's great evidence to throw at sw's whom I know are all colluding. Ohhhh their faces would be a picture lol

Re : Professional Dissent

Dear Social worker ,
I guess you are very wet behind the ears : new to the profession even. The analogy of women drawing conclusions about individual cases could not be more complex. You see they are showing material evidence that children are being put at risk with violent men. The speed that the information an data is crossing over is phenomenal. The LG is the main lead for all that is at the core level corrupt an the side kick solicitor . Once the case has started it is hard to keep up with who has had in-put. The responsibility rests solely with their client. Let us start at the beginning and stick to the facts.


1) They are getting paid to go to court these solicitors.
2) The case is going nowhere unless the social workers and experts for court do not embellish facts or contribute similar hymn sheets to tie up at the end.
3) Go back and tell the professionals from me I can give lessons to families where to look for maladministration of facts for the fact finding stage.
4) If you are wondering how advance we really are just try it on for size ,
5) This is game set and match with support being the operate word for families only this time we mean it it is nothing to do with social care it is a fight for family life.
6) Final message to take back to camp is Social Work just got very bad for your health practitioners as the average client just got themselves very clued up online about IN IT 2 BIN IT LAWYERS FOR COURT , an sly social workers committing perjury for court.........

It sounds like Carespace forum same mentality

loving Mama wrote:Where did you find this information, it's fabulous, what a great find, GOLD DUST
Can you please post a link, it's great evidence to throw at sw's whom I know are all colluding. Ohhhh their faces would be a picture lol

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/carespace/forums/professional-dissent-5637.aspx

Wicked debate.

Would my response really be welcome.??????...I had a Guardian who said it was 'sick' that a mother with a MBA/PGSE/ MA ( Masters of History and Economics) was 'allowed to be a parent'. (Smart people think they know too much apparently) This is the same Guardian who said I was mentally ill for being a church parish counsellor (remember me JH?) and a youth worker. She actually stood in my house and yelled at my parents 'she belongs to the WRONG church'. (it was Cof E. She is a JW and believes I hahve to raise my son that way or else. My father lost his temper and basically kicked her out and said, 'hang the outcome'.

Now, I am back in court on Monday. They have no evidence. They are very angry because my son is begging to come home- according to the Guardian. She has had a home visit with me and my husband and we said inspect our home to your heart's desire.....good or bad, it was found that if people think I am a Donny Osmond fan....hell, I am 'casual' compared to her. Her words on inspecting my son's bedroom were ,' F'ing hell,....he has alot but all just appropriate and good stuff for an 8 year old.....what the hell is going on?'

In my case, the SW is upset because my husband and I wil not 'turn' on each other..... the Guaridan is positive. The SS are saying, under the situation, is unnatural for parents to be so supportive.

Mobaldy....I did not get your number before Pm's were removed. I hope you still have mine...please attempt to contact me.

I got a call in the middle of last night... my mother has had a stroke and is in hospital. My father is beside himself. My brother can not go becaause of financial problems and his first wife just died and he has to attend inquest/post mortem.

But no idea why I could be stressed.

Oh and my daughter first weekend on uni. Got Mugged I was more concerned about physical than money. She is clear is is ok physically and money wise.

Clearly just a bizarre answer

TC

Oh so they are wondering why you feel stressed? Ask the LA how many of them currently receive therapy/medication for stress related mental ill health. Lol that should shut them up.

The social worker asking the question in the original post raises a few points.

The social worker wanted to get a range of opinions from (hopefully) more experienced social workers. This suggests that the social worker already knows what the likely reply will be from the team leader or team manager. Presumably the answer is unfavorable or unhelpful.

This social worker (having the same qualification as the guardian) realizes that the personal difference between guardian and parent is possibly clouding the Guardian's Judgment and the social worker wants to do something constructive and helpful to help the family. The guardian wants to do something destructive and unhelpful (as guardians often are) and cause the family more problems in the future.

If I was the social worker, I would write to the person instructing the social worker to do a S47 assessment and say that the information has been reviewed (again). There are already monitoring steps in place which are adequate and working well. Invite the person who forwards the guardians dirty message, to ask the guardian for the information that SS don't hold which the Guardian believes would be sufficient to trigger a S47 report.


This Guardian knows that there is nothing or not enough problem to cause a S47 report. If there was, the Guardian could ask the Judge to make an order for a S47 report. The Judge would make that order, if there was good enough reason to make the order.

This type of Guardian deserves to be on the receiving end of a complaint which would raise questions about their capacity and ability to act in their role as Guardian, if the Guardian can't produce information or evidence sufficient to start a S47 inquiry.