Social Care failures

[SVR35]

At 5 weeks old I noticed a bruise on my babies forearm, at the time we couldn't think what it could be from so we're very concerned. We called 111 and they sent us the hospital for a blood test to check clotting levels. Upon arrival that the hospital the doctor came to see us, examined my baby and immediately started asking us what could have caused the bruise. She went on and on, giving suggestions that we could have done it by accident which we hadn't. The only thing we could think of was about an hour before the bruise was noticed, my son was having skin to skin contact and was suckling on his arm in that exact spot. This reasoning was immediately dismissed and we had to push for the bloods as the doctors were just suggesting we had caused it and even told us the bloods would come back normal. Anyway we were admitted to hospital and our ordeal started, we were told our baby would have to undergo a CT and full skeletal xrays as it was the weekend however they could not do this until Monday (this was saturday). For the next 2 days the doctor just kept coming back asking how it had happened to which we kept telling them we haven't done anything and the only thing to happen was the suckling. We had no contact from social services as it was the weekend but had been told they had been informed. On Monday we were contacted by a social worker and we told her everything we knew and how the hospital had been treating us. She advised once the tests had been completed that a strategy meeting would take place. By this point the bruise had gone down quite a lot, something that the doctor even commented on to which I responded that bruises caused by impact would take a lot longer (they also noted that this bruise was never swollen or seemed to hurt my baby when touched). Anyway my child had the tests and everything came back clear, the strategy meeting was completed and the social worker called me to say there was no further action from them and we were free to go home and wouldn't hear from them again. The hospital discharged us but advised we had to bring my son back for another set of xrays in 10 days.

4 days after we were discharged our health visitor came out for a standard pre-arranged appointment, by this point the bruise was completely gone (6 days after it was originally noticed, again not typical of a bruise) . The HV advised me that due to what had happened she now had to come every 4 weeks. So I contacted the social worker to ask why the HV was required to come every 4 weeks and if we had to take our son back for these additional xrays since the case was closed with no further action. The social worker advised the case was closed and she would advise the HV that 4 weekly visits wasn't required and advise that it was our choice if we wanted the additional xrays or not. I did not feel that it was my choice as I was scared if I didn't take him that something would come back on us so we took him.

We didn't hear anything after this and started to move on with our lives however 5 days before our babies first christmas (5 weeks after everything was closed) I got a phone call from social services saying the case was reviewed by senior management and they found that the full process had not been completed at the time of the bruise and that they needed to come out to see me.

She came out the same day and made us relive the whole thing and tell her everything that had happended. She also read us the hospital report which might have well of said we had hurt our son as the doctor was dismissive of everything we had said. The SW advised that they now needed to start a section 47 and would complete a report within 15 working days and we would then be invited to a meeting to discuss an outcome.

How can social services tell us everything is case closed and send us home with our baby and then just as we have started to be able to move past how awful it was, start all of this again despite there being no further concerns! They have just ruined our first christmas with our first child and I'm deverstated that this is happening all over again!

[KatKat10]

Did you ever receive anything in writing to say it was closed or was it a verbal conversation? Put in a subject of access request for notes of any discussions.

[SVR35]

Hi,

we received a phone call to say there was no further action. I also followed up via text 5 days later and they confirmed via text that there was no further action and the case was closed.

[KatKat10]

I sometimes feel children's services invent things to justify their existence and do not have enough work to do, so look around to find something. Could be linked to funding, so they are creating case work. If they have said your case is closed and you have confirmation of that text, then it is closed. If they have failed to follow due process during that period of time, then that is down to them. If you don't have a solicitor or legal advisor, do get one. Be aware of Health Visitors as well, as they can be very sneaky, The one I have is trying to gaslight me and imply I look tired and stressed, which is not the case and constantly repeats this, to try and make me confess I am tired and stressed.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Hi,

we received a phone call to say there was no further action. I also followed up via text 5 days later and they confirmed via text that there was no further action and the case was closed.

Dear SVR35

Welcome to the parents’ discussion board and thank you for your post. My name is Suzie and I am Family Rights Group’s online adviser. I am sorry that there has been a delay in responding to your posts. I am responding to three of your posts here.

First of all, congratulations on the birth of your baby. I am very sorry that you have had such a distressing experience and that your early days with your baby were so stressful for you and your partner. You acted appropriately and protectively as a parent as soon as you noticed the baby’s bruise and have cooperated throughout. Where a baby has a bruise and the cause is not clear or is concerning then this does need to be properly assessed, by the health professionals and multi-agency forums but does not always need to trigger child protection processes. There can be a number of reasons why a baby has a bruise and all need to be considered; this issue is the subject of recent academic research and child safeguarding panel review. In your situation, however, it led to a strategy meeting. Professionals should still work respectfully with parents and social workers should try to minimise distress where possible.

I am glad to hear that the case has finally been closed, that there are no concerns for your baby and no further action needed. Of course, this does not detract from the distress you experienced and the additional worry caused by the mixed and unclear messages you received from children’s services and the professionals involved. From the information you provide, once the outcome of your baby’s tests were known - they came back ‘clear’ - the strategy meeting concluded that they did not need to proceed with a child protection investigation and social work involvement would end. However, this was subsequently contradicted when your baby’s case was reviewed by a manager who stated that they needed to complete a child protection investigation (Section 47) where the social worker would complete an assessment and there would be a meeting to discuss the outcome in 15 days. The 15 days timescale quoted by the social worker suggests that they were referring to an initial child protection conference as government guidance states that this must happen, where necessary, within 15 days of the strategy meeting where a child protection investigation is initiated. You were understandably confused and distressed as you have been told the matter was closed to children’s service. Since then, a social worker has told you verbally and by text that the baby’s case is closed and there is no further action required.

I would recommend that you write to children’s services, by email or by letter, requesting a copy of your baby’s case records, any assessment completed and confirmation in writing that the case is closed with no child protection concerns for your baby. It is helpful that the social worker contacted and texted you to confirm that the case is closed and that they are satisfied about your baby’s safety and welfare as hopefully this provided you, in a prompt way, with some reassurance that this stressful process had come to an end with no concerns for your baby. However, as a parent, it may be important for you to have written information confirming this and setting out what happened, as a text does not provide that. Please see our advice on accessing records from children’s services for more information.

You may also want to highlight to children’s services the distress caused to you by the mixed messages you received. You could do this by putting it in writing for their information or, if you wanted to, by formalising a complaint.

You may also want to request your son’s medical records or get advice about any issues to do with the hospital. This is not an area that we advise on but the service Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) may be able to help with this if you need it.

Please do continue to engage with your health visitor who is the key health professional for babies and young children and they can also guide and support you as a parent. They play a vital role and so I would encourage you to take the baby to all relevant appointments and seek advice or information from them about your baby's development and health needs , as and when you need to.

You have been accepted at university to study midwifery and are worried that the Section 47 process will be flagged up and will impact on this. We cannot provide specific advice about DBS (please see the Disclosure and Barring Service website). However, it is important to remember that although there was an initial concern about your baby’s bruise which led to children’s services’ involvement, a strategy meeting and a child protection investigation it seems being opened and closed very quickly, the conclusion was that your baby was safe and your family did not need any social work intervention. The baby was never subject to a child protection plan. If the DBS form asks about current or previous children’s services’ involvement you should share this information but clarify the outcome i.e. no child protection concerns. It will be helpful for you to have written confirmation from children’s services (as advised above) which should clarify this and which you could attach or share with the DBS service, your university or future employer if you ever needed to. You could also consider contacting your university’s course coordinator or student welfare if you had further queries about the DBS process. But I hope it is not something that worries you and that you enjoy your course when it begins!

I hope that this helps. If you would like to discuss this with an adviser please call our freephone advice line on 0808 8010366, Mon to Fri, 9.30 am to 3.00 pm (except bank holidays) or post again here with a further query. We now have a webchat too!

I hope that you are able to move forward with your baby and your future plans.

Best wishes.

Suzie

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

At 5 weeks old I noticed a bruise on my babies forearm, at the time we couldn't think what it could be from so we're very concerned. We called 111 and they sent us the hospital for a blood test to check clotting levels. Upon arrival that the hospital the doctor came to see us, examined my baby and immediately started asking us what could have caused the bruise. She went on and on, giving suggestions that we could have done it by accident which we hadn't. The only thing we could think of was about an hour before the bruise was noticed, my son was having skin to skin contact and was suckling on his arm in that exact spot. This reasoning was immediately dismissed and we had to push for the bloods as the doctors were just suggesting we had caused it and even told us the bloods would come back normal. Anyway we were admitted to hospital and our ordeal started, we were told our baby would have to undergo a CT and full skeletal xrays as it was the weekend however they could not do this until Monday (this was saturday). For the next 2 days the doctor just kept coming back asking how it had happened to which we kept telling them we haven't done anything and the only thing to happen was the suckling. We had no contact from social services as it was the weekend but had been told they had been informed. On Monday we were contacted by a social worker and we told her everything we knew and how the hospital had been treating us. She advised once the tests had been completed that a strategy meeting would take place. By this point the bruise had gone down quite a lot, something that the doctor even commented on to which I responded that bruises caused by impact would take a lot longer (they also noted that this bruise was never swollen or seemed to hurt my baby when touched). Anyway my child had the tests and everything came back clear, the strategy meeting was completed and the social worker called me to say there was no further action from them and we were free to go home and wouldn't hear from them again. The hospital discharged us but advised we had to bring my son back for another set of xrays in 10 days.

4 days after we were discharged our health visitor came out for a standard pre-arranged appointment, by this point the bruise was completely gone (6 days after it was originally noticed, again not typical of a bruise) . The HV advised me that due to what had happened she now had to come every 4 weeks. So I contacted the social worker to ask why the HV was required to come every 4 weeks and if we had to take our son back for these additional xrays since the case was closed with no further action. The social worker advised the case was closed and she would advise the HV that 4 weekly visits wasn't required and advise that it was our choice if we wanted the additional xrays or not. I did not feel that it was my choice as I was scared if I didn't take him that something would come back on us so we took him.

We didn't hear anything after this and started to move on with our lives however 5 days before our babies first christmas (5 weeks after everything was closed) I got a phone call from social services saying the case was reviewed by senior management and they found that the full process had not been completed at the time of the bruise and that they needed to come out to see me.

She came out the same day and made us relive the whole thing and tell her everything that had happended. She also read us the hospital report which might have well of said we had hurt our son as the doctor was dismissive of everything we had said. The SW advised that they now needed to start a section 47 and would complete a report within 15 working days and we would then be invited to a meeting to discuss an outcome.

How can social services tell us everything is case closed and send us home with our baby and then just as we have started to be able to move past how awful it was, start all of this again despite there being no further concerns! They have just ruined our first christmas with our first child and I'm deverstated that this is happening all over again!

Dear SVR35

I have responded to all three of your posts in one detailed response.

Best wishes

Suzie

[benion]

This is a dreadful situation.

It looks like a genuine error by SS.

I would wait to see the outcome of the S47 report and then work with them in an open and honest manner, which it would appear that you did before.

Please keep the forum posted with the results of the S47, so that Suzie and forum members can offer you additional support.