By Lyn Grainger
The Stafford mother battling to have access to Social Services files on her children has received nationwide support after telling her story to the Post.
The woman who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been fighting for 18 months to see Staffordshire County council reports on her family which she says are inaccurate and may have affected court proceedings and the access she has to her sons.
Under data protection law she should have been given the information within 40 days.
Earlier this year Stafford’s MP David Kidney joined her fight and said he was “ spitting mad “ after being assured in April she would be given the files.
And now on the Stafford mother’s online blog, parents across the country have backed her call for the reports – and have revealed that many of them are in the same situation.
One local parent wrote ; “I had the same problem with Staffordshire County Council trying to get information.When it was finally sent six months later some of the information had been deleted. I know this as I had original copies of some of the papers.”
And parents from across the country raised concerns about their own local authorities and social services.
One wrote :” This happened to me. In my case they had 40 days to reply but they said that because they shared parental responsibility with me ( which means they are in control )they can decide if I have that information.”
Another commented: “Many years after my daughter was adopted against my wishes I found that a letter sent to Social Services contained a typing error which conveyed the opposite intention to that which had been meant regards my parental abilities. This typing error may have contributed directly to the awful course of events that prevented my having my baby back. I believe it was used to discredit me despite the hospital writing again to correct the mistake “
Alison Stevens, of the campaign group Parents Against Injustice, said the organisation was aware of many cases dragging their heels over information requests.
“ Local Authorities have to send the requested files within 40 days but they are often not following public law guidelines. “
She added “ We have been quite successful, with regards to parents obtaining their social services files, under the data protection act, using a template letter and another letter we have drafted for the Information Commissioner.”
A spokesperson for Staffordshire County Council issued this statement last week : “ The issue of supplying case files extends further than a data protection issue, which would carry a deadline of 40 days.
“ Now we have received advice from the Information Commissioner a meeting will be held imminently to discuss this matter to agree what information she will be provided with.
September 2, 2009 at 11:08 am |
im ever so pleased that you are getting this out about staffordshire social services because they want exposing for what they have done to us and other parents in staffordshire you know who i am but im jealous of what you are doing im not being nasty you know that im sure and i hope you can understand what im on about because i dont anyway keep up the good work and keep on exposing them wont you me and my daughter dmg dont blame you with what they have done to you and treated you very badly like we have been by them
September 2, 2009 at 11:26 am |
They have been failing the service provider for a good many years and unless they are held to account will continue to do so.
Well done for highlighting this
September 2, 2009 at 11:30 am |
Hey this is great! All us parents getting together to expose Stafford and what they have done to our children! The ones (Social Workers) who lied about me to the courts and to CMHS and others are: Charlotte Jenkins, Tony Bowen, ‘I’m an independent chairperson but actually I ‘wear the hat of the local authority’ Mike Berry, Dave Rounsley (now retired) and CAFCASS officer Lesley Hughes. Has anyone dealt with these people? if they have please post here
September 2, 2009 at 11:55 am |
My comment is in the above article re information removed :
“I had the same problem with Staffordshire County Council trying to get information.When it was finally sent six months later some of the information had been deleted. I know this as I had original copies of some of the papers.”
I stated that the information which the Local Authority state I am a good mother has been removed. Not sure why that hasn’t been conveyed in above article?
September 2, 2009 at 1:42 pm |
I am positive that the social worker in our case personalized the case against me. The words this mother has not changed. Their were errors of age for my child . My solicitor said she just sat there an removed the names of another case she was on an wrote the same thing.
I recommend that the child not be returned home.
Either they are too busy or simply are evil to the core.
My child was 7 years old the other child was 3 or 4 years old. She even told me at one stage my child was not responding to treatment for cancer. This was a lie.
September 2, 2009 at 2:24 pm |
well for getting this to the papers.
I havnt applied for my daughters yet but i will be asap.
I have had problems getting my care records though, and its 15 years since i left care – they tried telling me once that they no longer had them, however when my daughter was unlawfully removed from my home, they magically turned up for her social worker to see. which i believe is also unlawful as the files belong to the ‘service user’ not the LA.
My Daughters social worker definately had it n for me i think. she used to turn up at 7.30 and 8 am and at the time i didnt even know that they werent allowed. she also threatened her fc would be removed from caring if she didnt stop backing me! The fact is the fc thought the reasons that my daughter was removed (at risk of possible emotional abuse due to mother being ex care child, victim of childhood abuse and dv victim) was disgraceful and shouted about it in a whats now called lac review.
Anyway well done again – dont give up
September 2, 2009 at 2:56 pm |
I applied for our files months ago so I’d have them in time for the care proceedings we were going through and I feel the LA deliberately denied me the files as they may have contained information that would have helped my case in coourt. Now a month on fromt he court proceeding s I still have not hasd anything despite repeated requests which have all consistently been ignored. Local authorities behaving in this way and flaunting laws and guidelines to deny parents inforatio rhey have every right to and from what i’ve seen in some cases denying information to jepordise parents cases in court is an unacceptable and highly unethical practice from a publicly funded agency we should and have every right to demand a higher standard of practice from.
September 2, 2009 at 3:09 pm |
Kidnapping of children by State and its agencies is a very big business. SS gets target performances bonuses for meeting their targets. They actions means breeding of private Foster Careers Associates which are ordinary people but have a lot to gain financially. Then you have another private organization which will provide all sorts of reports to back up SS stance. In one instance the “so called expert” turned out to be a social worker who was heavy criticised by COA but this did not stop SS using her again and again. There is hugh new industry based on our misery and also our children in case of Dr Hibbert his income exceeded £1 million. Experts are paid by us, the taxpayer to be used against our children and us.
September 2, 2009 at 3:14 pm |
thankyou Dr Karter for pointing out about Dr Hibbert who is raking in millions from forced adoptions . I am hoping Lynn will report on this in a big way after final hearing. I have a solicitor who wants to take him down the same route as Southall from north staffs hospital x
September 2, 2009 at 3:16 pm |
Also jewels solicitors in Stafford are aware of Dr Hibbert and his activities and are still sending parents there !!!
September 2, 2009 at 3:17 pm |
Hiya there, Its happening for me and my family too in Nottingham. I think this is one of there tactics. So you cannot see the actual real information they are putting on paper. But my knowledge is that they will do this because they like to keep parents in the dark. But in any case if they have the wrong information about you, shouldnt it be that they correct it with your version alongside it. Not that it does any good after the event of removal, as they have what they want. OUR KIDS. That is the main goal. But at least for your own sake you have the correct details entered. So if the police are watching me and surveillancing me on social services behest. Good luck to you, because I have not threatened anybody, nor do I intend to be so inane and petty like your linked collegues are. Oh well, i know there full of tripe anyway and so do my boys. HA HA.
September 2, 2009 at 3:23 pm |
i had my baby son removed last year by lewisham social services and i have not seen him since he was taken away they are saying i am a direct threat to him due to his father being a schizophrenic i have tried to work with social services but they continue to shut me out of my sons life these people need to be exposed for the evil people that they are they have used my learning problems against me and its so unfare i did’nt ask to be like this i ave developed depresion has a reult of losing my son straight from birth and seperation anxiety due to not being able to love my son
September 2, 2009 at 3:25 pm |
i have no paper work from my solicitor only what she chosses to send me whitch is not much i need to know what is going on with my son
September 2, 2009 at 3:37 pm |
There is no excuse for this kind of delay. In a system where the general public and now, many family practitioners, are heavily sceptical of these time lags, delays of this nature serve only to enhance the growing mistrust of organisations like these.
Whilst it is understandable that work loads in this field have increased and pressure on the system is at an all time high, there is never a justification for the kind of response times we are seeing.
The whole system needs to be addressed: from social work to legal intervention, new ways must be found to help families in need.
The rest is just window dressing and we need to get rid of it. Now.
September 2, 2009 at 3:39 pm |
sadly,this is a nationwide problem and i just wish that i had been more aware of what the hell was going on when it was “my turn” for my life to be turned upside down and inside out,when i had my beautiful grandchildren removed from my care after ss had placed them with me for 2 years,then removed them with the assistance of 3 stooges (magistrates) poxon,woolger & mcKay at sittingbourne magistrates court on the 8 june 2007 the reason (i hear you ask?)
POSSIBLE RISK OF FUTURE EMOTIONAL HARM!!!!!
September 2, 2009 at 3:41 pm |
by the way,i have been gagged but as i now live abroad,i have no qualms of telling anyone everything…x
September 2, 2009 at 3:53 pm |
Anadan Caloe Griffiths has the forms you need to complain to the ICO if you do not get your files after quoting the DOP Act 40 days. Do not get mixeed up with Freedom of information Act it is DOP .
The Local Authority will get a big fine for not giving you the fines. I left the letter sent out in our case the breached the 6th principle. I blogged about the problems so it would save others the run around.
If you back track you will find that Caffcass have broken the law an destroyed our case file. Always back track find out where the social workers went.
Everything that Jack Frost asked me to find I got a result .
Now why is that?
Simply because if you look closer you can see something is not right.
September 2, 2009 at 4:33 pm |
We need to get organised for demos, there are so many of us and the Social Worker capaign is already afoot the recruitment drive is about to go crazy they need so many more SS for their agenda and they will be paid obscene amounts of money. We have to show the reality of Social Services to the people, the Media can’t be trusted but we appreciate any support. We need to take the truths to the streets, spend the day outside every Social Services, speaking truths, supporting each other in Courts.
They only target the vulnerable
And im just pig sick about GAGGING ORDERS, IF YOU ARE AND FEEL SUPPORTED SPEAK OUT, THIS IS HOW THEY GET AWAY WITH IT GAGGING THE VICTIMS.
September 2, 2009 at 4:38 pm |
SS departments will just defy the 40 day statutary limit, letters of complaints, statutary complaints and complaints to the ICO.
The ICO will then side with the SS Dept. on their excuses for not divulging it on “social work” grounds and will not reply to complaints to them.
Even to the Commissioner personally, which is a bit much.
I know of a case which has gone on 15 months.
September 2, 2009 at 5:12 pm |
I applied to Fife Council Sept 2007 for the information held on both my daughter and myself as legally allowed under the DP Act, my daughter being a seperate application due to her age.
This was requested correctly in time for a court case.
The court case came and went. I contacted the ICA who warned Fife Council numerous times then sent me the advice leaflets on how to take them to court.
I have been given all my OT documents, some altered, easily proven in addition to 4 sheets of information on another person of the same name but clealry a different address, but nothing concerning the SW.
My daughter has recieved hers but with some missing.
It appears I will have to waste tax payers money to take them to court as they have obviously put a block on my papers due to the fact I am taking them to court on other matters.
What is the point in having a Law that LA’s can just blatantly ignore?
September 2, 2009 at 5:32 pm |
There is a conspiracy of silence between the Government, SS, police, and CLA Family Panel solicitors. They enforce it with activities which are well outside the bounds of common law and perform these activities with the protection of Tasers, sidehandle batons, shotguns and cuffs. With gagging in place they operate with impunity and enjoy self-justification with state sanctioned kidnap, torture and affray. They further this with out-of-their-ass psych diagnoses such as Munchausens’, “emotional harm”, and others which they are not at liberty to bring to specifics – yet such diagnoses are brought by individuals with NO qualifications to do so, NO experience with children outside school, NO medical training, NO law enforcement training, and NO concept of truth.
These individuals and corporations are yet afforded the full protection of the law, the gagging orders serving only to protect THEM, NOT the CHILDREN. It sounds to me to be one step behind full-on genocide – all we’re misisng is Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka and Sobibor as somewhere to ship the parents off to to make absolutely sure they cannot talk.
September 2, 2009 at 6:49 pm |
Local Authorities are playing God in these cases. Lets hope the Information Commisioner make an example of Staffordshire Council to show other L.A, s they must obey the law just the same as the rest of us.
September 2, 2009 at 9:01 pm |
if you email me i will give you my story as its long and complicated.
many thanks colby
September 2, 2009 at 9:05 pm |
social services, the courts and many people having power over us, the british citizens, seem to be free to abuse laws, deadlines, us and our children and in most cases be completely unaccountable for their actions. Their mistakes which are becoming common practice, driven by targets and money, regularly leaves disastrous, long lasting affects to our children, parents and surrounding family. This is clearly not acceptable, it is our duty to protect our children, and much admiration must go out to you for pushing this into the public domain, and exposing this blatant misuse of power.
September 2, 2009 at 9:27 pm |
well done hope your investigation is a success, we i am afraid get sidelined all the time . and they answer to noone. i always believed no one was above the law. HOW WRONG I WAS .
September 2, 2009 at 10:30 pm |
Barristers and Children’s Panel Solicitors can be at fault as well, with regards to Data Protection, and access to files.
PAIN, was representing a Client with regards to their Public Law Case, last week, within the West Midlands, when i picked up another Case, while waiting in the same Family Court.
During the Pre Court meeting with the new Clients Solicitors, i mentioned that the Parents had requested their Social Work fies verbally, the Social Worker, said this request would be denied, i mentioned this to the Parents Solicitors, who stated that their request would be denied.
I then stated that under section 7 0f the Data Protection act 1998, the Local Authority had 40 days to comply.
The Solicitors were obviously pandering to the LA.
The Parents have now issued a PAIN data Protection letter to Coventry Social Services,and it looks like they may be in the process of getting their files.
September 3, 2009 at 9:22 am |
i am going through the same situation as mary ,i did not realise how social workers are devious liars who in our case have not done theire job properly ,we are fighting all the way to get our grandchildren back and its great to have groups like this as its really helps me cope
September 3, 2009 at 10:54 am |
Our LA conceded yesterday and will now be giving my son a specialist placement which matches his (privately) diagnosed needs, unfortunately for our Children Services, I got in an application to Sendist in time, I realised my son’s needs were being overlooked at the expense of his well being by a state mainstream school.
My son will now be getting all the help and provision he should have got through our PCT assessments for his statement, but didnt, his needs were being deliberately overlooked at his welfare and expense due to the cost’s of matching them with an adequate provision.
Now my son’s statement of educational needs will be up dated and his educational career protected,after years of state restraining and emotioanl abuse.
He will now be 1 in a million children, to gain a proper educational provision, our LA trumped up charges of abuse never stuck, I overturned the exclusion as DDA, and won a right to reassess my childs needs through Sendist
My legal team has also won a new tribunal action appealing pt 2 & 4 of my son’s statement. We are still ironing out part 2, and may have to return to Send.
I am proud to say in my son’s name he was awarded legal funding to put Sendist on notice of high Court action, I feel I have empowered my son, he will be able to sue under educational neglect at 18.
I have humbly protected him from the very people who should have helped and safeguarded him and his disabilities. In this I have overcome approximately 20 professionals seeking to obstruct my son’s rights and quality of life, whilst placed on a protection plan to prevent me from getting assessments to identify his real needs.
I am not sure what will happen next, as soon as I can I would like to run my story somewhere, to illustrate how very wrong Soc Serv are to use Family law courts to bully Sen (disabled) children & families, and it is only for the grace of god (not religious Nut) CS did not succeed in removing my son from me or parental responsiblity from me.
I have a list of professionals who helped and had faith in myself and my son. I am on benefits, lone parent, unable to work, the organisations that helped me funded my son private assessments, and I owe huge gratitudes to some remarkable people who supported us in extraordinary circumstances.
I am passionate about other families now, and wait to be legally advised on what happens next.
I will keep you posted. I do beleive in fighting the fight, but have to cope with my own circumstances and come to terms with a residential school placement, being the only one that can manage my childs’ complex needs.
My child’s placement will possibly cost £98K p.s + transport costs = £60K, waiting for confirmation of this, and hence this being a huge reason family law (as a red herring) is being abused to stamp out or silence us parents, from the state abuse of our vulnerable children.
My son had been restrained by unqualified workers (state lawful assault) held on a toilet floor by 2 males, that then attempted to chest butt me.
Police involvement was sought, and no one cared how demoralised my son’s self esteem was becoming, at 8 my son finally said he no longer wanted to live, I felt destroyed and deskilled as a parent as I could not force the school, Sen dept & PCT’s to really care.
I felt I was being forced to medicate my son, and then the school attempted to treat me as mentally ill, when I recognised how they had all employed crisis management of my son!!!
I am one of the incredibly lucky ones!!!! this after being penalised and found guilty of emotional abuse for seeking too many assessments (that being a 2nd opinion!!) used and needed to appeal the LA proposed statement which was contrived to support a sham exclusion, for which I was again penalised for my son’s non schooling after being black balled by our LA, what a farce.
I was first labelled an unfit parent at the first Sendist hearing, I was held thereafter to be a risk to my son (as I had been sexually abused & brought up in care) I am one of how many!!!!!
I have fought tooth & nail and this has financially and emotionally broken us as a family.
Once I know where I stand I will post another note, if I can do anything to help others in these circumstances, I shall, I feel a sen passion and committment to help others in my shoes!
Very best wishes to everyone with this struggle…
September 3, 2009 at 2:42 pm |
I was a foster parent for many yrs…only to quit after seeing injustice done to parents and children…
A few cases…
1. 5yr old mentally impaired twin boys…sent to me by foster mom to babysit ALL day…were returned to father, good loving man but very poor…was told he could have the twins but his beautiful two yr old blonde haired blue eye perfect angel of a daughter was to be aopted by foster parents because “the trama os seeing him reminded her of the abuse of the mother, from whom the children were taken” THE DAD DID NOTHING!!
2. I was looked down on because I turned in “GOOD” foster parents who let their 18 yr old bio-son molest their adopted impaired daughter…long run the did lose their adopted kids they abused!!
3. My two adopted sons had newborn sister come to care while I had the boys…laws states she was to be placed with the brothers…when I complained after weeks of false promises…I was taken to a basement with no cameras and told she was being adopted by the supervisors best friend and to shut my mouth or lose my kids!!
I could go on forever…..
God bless you all, i fear for your children in your fights!!
September 3, 2009 at 3:09 pm |
Dear Carolee,
I find myself in the same boat as yourself. I did not realise this was a sounding board for all complaints about Social Services, Cafcass etc.
I could go on for hours but my primary concern is – How can the diagnosis of “potential” MSBP be made by a Social Worker and accepted as fact without any type of assesment? Which resulted in them taking the foster child who had been very happy with our family for over 2 years to another placement, yet leaving my own 14 yr old child?
The concerns I have been led to believe are not onlly slanderous but illegal. Then you manage to get the case to court only to discover you have no recourse there due to the Social Worker being covered by some dated Law that leaves them open to basically say whatever they want, whenever they want. But they face no consequences? If thats teaching children right from wrong, then I’ll have nothing more to do with the Social Services ever.
And they wonder why they have to launch a huge Foster Carer recruitment campaign? I dont – I know why.
I’ll also second your sentiments “I fear for the children” for they are used as pawns or a commodity?
September 3, 2009 at 3:37 pm |
SS is really bad in America too. I could go on and on about all the things they did illegally to my sons. But it’s the same thing as many of you have been thru. My two oldest sons were taken on alligations of something they never could prove then my rights terminated because deprivation would likely continue. The reason for deprivation: the father of the boys hit me. I divorced him before my rights were terminated. I had 2 other children in the meantime, one which was taken into care at birth but given back and the 4th child was never taken and my case closed saying there was no evidence of deprivation. Yet they terminated my rights on grounds of deprivation? I hear your cries, mums. And if only I could find just one person that cared enough to help us instead of draining the last $$ from us then skipping out, we might have won this by now. I hired a lawyer to represent us after my sons were adopted by the foster parents. We paid him $3,500 to start and as soon as he got the money, he resigned from our case. Now we are trying to get the money back but it’s so stressful. We also gave $1,500 to a supposed non profit group here who promised to get our sons back. Here we are almost a year later and nothing has happened and we cannot even get in touch with this person. I wonder how many more people out there have to be destroyed and then used for profit. This has to stop. If we have to become militant and give our lives for this then so be it. Love to all who has lost their babies. It has been 5 years since the day. Here is my story:
http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=7d91b43c3623c183f70ab3&skin_id=601&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url
September 3, 2009 at 6:55 pm |
I advise you to get all files.
Three Years ago,i went for a Gastroenterology outpatients appointment, at the same Hospital that i work at as a Bank Nurse, the Consultant got called out of the consultation room, to see another Patient, so what did i do?
I decided to read my Medical Notes,and was dumbfounded by what was found in these Notes.
There was a letter dated 1986, from our old GP,who was dealing with our Family, at the same time our Youngest Son was taken into Care, after suffering a spiral fracture of the right tibia, he had jumped from the side of the bath,and landed awkwardly, Scott was returned to us twelve weeks later, after the powers to be backed down,and said the fracture could of been caused accidentally, he was diagnosed with Brittle bone disease six months later.
The letter stated the following from my old GP, to another Hospital Consultant, the Parents state that the Child has Brittle bone disease, we have no evidence to support this, the letter was dated three months before our Son was even diagnosed with this disease.
What was such documentation doing in my Medical Notes,and twenty years later?.
I was so angry,i went to my Unison Representative,and who was also my line manager, and she arranged for me to look at the Medical Notes 24 hours later, we had the letter removed,and our Sons Brittle bone certificate attached to the Files.
An incident that happened 20 years ago, came back to haunt me years later.
September 3, 2009 at 8:20 pm |
Alison,
How can I obtain any of my fles when they have put a block on them. The ICA at first told me that they were now in the position to take th LA to court, later backtracked and said he didnt say it. They sent me out all the leaflets on how to take them to court. Why dot they do their jobs? In my case they have been a total waste of time.
Fife Council informed them that they had given me all my files, they took that as a fact. I asked them how could they possibly know this and why would they accept them at their word? Not a feasible reply was given.
I think they are working in conjunction with the LA’s otherwise they would do what they pledge on their web-site.
It seems the only way I have of obtaining my files that were requested in Sept 2007. is to take them to court. Am I certain of a favourable outcome there? I am afraid my faith in the British Judicial System is no longer. Any ideas?
I wished we had an active MP or MSP who would grab the bull by the horns and tackle this illegal act. It appears they do not want to know either. They can talk the talk but not walk the walk.