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Social Services to snatch the children of self-harmers from the delivery suite

Story.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on this? I think it is absolutely despicable.

No scrutiny, no right of appeal, no public accountability, and if the wronged mother even mentions it to her MP in confidence then she can be imprisoned for contempt of court.

Social services will snatch the babies of people who have suffered from mental health conditions on the say-so of one person, who has never met the woman and can't even be arsed to attend the court hearing. Any other professionals will be ignored, and the mother will never know what happened to the baby she nurtured for nine months.

Although that sounds like something from Auschwitz, its actually in the UK- today. Any of us who have suffered from depression, from self-harm, had therapy, could suffer in exactly the same way, yet because the whole process is shrouded in secrecy there will be no way for any of us to right the wrong. And all because social services are not hitting their adoption targets, they snatch more babies.

Words actually fail me on this.
Beep boop. I'm a bot.
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    In one way, I think that doing this to a parent could make their self/depression, etc worse. Well, for me it would.

    This is just wrong.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    When I read stories like these I forget we live in the UK in the 21st Century.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    this is just going to drive mental illnesses further underground. I've self harmed and had depression, does it automatically mean i'll be a bad mother? What about mothers with post-natal depression, are they going to take their babies away too?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ballerina wrote: »
    What about mothers with post-natal depression, are they going to take their babies away too?

    I was wondering the same thing.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't know what to say, I feel a little sick after reading that. The stress that woman must be going through can't be good for her or her baby, and it really infuriates me that so called 'professionals' are allowed to get away with something like this.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There's already reported cases of mothers having their babies taken off them indefinately (i.e. given to another couple / parent to raise as their child) for atrocious reasons (can't remember any, but I remember being appaled - they were things like having a dog etc.)

    edit - oh wait, I think it may have been something like the baby had pneumonia. I *cant* remember. But it wasn't because of poor care or anything. (though the mother was poor, correlation? easier to snatch babies from?)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    thats very strange


    On another note though, I do believe munchhausens by proxy can be a very real problem as it was a problem with someone in my family, but it doesnt appear that the woman in the artical actually even had that.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Seems very dodgy - hopefully there's more to it than being let on.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What a shocking read! I would be devastated if I was put into that situation. I can't believe that they are actually intent on taking someones baby away from them because of mental health issues that have gone on in her past. Surely these people should be giving this woman all the help, support and resources available to help her raise her child.

    The fact that she has letters that support her case and recommend that she is fit to be a mother make this story is more twisted! There is obviously something very wrong with the system if this is the way they treat mental health patients.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    *despairs*

    I'd rather they did something about the kids who were actually experiencing danger myself. I hate social services with a passion...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    D'you ever read a story and want to kill someone afterwards?
  • Indrid ColdIndrid Cold Posts: 16,688 Skive's The Limit
    The following view is probably very biased (as it's almost entirely based on newspapers, tv news, tv series and movies) but it seems that although the social services were made for a good purpose, nowadays they do more harm than good. It's like a very real boogeyman for parents.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The following view is probably very biased (as it's almost entirely based on newspapers, tv news, tv series and movies) but it seems that although the social services were made for a good purpose, nowadays they do more harm than good. It's like a very real boogeyman for parents.

    :yes:
    There's already reported cases of mothers having their babies taken off them indefinately (i.e. given to another couple / parent to raise as their child) for atrocious reasons (can't remember any, but I remember being appaled - they were things like having a dog etc.)

    :eek2: That's a stupid reason really. We've pretty much had dogs all our lives and it's never been a problem for us.

    I only agree with children being taken away if it's proved that the parents aren't capable of looking after the child.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    He added: "There is absolutely no evidence that Fran would harm her child. However, a vague letter from a paediatrician who has never met her has been used in a decision to remove her baby at birth, while evidence from professionals treating her, that she would have no problems has been ignored."

    .
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sir Roy Meadow would be proud of this.

    But yes, I wouldn't be especially sad if Dr Martin Ward Platt was severely wounded in his sleep.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    it says because she is likely to suffer from the condition? how do they work out if its 'likely'?

    ETA: Just read its because she self harmed and suffered eating disorders after being abused and raped when she was 16. She then responded to treatment. The whole thing is disgusting
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    lets hope the SS get take away from those parents :p
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm appalled. If anyone dare ever mention taking my kids anyway from me because I have mental health problems they would have a serious fight on their hands. How if after several years of therapy and other treatments and serveral other medical proffesionals say she is fit to be a mother do the family courts (dont even get me started on them) take the advice of one person whos never met her?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Social services' recommendation that the baby should be taken from Fran Lyon, a 22-year-old charity worker who has five A-levels and a degree in neuroscience, was based in part on a letter from a paediatrician she has never met.

    And they make the judgements how then?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I can't remember how many people in britain suffer from mental disorders, but wouldn't that make a huge number of parents 'unfit'?
    Tbh i think alot of this is because she's young. No ones answered my question about mothers with post natal depression, I take it they won't get their babies taken away from them?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It scares the living daylights out of me, with what's on my medical records, that's for sure.

    Sometimes women with PND will lose custody of their children, but social services normally are too busy victimising innocent people to notice the real victims.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ballerina wrote: »
    No ones answered my question about mothers with post natal depression, I take it they won't get their babies taken away from them?

    I think they do try and keep babies with their mothers as much as possible. One of my Brothers friends was hospitalised for some time because her PDN was so severe after her first baby but social services hardly got involved.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You'd think that they'd be too busy looking out for a Climbie case, wouldn't you?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote: »
    It scares the living daylights out of me, with what's on my medical records, that's for sure.

    Sometimes women with PND will lose custody of their children, but social services normally are too busy victimising innocent people to notice the real victims.

    Does it take into account the fathers history too, or just the mothers? The real victims seem to get well hidden while mountains are made out of molehills with other cases.:(
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You'd think that they'd be too busy looking out for a Climbie case, wouldn't you?

    Why would a paediatrician do that when they can destroy the life of an innocent woman? It seems to be what they're best at.

    I would imagine that the history of both parents would be a factor, and we've both suffered from depression quite badly over the years.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    We actually had social services take an interest in us and had someone come and visit us too because Carol has a history of mental illness and also a bit because of my condition but the report was very favourable.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote: »
    but social services normally are too busy victimising innocent people to notice the real victims.

    Nice. Stuff like this homestly scares me as there is a history of mental illness in my dad's family.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There is absolutely nothing new in using Mental Health as a lever of power against the population, but in this case it seems like an anachronism on a scale I don't think we've seen for a while.

    Is anyone organising against this? MIND, ReThink etc.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    :eek2: scary stuff.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    That's bollocks.

    OK, growing up with my mum's depression might not have helped in the long run but I would blame the bitchy, manipulative bullies a thousand times for my eating disorders and self-harm problem before I even considered that Mum's breakdown at 16 could be a factor.

    What utter fucking shit. It's not good for the child and it could be crippling for the mother.

    The state of my medical record at the moment, I probably can't have kids but if I did I would do so in full knowledge that I would raise them in a loving, caring environment like the one I was raised in - whether I fell ill with any sort of illness or not.
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