Clear X-rays

Dear Diary

No broken bones or fractures for Child 2!! Woohoo!!! 🥳🥳

My Very Patient Husband said it was truly awful to have to say yes when they asked if the Children have a Social Worker.

“The Children have a Social Worker?!”

Now you’re wondering why because everyone knows that social services only get involved when the children are in need of something the parents are not providing, right?

Sigh……

Brief background for you: Child 1 was traumatised in early primary school (age 4-7) by the Headteacher and a few other teachers. I kick myself that we left them there so long because I knew *something* was wrong but I didn’t know what so I kept asking the teachers what was going on at school and I got the standard response of ‘they’re fine’ every single time.

Anyway, long story short, we home educated for several years to help Child 1’s mental health recover and that worked well enough but was very difficult with my disability and health issues.

Roll on to more recent times and we thought secondary school would be a nice experience for the Children, they’re older now, etc.

Child 1 was re-traumatised by the way Child 2 was traumatised by two secondary school teachers, one being their Head of College.

I know, I know, you’re still wondering why social services is involved because so far the only harm to the children has been at school.

Drum roll…..

The school has refused to accept the medical reports explaining why the Children are struggling to attend, so much so they have referred us to social services four times in eight months-once for Fabricating the Children’s Illnesses.

Now you’re thinking that surely if the school, these Experienced Education Professionals, feel that there is nothing wrong with the children’s ability to attend school then they must be right.

I can understand thinking that because, before my children attended primary school, I would have thought the same: I would have thought that Education Professionals would not make such serious allegations without firm belief and evidence that there is cause for concern.

I feel like an utterly naive fool now.

The first three Assessments resulted in the conclusion that the school and family need to work together and found that the Children do not need Social Services intervention.

So now you’re wondering, if all those assessments found the Children do not need Social Services intervention, why did the school refer us again?

Because they can…..😔

Sigh…..

We are currently undergoing Assessment 4.

To be fair to Social Services they MUST investigate when they receive a referral- even when their records show that multiple recent investigations show no cause for concern. They cannot -and should not- dismiss a referral when children may be at risk.

Although I can see some of the damage the school has caused to Child 1 and Child 2, I have no way of knowing the true extent of the harm done to the Children.

You’re probably wondering if I am exaggerating because I’m just the Mumma who can’t cut the apron strings, because if the school feels so strongly that there is nothing wrong then surely this Mumma is just being overcautious?

Both Children are under the care of a Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist from whom the school has received reports.

Sigh….

If the school’s objective is to get both Children attending regularly then continuously traumatising our family with false accusations is not going to yield the desired outcome. My Very Patient Husband thinks the school is deliberately trying to make life difficult for us because they want us to withdraw the Children.

Anyway, THAT’s why a Social Worker is involved- because Child 1 and Child 2 are currently unable to be in school without causing further harm to their mental health.

Maybe you agree with the school and I am a failing parent…

I can confirm that going through all of this is exhausting and I am too close to my breaking point.

But let’s refocus on the good news that there is no fracture or break in Child 2’s hand! They are in pain and frustrated by not having full use of their hand but overall a good result.

Lots of love from Me xxx

…