Baby Taken From Mother

[ems]

WHAT DO PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THIS CASE OF A BABY BEEN TAKEN FROM ITS MOTHER TWO HOURS AFTER HE WAS BORN?
IS THIS NOT SO SAD.
I UNDERSTAND THAT SOCIAL SERVICES HAVE TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE CHILD AND THAT WE DONT KNOW ALL THE FACTS IN THE CASE, BUT SURELY, AND I COULD BE WRONG - IT MAY HAVE BEEN BETTER IF THE SOCIAL SERVICES GAVE THIS YOUNG LADY HELP AND SUPPORT WHILE IN THE PROCESS OF REARING HER CHILD.
I KNOW IF IT WAS ME THAT THIS HAPPENED TO IT WOULD TIP ME OVER THE EDGE AND CERTAINLY WOULD DO NOTHING TO HELP MY MENTAL STATE.
WHAT A CRUEL WORLD WE LIVE IN!!!!!

 

[Windblows]

Mother taken from baby

You are absolutely right EMS.

This sort of thing goes on too much. Once is too much but indeed it happens far more than is realised because the law normally silences the victims. The child or baby is too young to have a say and the parents are outlawed from speaking up. Even lawyers mostly tend to fail to engage in the interests of the family unit they are paid to represent.

Look up fassit.org.uk ( if I've remembered the dot wot bit right! - if not try .com or co.uk) where there are loads of other instances to warn and support parents.

Also mothers can get some help from MATCH a national charity
http://www.matchmothers.org/pages/who.html ( cut and past into another header)

Also look under 'Welcome' in the Nottingham forum (within East midlands).

Anyway you are right about it being enough to send you over the edge. The trouble is then you are prevented any last hope of ongoing contact with your child.

Anyone in this position has to be strong and seek support quickly. There are more forces about than you know

 

[Windblows]

if in need - who do you call?

www.fassit.co.uk

Thats the one!!

 

[Windblows]

Quote from Hemmings on fassit

Justice for Families Coordinating Campaign

Adoption Targets: The government's plan to in-crease adoptions was flawed from the start. It is very difficult to successfully adopt a child older than 5. Hence the pressure to increase adoptions applies mainly on younger children.

In 1995 2,870 children under 5 were taken into care and 910 children under five adopted from care (32%). In 2006 4,160 children under 5 were taken into care and 2,190 children under 5 adopted which is over 60%. For the government to achieve their target almost all of the children taken into care under 5 have to be adopted a ludicrious objective.

 

[maudikie]

Adoption.

I can understand that adoption is needed for children in danger, but if the parents are good ones, there should be no need. There are too many unwanted pregnancies, especially in the very young, who are not capable of looking after their baby, even if they care for it. I think that young people should have more instruction in birth contol, and also the fact that it is not a sin to say "NO". This applies to girls and boys, and girls can be very provocative, and somehow the boys don't have the same control. Girls respect yourselves. Think of your future and the responsibilities that come with marriage and a family. Surely I'not too old fashioned.!

 

[Libra1]

Hi M, think you have answered an old post/topic there

'ems' does not contribute to MHF any more

 

[Windblows]

Not old news at all

Hi Libra1 and Maudike

This may be an old thred started by Ems but the issue is still current. Please go to East midlands under the Nottingham forum where this case is active if a little neglected

 

[Windblows]

Baby K is going away with mother G 4 harmony?

What do you think about Nottingham City council spending £63,000 to send baby K and mother G to a centre in the South East? How much choice, if any, are they being given? Why is it so costly? Best value for who in Nottingham City?

It is always about money. What they both need ( K & G) is care and the mother encouragement which so far has not been given and can't be put right by throwing money at the 'problem' that may never have been.

The mother is 18 and has had mental health problems following being brought up in care after running away from home - obviously a person who acted to get away from her difficulties. Unfortunately she also took drugs that were not prescribed - or maybe they were? Anyway she is said to have been addicted at some stage.

You know you can't believe half of what you read in the papers - it is all made to appear 'shock horror'. The horror in this case is truly the treatment being given to this unfortunate mother and baby - very distressing for them, I think.

What do you think?

 

[maudikie]

Widnblows.

I think the medical condition of both mother and baby must be given prior consideeration. However to send them so far away fro home 9If Nottingham is their hoe) is ridiculous) Have the Nottingham people informed the reception area of the difficulties of the mother? Has she been put in to the care of the Mental health team in her new location? Has a Health vsitor ben informed?
Until one knows the whole of the circumstances one cannot make a judgement.

 

[Windblows]

Yes Maudike, Nottingham is their home and this case has been in the papers a great deal over the last few months. Many of the 'facts' have been made known but many are not. The social workwrs acted unlawfully in the first place by taking the baby 2 hours after his birth. The case goes on with the judgement being made in court by a Judge - the mother is trying to claim damages.

I think both she and the baby have been damaged by the prejudgement of social workers. Who can say she would not have been a good mother to her first child? What precident can there have been?

Why should I worry? What makes me think my way? My own experience Maudike. Not the same - nothing ever is - but similar in some ways and with a servering outcome that need never have been so.

It is something if we can learn from past mistakes.

 

[maudikie]

windblows.

I'm afraid that Social Workers seem to make too many mistakes. Some are young and have too little life experience before they are given the responsibility which S.W's have - or should have. They have some hard decisions to make , but should either be conversant with the law or have a senior person to refer to before taking any action. I would not make comment about the case in question without knowing the full facts. It is very sad.

 

[maudikie]

I think it is far too soon (2 hous) to take a baby away from the mother.However if it was known that the mother had a SEVERE mental health problem she should have been "specialed" i.e. a nurse in easy reach 24hrs per day.
A psychiatric assessment of the mother could have been made before her discharge from hospital, and whatever aftercare was needed put in place. I also think that she was removed at too great a distance from home, but that a carer should have been appointed either daily or 24 hourly if necessary, at least until some bonding had been made between mother and baby. Without knowing all the conditions of the "case" it is difficult to make a definite judgement, but it does appear to have been handled badly.

 

[Windblows]

Hi
I have been away along time and for some reason was sent this last posting from you Maudikie - intended to revive my intest no doubt. Well these issues continue to concern me. Children are very important and how they are brought up has long and far reaching consequences on their individual developement. I was listening to a radio braodcast of an interview of a girl brought up by a highly abusive father and how she mamaged to forgive him - even though before at the time of the abuse she wished him dead.
We do tend to hear much about the really bad cases where the children have been often fately let down by parents and social workers have failed to act on the signs. It is a very big subject with no easy answers. We do have to be clear about what is abuse and what is not though becauze many parentd are complaining that their children are being taken away on the grounds of their being a 'risk of emotional abuse' or somesuch thing which is unsubstantiatable either way. The result of this is many broken families where children feel cast out and the parents stigmatised as well as being robbbed of the chuildren they love. Meantime other cases of real neglect are overlooked.
None of this is good for anyones mental health. Families need support in the form of practice assistance, advice and generally being bolstered up, not down.

 

[John A]

I believe that there is Human Rights Act/ECHR caselaw that establishes the right of mother to access to a baby being looked after in order to breastfeed the baby, and/or the right of the baby to be breastfed, if the mother is willing and able. I'm not looking up the case tonight though.

 

[Windblows]

Human Rights Act/ECHR case - baby law

I believe that there is that establishes the right of mother to access to a baby being looked after in order to breastfeed the baby, and/or the right of the baby to be breastfed, if the mother is willing and able. I'm not looking up the case tonight though.

To me it is wrong that new cases are judged on precedents because each has an individual set of circumstances. This is a mental health forum and I think everyone would agree that it is devastating experiences that often bring about bad mental health. Having a baby taken away is devastating. Suoport should be given to a struggling mother whether breast feeding or not.
Mothers on medication like Lithium for instance are adviced not to breastfeed as it is thought to be damaging to the baby.
Mothers milk is very important but it is not the only thing that bonds her to her baby. Breaking that bond is damaging to both.