Viewing 13 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
    • #32641
      cupofcoffee
      Participant

      Hi I’m new, and I was just wondering what other people’s experiences of social services were, good or bad?

    • #32645
      shine bright 2
      Participant

      Do u mean for adults or children? My kids have just been taken off cp plan…so we had a social worker for a year and a bit.

    • #32655
      cupofcoffee
      Participant

      I mean for children, mine are on the CPP also due to domestic abuse

    • #32665
      shine bright 2
      Participant

      Tbh…i didnt find them especially helpful..we had several changes of social worker. Their role seemwd to be entirely about filling in papers and ticking boxes. If im being brutally honest i think they could have helped me more if i was in social housing or had some other things that needed sorting. However, what they did qas to scare me into action. I would not have changed things if they had not been involved. We have alarms and sig flagged adrress etc because they made me go to.court etc. It was difficult…initially they sent a bloke…i didnt want this because of being sexually assaulted and feeling unconfortable talking to him. I also found they dont really listen at all to what u say…they have their own agenda. All that aside i think we are safer because of their involvement.

    • #32699
      cupofcoffee
      Participant

      Thanks Shine Bright, I am finding the same thing to be honest, I reported my husband for DV and now I feel like I am the one being monitored with unannounced visits, meetings, etc and I have been criticized for staying with him so long but there is a reason for that mainly FEAR and having nowhere else to go!

    • #32703
      Peaceful Pig
      Participant

      Hi cupofcoffee, yes I’m afraid your experience is pretty standard it seems. Social workers have a fairly limited understanding of dv, though how or why that’s the case seems crazy. They have some remit to act in a ‘balanced way towards both parents’ but maybe in reality it’s just easier to blame women. My advice would be to keep very calm with them, less is more, and seek support somewhere more understanding and knowledgeable. I found it unbearable to be watched after all the years of being controlled, it felt like my ex was back again. My social worker basically told me that it didn’t really matter that I’d lost everything because I had a nice kitchen now. Oh well that was worth two decades of abuse and rape then, all’s well that ends well, thanks love!!!! Don’t get me started..!! I hope things work through the process quickly and smoothly x*x

    • #32732
      Suntree
      Participant

      Not a good experience with SS I’m afraid.
      As you said they looked for any faults with you and not him.
      He was so charming to them and they fell for it.
      They lied it was a nightmare.
      I would suggest keeping calm and noting everything you can and finding someone who understands how social services work and understands about DV.

    • #32790
      cupofcoffee
      Participant

      so just wondering how long your kids stay on CPP after you report DV? I am really worried that this could drag on for months or even years

    • #32792
      shine bright 2
      Participant

      I think it depends how quick they see everything is in place. Mine was over a year. But thats cos there were incidents while they were on the plan. Really u hvae to so what they ask u and tick all the boxes. They wanted to me to press chargea which i did although they were dropped. They wanted non mol whch i got and so on. In fairness by the end they wanted them off too. They have huge case loads and if they see ur a good parent and that u will protect them from seein dv thats it. As i understand it its rare for them ro be taken off at the first review…after 6 months..but it can happen. They need to aee that ur consistently being protective.

    • #47519
      cupofcoffee
      Participant

      My kids are now off CPP, it was a horrendous experience but I am glad it is all over. What were other people’s experiences like?

    • #47521
      Missssy
      Participant

      Hi ladies – I really think it is down to each social worker as individuals and how compassionate they are. For them to get sucked in by abusive men is shameful, they should really be more on point. This hasn’t been my experience however as he has never been contacted by them, they have only worked with me. My little one is on a CIN plan which is a bit more relaxed than a CPP – purely because I have done everything I can to keep him at a distance with the authorities etc. I have been warned though that if I was to ever reconcile with him, my child would go on a CPP or be removed from my care ☹️ Doesn’t bear thinking about. X

    • #48117
      FinallyMe
      Participant

      Still waiting for the kids to get some support because abuse happened in one area, we now live in another. Old one can’t do much because we are not there, new one will not take us yet because we do not class as having a permenent address. It’s frustrating as the school would like to put in extra support for kids but need SS to be able to implement it….

    • #54369
      Cat lover
      Participant

      I never forget (detail removed by moderator) years ago when they sent a male social worker to talk to me after a police call out. He was reading what my partner did to me (physical assault detail removed by moderator) and found it most amusing and said sorry whilst chuckling. It just sounded funny!
      Hmm. Not funny for me though eh!
      As I’ve already had thrm involved for one incident, it puts me off ringing the police again as they assume my son is in danger. Little do they know that the reason i’m in this position is that i guard my boy with my life. Hes my everything. I practise gentle parenting. So being made to look like a bad parent is like the worst for me.
      Obviously if I was in danger I would have to call the police and deal with SS. I just think they need to review their actions towards the victim.

    • #54372
      cupofcoffee
      Participant

      I agree catlover, I was certainly victim blamed and felt that they had no understanding of domestic abuse, they blamed me for staying with my partner so long but did not listen to WHY as I felt at the time that I had no choice and was desperately trying to make things better, but now that I am out of the situation I feel so much better, I got away from my ex partner and my involvement with SS then was dropped, so with hindsight it all worked out OK but it was awful at the time. That male social worker you mentioned should have been sacked, what a dreadful attitude!

Viewing 13 reply threads
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

© 2015 Women's Aid Federation of England – Women’s Aid is a company limited by guarantee registered in England No: 3171880.

Women’s Aid is a registered charity in England No. 1054154

Terms & conditionsPrivacy & cookie policySite mapProtect yourself onlineMedia │ JobsAccessibility Guide

Log in with your credentials

or    

Forgot your details?

Create Account

Skip to content