https://researchingreform.net/2021/08/31/father-launches-demonstration-against-worcestershire-childrens-services/Father launches demonstration against Worcestershire Children’s Services
31 Tuesday Aug 2021
Posted by Natasha in Researching Reform
A father who has accused Worcestershire Children’s Services of unnecessarily removing his daughter from his care instead of offering her therapeutic support at home has organised a demonstration to protest against her adoption. The demonstration came to the attention of Worcestershire County Council last week after the father placed posters around the area, some of which have been taken down by the council who said the flyers had been “illegally placed on the county hall campus.”
The poster said: “Have Worcestershire Children First taken your kids? Have they told lies about you? Have they used crystal ball laws to take your children (future risk of harm)? Have your children been forcibly adopted against your wishes? It’s time to stand up to this corrupt profit making organisation.”
Speaking to Worcester News, the father said, “Myself and other families across the country have had enough of the corruption. The way things are conducted are shrouded in secrecy but we want to spread the word that we will not back down whilst our kids our ripped from their homes. We will not be silenced.”
A spokesperson for Worcestershire Children First told the Worcester News, “Worcestershire Children First staff continue to keep children and young people at the heart of everything they do and act in a professional and timely way to protect children from harm.”
Worcestershire County Council was given a grade 4 ‘inadequate’ rating in 2017 the worst possible grading by watchdog Ofsted after a catalogue of serious failings were identified by inspectors. The council was inspected again in 2019 and received a grade 3, ‘requires improvement’ rating. In that same year, the council admitted that too many children leaving care were still living in bed and breakfasts. Ofsted said the number had not improved since the council’s 2016 inspection. The council has said it is working through its five-year plan to have at least a ‘good’ rating by 2022. Despite the council’s claims that its children’s services are professional and efficient, concerns by parents who reach out to the council for help persist. Another father who tried to secure help for his autistic son told the Worcester News on 19th May that the council had told him he would have to make his son homeless before being able to access urgent support for his child. The gap in care stems from a change in policy once a child reaches 18. Speaking to the newspaper, the father said, “Before he turned 18 he was under CAHMS and they were brilliant, absolutely amazing. They got him diagnosed and medicated and he had the most amazing councillor, but since being transferred to the adult mental health services it has all gone down hill. It is a constant battle now to get him the support he needs. They have undone all the hard work that CAHMS did with him and it is wrong.”
Following a request from the newspaper for information about the case, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust and Worcestershire County Council said, “We can confirm that whilst changes to Ethan’s support plan are being discussed and implemented, all support is being planned from the family home as per the wishes of both Ethan and his dad at this time.”
The protest has been planned to take place on 17th September, from 9am outside Worcester County Hall. Many thanks to Tum Mum for alerting us to this development.
