h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I can see that you and your family suffered unneccesserily, but surely the chance that there might be children being abused justifies almost anything. Admittedly they didn't need to drag in on so long, but they had to do something.

Tango

What should have happened in our case is that Social Services should have used at least SOME common sense. They should have taken note of the long letter of a year previous, written by the children's father, about the difficulties we were experiencing with our daughter. It had been sent through a lawyer, and warned of false allegations that could very well be made by the young lady.
The letter also detailed all of the steps we had been taking to get assistance with some of the issues we were dealing with, like drug and alcohol abuse by our daughter, previous false allegations made by her against someone else, and mental health services we had been desperately trying to access for her that she adamnantly refused.
My daughter has just recently admitted in writing that she lied. It doesn't do any good about solving all of the turmoil we have experienced, but it SHOULD prevent any further occurrences like this.
Too little, too late.

Yes there ARE many children that are abused, and do need to be protected. That does NOT justify anything that happened to us.
Karen

I think the slightest possibility of child abuse justifys action, it should not have been dragged out so much, but it should still have been dealt with. Anyone can send that sort of letter, it does not mean that any reports are false.

Tango

My children were taken from school, in front of their class mates, and not allowed to return home, or even see either one of their parents for 6 weeks. No explainations were given, either.
Social Services should have looked in their own files, from two years previous, to see the types of allegations that my daughter had made then, against someone else. Even Social Services stated that any future allegations made by her should be taken with great caution.
The worker that did this to us, was trying to live vicariously through "helping" an innocent child, because her own children refused to live with her, choosing instead to live with their father, whom the worker hated. She also has an alcohol problem herself, and is not getting treatment. Even Social Services said that she didn't follow their own protocol.
She was secretly removed from the intake postion she was in, and given a desk job, after having to go through "upgrading classes" mandated by her superiors.
Social Services has admitted (off the record) that they screwed up, that this should have never happened. But on the record, they still try to justify the damage they caused, by making blanket statements like "any allegation justifies action".
What about the "non-action" stance they took when they gave that baby back to it's Mom, only to have it murdered a few days later?
Obviously their judgement doesn't work, and will not work if they continue to blindly ignore all common sense, as they did with us, as well as with that poor baby.
Karen

Now you are making personal accusations about the workers involved, that does not gain you a lot of respect.

Tango

I see you know everything about this.
I won't confuse you with the facts, as your mind is made up.
Why should I say otherwise? Because I'm an adult, and I should be able to "deal with it"?
Is it right to steal someone's car simply because they're an adult, and they should be able to deal with it?

What are you
A social worker?
Don't bother. I've had my fill.

NOTHING justifies what happened to me. False persecution is ALWAYS wrong. It is the same with this case as it was for the Jewish people being persecuted by Hitler, or the African Americans being persecuted by White Supremists.
False persecution is NEVER justified, and unless you've been in my shoes, I would advise you to watch your judgemental attitude. You might get slapped in the face by such a big ego.

So you would rather children were abused than social services risk getting it wrong?

Tango

Hoo boy...

Tango, I don't think you realize how much Karen (Dragonlady) has been hurt through all this, and your (apparently) assuming that every allegation has something behind it is rather naive, and hasn't exactly helped any... I've personally known cases of false allegations, though I will admit I know of more where the children should have been placed in foster care and weren't.

Karen, I don't know Tango very well, but I'm pretty sure he didn't mean the first post the way it was read. (Not making excuses for anyone, and it did get a bit nasty afterwards, so I'm just mentioning the first post.) From other things I've read him write, he's a nice guy, honest... I think the fact that tone-of-voice and facial expression can't be conveyed here (as well as timing *almost* bad enough to be mine!) had a lot to do with the beginning of this...

* both*

Now play nice, or no mufflewhumps

>Tango, I don't think you realize how much Karen (Dragonlady) has been hurt through all this

I think i said in post 1 that i did see how much this had hurt her

>assuming that every allegation has something behind it is rather naive

I don't assume all allegations has something behind them, i was saying that Social Sercives must treat all allegations as if they had something behind them. It is the same as the Fire Brigade must respond to every 999 call, even if they think it is a prank. There are childrens lives at stake, a family's happiness is nothing compared to that.

>I'm pretty sure he didn't mean the first post the way it was read.

I meant the first post in the way it was *written*, i think it was very clear, if it has been misunderstood then i am suprised.

>it did get a bit nasty afterwards

Any "nastyness" on my part was in response to arragance on Karen's part.

>Now play nice, or no mufflewhumps

I wan't mufflewhumps!

Tango

>>Tango, I don't think you realize how much Karen (Dragonlady) has been hurt through all this

>I think i said in post 1 that i did see how much this had hurt her

I thought so, from post 1, the very first thing i said: "I can see that you and your family suffered unneccesserily".

Tango

Maybe I should have stayed out of this, but 1) isn't trying to pour oil on troubled waters part of the ACE job description? and 2) (and more important) Karen's a good friend of mine...

Trust me to botch it up

I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I was just responding to your points, i don't see much point in you making them if i don't respond. It certainly is part of ACE job to calm down heated discussions, and feel free to defend your friend.

Tango

Good point... Good thing I don't care about ages, or else I'd be annoyed that someone just over half my age has a better functioning brain than I, ATM

*wanders off, trying to remove foot from mouth*

Me? Brain?

Tango