‘Protecting Our Children’ – a Social Services PR stunt gone wrong?
By Jonathan Bridge @ Feb 14, 2012
in Abuse Claims
14
Feb
Feb
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been interested to watch the programme 'Protecting our Children'; a series following a number of social workers within Bristol Social Services Department. Social Services have come under a great deal of public attention and criticism over the past few years following a series of failures, notably including the Baby P case. As a child abuse lawyer I spend my working days dealing with horror stories of children who have suffered horrendous physical, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse as a result of Social Services' negligence. I see the consequences of Social Worker's failure to intervene on an almost daily basis.
My attention was particularly caught by a particular instance in last night's episode during which a child was immediately removed from a home because a known paedophile was living there. Trust me - this does not always happen. In many of the cases I deal with Social Services have ignored the fact that a child has been placed with a paedophile for many years.
In other cases, children are left to grow up in situations of unimaginable squalor and depravity, which will often prevent them ever being able to function normally as adults.
I must admit that this PR stunt by Social Services has done little to alter my view of their work. In fact, I have found myself becoming increasing riled as the programme has gone on; especially after the programme showed a senior Social Worker complaining about the fact that a Head of a Social Services Department was dismissed following the death of a child; a case that was clearly attributable to the blatant negligence of that Council.
The Social Workers in the programme present themselves as Knights in shining armour; rescuing children from the clutches of evil parents. But in my view, Social Workers are often the culprits; they have the power to protect these children, yet fail to exercise it properly. Why on earth should they not be held to account?
My attention was particularly caught by a particular instance in last night's episode during which a child was immediately removed from a home because a known paedophile was living there. Trust me - this does not always happen. In many of the cases I deal with Social Services have ignored the fact that a child has been placed with a paedophile for many years.
In other cases, children are left to grow up in situations of unimaginable squalor and depravity, which will often prevent them ever being able to function normally as adults.
I must admit that this PR stunt by Social Services has done little to alter my view of their work. In fact, I have found myself becoming increasing riled as the programme has gone on; especially after the programme showed a senior Social Worker complaining about the fact that a Head of a Social Services Department was dismissed following the death of a child; a case that was clearly attributable to the blatant negligence of that Council.
The Social Workers in the programme present themselves as Knights in shining armour; rescuing children from the clutches of evil parents. But in my view, Social Workers are often the culprits; they have the power to protect these children, yet fail to exercise it properly. Why on earth should they not be held to account?
