Tag Archives: BASW

The importance of challenge in the post truth world

2016 has been a terrible year but perhaps a necessary year. Just as the boil has to burst or be lanced before it can heal, we do need to confront why so many people are so angry and so unhappy and so willing not only to embrace distortions and misrepresentations of what is true, but to help spread them far and wide.

I operate on a small canvass. My interest, knowledge and expertise is around court proceedings when the State wishes to remove a child from a family. But this superficially small area of law and policy encompasses a whole world of human pain and really interesting and necessary discussions about the limits and justifications to State interference with individual liberties.

So I think it is a hugely important topic and worthy of proper discussion. I have tried to do my bit to be part of that; I have organised two multi disciplinary conferences in 2015 and 2016 with the help of the Transparency Project – read about 2015 here. I try to provide clear information on this website and provide a forum for debate. I have learned a lot from those who comment here; my perspectives have shifted and needed to shift.

But what I will continue to refuse to do is accept or promote issues which I know are not true. This seems to attract a lot of negative attention, which in the past few months has increased considerably.  I have had emailed threats directly to my chambers – for the first time ever in December 2016 I went to the police (who were very good indeed).

My dismay has now reached even higher levels. In November a documentary called ‘England’s Stolen Children’ was aired in France. I saw a short press release about it in English and was immediately alarmed. I wrote about that here. 

I then requested an English language version from the producer and I transcribed it here. I was even more alarmed after watching the whole thing. I won’t repeat the lies, distortions and mispresentations I found here, you can read if you are interested, the post on the Transparency Project.

However, instead of trying to engage in discussion about these really serious points, what I got were insults. These are just examples from the comments to the first of my posts on the Transparency Project. I am told things are even worse on Facebook where I am variously accused of being a ‘kiddy fiddler’ or forcing my mother to buy me a car.

So, dear Sarah, if you do not understand what is going on in UK, simply shut up and make deep reserches.

So, I not suprising when illiterate baristers are resuming their ”experiences”. Sorry, Sarah, but when you will began to demonstrate real ability to think and act proffesionally, we can to discus, but at present I can see just very dangerous presentations of UK justice, full of personal illiterate ambitions, who is able to destroy any family in UK. Justice,

I do not understand how people involved in the justice business can support such practices, pocket the legal aid money and defend Mother System for their own comfort. You say “bonkers” ? Yeah… Bonkers are all those professional loosers on the LAs lawyers lists that I have seen, taking no risk and no pride, acting like rats when they should stand for justice. (this from an allegedly ‘award winning’ journalist)

Forced adoption and forced long term foster care should be abolished immediately, so you , Sarah, wlll find some more dignified job rather than defend totally discredited, shameful system which even not allow my son to read his own judgement and UNCRC .

How dishonnest you are, Mrs Phillimore, by quoting me uncorrectly. The sentence is : “You might know that foreign families are even prohibited contacts in their own language! You need to understand that this is something that no journalist from any country has read on the parents’paperwork without wanting to vomit.” It’s a bit different, isn’t it ? So you are a barrister and you transform the facts ? Maybe you did this too many times and you can’t anymore realise if you are doing it again? Is your insulting and panicking style ok in court ? Well it is true that all those bad parents are giving you a living…
But now maybe I understand your point. You hate Ian Josephs who did help loads of family and of course in these cases, no child, no fee.

You also ‘sneered’ because I was not visibly ‘disabled enough’ to suit you!
I don’t believe I have said I support Hemming or Josephs; just that their answers to you raise major issues that I can evidence.
Your accusations of ‘barbed comments’ is exactly what I would expect from an LA solicitor or Barrister!!!!

Time and time again I ask for help understanding where my analysis has failed. I have set out my position in detail here.  Time and time again the response is simply insults and hysterical language.  It might be naive of me to expect differently from those who have obviously gone through very painful and real life experiences. I cannot expect emotional detachment and precise analysis in those circumstances and I hope I have showed how patient I try to be, even in the face of the most disgusting comments and assertions.

But I had hoped rather more from the professionals. One former social worker, Maggie Mellon was interviewed extensively in the documentary and was introduced as a member of the British Association of Social Workers. Clearly, this will give an air of legitimacy to her appearance. I do not provide comment as ‘a Member of the Family Law Bar Association’ – I don’t speak for the members of that organisation and I certainly don’t ask that they legitimise my campaigning activities. I think it would be helpful for BASW to review their policy about how their name is used for the future.

I agreed with much of what Ms Mellon had to say about the impact of poverty on parents and the probably disastrous consequences that will flow from privatisation of any part of child protection services. But I was concerned that she was prepared to be part of such a documentary which relied on demonstrable untruths and offered such uncritical support to Ian Josephs. I asked for her comments. She said ‘you disagree with the programme. Some people disagree with you. Get over it’.

I replied that I could not simply ‘get over’ the promulgation of really serious lies that would not only frighten vulnerable people but scare them away from the very help that could achieve something for them – which seems to be the case for Colin and Clare in the documentary.

I received this response.

Let’s be clear. I am not ‘designated’ by anyone, God or court to do what I do. And  nor do I think I require any such ‘designation’ to challenge what I know and have proved to be really dangerous distortions of truth, made under a false flag of campaigning for human rights.

I think we all have a moral duty, simply as human beings, to strive to identify the truth and then promote it. I am not naive enough to think I have a monopoly on ‘the Truth’ or that my perspective is always and only the ‘right’ one. But if you disagree with me – tell me why. Tell me without insulting my intelligence, my lack of attractiveness, my marital status or my mother. And then we can have a dialogue. And out of that dialogue we might be able to agree on some common ground.

Or not. Frankly, the way 2016 has been going, I’m not holding my breath. But I won’t stop just because I am ordered to do so. I will carry on lighting my candle and I hope others will join me.

 

Further reading

If you are interested in the debate, I recommend the following websites which both provide clear, accessible information about the family court system and the importance of distinguishing truth from lies.

https://hoaxteadresearch.wordpress.com – very good and through debunking of the Satanic Ritual Abuse Hoax fiasco which still rumbles on in some quarters.

The Transparency Project – a registered charity of which I am a proud Trustee.

The Role of Social Workers in Adoption: Call for Evidence

Image

 

 

The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) has established a UK-wide enquiry to consider the role of social work in adoption. Please see their website for further details. The following is the text of their questionnaire. Please respond and contribute to this essential discussion. 

 

Prior to completing this form please read the call for evidence briefing paper and consent form.
Please confirm that you have you read and attached the consent form □

ABOUT YOU:
Age:
Gender:
Ethnicity:
Which country or region of the UK do you live in? England □ Scotland □ Wales □ N.Ireland □

Please tell us about how you know about adoption: (e.g. are you a birth parent, adopted person, adoptive parent, social worker, lawyer, academic or have other family or professional connections to adoption)

If you are a professional, for how long have you worked in this area?
If a social worker, what is your role and what kind of team do you work in?

If you are replying on behalf of a group or organisation, please provide details of your work and who contributed to the completion of this questionnaire.

QUESTIONS ON THE ROLE OF THE SOCIAL WORKER IN ADOPTION

We are really keen to hear from you so use this questionnaire in a way that suits you and feel free to tell your story in your own way.

We have listed below a series of headings, as we want to look at the whole process from work with families before children come into care through to contact and support after adoption. Not all of these may be relevant to you so there is no expectation that you will address them all.

1. Work with birth families (children and adults) when there are difficulties and before any recommendation that children should be removed from home, including support and alternatives to children coming into care.

2. Work with birth families (children and adults) during the time a case is in court proceedings (or in Scotland during the time that a case is heard by Children’s Hearings).

3. Decisions at the end of proceedings (or by a children’s hearing) about children going home, being placed with relatives or friends, foster care, adoption or another permanent care option (including where the grounds are contested in court and reasons for overriding the consent of parents in adoption cases).

4. Decisions about the placement of brothers and sisters together or apart during any periods when they are removed from home

5. The assessment and training of adopters.

6. The matching of children with an adoptive family, preparation and moving children to adopters.

7. Decisions about contact with birth parents, brothers and sisters, and other family members after adoption and what happens in practice.

8. Support to all (adopted children and adults, adopters and birth families) involved after the adoption.

Finally could you offer your views in relation to the following broader questions:
• What (if any) are the main ethical and human rights dilemmas faced by social workers currently in relation to adoption? e.g. fairness, resources, timescales, Please expand with examples.

• Do you have suggestions for improvements, including changes to the law and policy, in relation to adoption in general and the role of the social worker in particular?
*************

Thank you so much for taking the time to give your views, which will be most helpful to the enquiry.

Please return this form to [email protected]

You can also send it by post to:

Professor Brid Featherstone
School of Human and Health Sciences
University of Huddersfield
HD1 3DH
If you wish to talk with someone the following organisations may be of help to you:
Adoption UK is a charity providing support, awareness and understanding for those parenting or supporting children who cannot live with their birth parents. Adoption UK covers all four countries of the UK – www.adoptionuk.org/contact-us

The Open Nest is a charity that was developed by adoptive parents and aims to support adoptive and long term foster care families through a range of respite and support services. It is based in North Yorkshire – www.theopennest.co.uk

PAC-UK provides advice support for anyone who has been affected by adoption or other forms of permanent care. The advice line is staffed by qualified and experienced PAC-UK counselors – www.pac-uk.org

Family Rights Group advises parents and wider family networks whose children are at risk of entering or are in the care system. It covers England and Wales -www.frg.org.uk

Scottish Adoption provide support to adopted children, adopted families and birth families, tailoring services to meet individual need – www.scottishadoption.org

Birthlink provides support including an adoption contact register to all adults affected by adoptions that have taken place in Scotland– www.birthlink.org.

Adopt NI provides support to all those (birth and adoptive families) facing the challenges of adoption and adults whose lives have been impacted in any way by the care system in Northern Ireland – www.adoptni.com

After Adoption provides support and help for people affected by adoption, adopters, birth family and adopted adults in England and Wales – www.afteradoption.org,uk