I suppose what I mean is that a lot of them are probably young people who have not brought up a family and experienced life with children. I am sure they have done placements - but hey they go home at the end of the day. I really feel that some life experience is a very valuable qualification in jobs such as social work and in other jobs where you need to deal with public under difficult circumstances.

This is so true, one thing I have found is student Social Workers being brought here with the ''This is so&so, she is training to be a Social Worker and is observing'', alot of them have no children of thier own, so have had no real hands on experience, then we deal with teenagers, which is very hard, but some of these students are passing thier exams and are in thier early twenties with alot of them having had a stable life.
Teenagers get the raw deal mostly because no-one really wants to foster them, they come with loads and loads of baggage, hate for thier birth parents mixed with love for them, self harming, sexually abused, sexually active, learning difficulites, rejection from mother/family, or have never met thier mothers or fathers and have been pushed from pillow to post in and out of different homes.
We had one boy (who keeps intouch) who at the age of 11 years had been in 28 homes plus a residential home, he's now 13 and often tells us that he is living with us when he leaves care bless him.
Sometimes they are like ferrel kids which we have to try and domesticate, never used knives and forks only thier fingers to eat they haven't a clue how to behave in company, and sexually abused kids are the worst to tell that thier actions are not appropriate when they have come from a abuser who has got them to believe that what they are doing is right.
Mental health issues are incrediably wearing, and obviously members of the public assume that the child/teenager is yours so comments of ''Disgusting behaviour'' is usually heard from them.
I realise that we all have to train somewhere, but I have kids, Pat has kids (9 between us) plus 8 grandchildren. But when these young Social Workers come along, they always seem to quote from books.............and I have never found a book yet that explains everything there is to know about a child, or they say ''I'll go back and ask my line manager'' then you get nothing back from them
But I fail to understand why they wouldn't think ''A small pet would be important'' to a child that has no-one

sorry to read this steph
he sure did love his animals and yours ,didnt he . very cruel to tell him this way . she probably dosnt have any animals ,where you know him and know ,how he would take it .plus animals play a big part in your life , and you know how you feel ,when one passes away . shame .plus he is settleing in at the moment isnt he .

Hi Stephanie, I fully support you on this. I won't go into detail but a long long time ago we were fostering too and sorry to say I was severly unimpressed with the Social Services people and their attitude on just about everything. You tell them like it is and make them listen to you 'cos you're the one who has to sort things when they've clocked out the office at 5pm.

Well you met him hun.....you could tell how he was and sensative too. I know I no longer have him here, and boy ....you know some of the things he;s done here, but I hate seeing kids upset because of stupidity Especially by people that SHOULD KNOW BETTER
I am one of the out-spoken types hun, I have fought battles before with them.....think I have a some-what reputation....but hey who cares. 9-5 what's that, your right. In the case of this Social worker she works a 3 day week lucky her.

Just had a call................maybe taking a ten year old.............watch this space, will know tomorrow or Thursday.

Who rang ''my Social Worker'' couldn't of been nicer...........and apologetic. She is going to see B to apologies to him......result. Hope his Social Worker is going to do the same we'll see

i know he loved our two as well , we have him to thank for bringing willow round ,she even gave him a kiss . poor kid , i wonder if they will get him another one .i know it wont replace the one he has lost ,but it might heel the pain a bit . he has moved on (in once sence of the word ) but he is still very much there isnt he . he has away with animals . i think they need to be educated with the sence that animals can really play a big part in helping these kids heel .

hugs hun, its a very hard job you do, its also hard for B just now, I guess its hard for his new foster family to,
but for a SW to just go in there blurting there silly gob off is totaly out of order,, hugs again x

I know you shouldn't tar all people with the same brush social workers are a shower of self important B******s, I could tell you stories that would make your hair curl.

You did right Steph, well done for standing your ground. These people have so much power it is frightening. I hope they take some of what you say on board but I doubt it (bitter, me, never )

(((hugs)))