Sarcasm, yawn

No, they should have an informal chat with VV because a nobody has made a complaint (not the school or a GP or something). An informal chat would have put things right, not investigation at her home and at the child's school. Nevermind, perhaps the SWs in VVs area have a quiet time on work at the moment, have to do something to justify the money they earn. Hope there isn't a child that is really in need that is escaping the good work these people are doing, whilst they are off investigating decent families

Hope it all went well today VV xx

Don't you think that speaking to the child should form part of any assessment / investigation? I don't imagine that anyone who does actually abuse or neglect their child would admit to it during an "informal chat".

Sarcasm maybe but crystal ball gazing is exactly what you are asking the SW's to do - how are they to know that a family is "decent" before they have carried out an assessment?

I don't think that SW's are perfect but I'm not going to knock them when they actually do follow procedure and follow up on complaints - whoever they are from. If you're going to be angry with anyone be angry with the people who make bogus complaints - they are the one's wasting everyones time.

All they needed was to speak to an authority that knows the child, i.e. the school, health visitor, etc. Instead they have worried VV and are going to speak to a child that may feel uncomfortable being questioned. If they were thorough with families that needed help, there maybe would be less child deaths and abuse continuing.

They didn't need a crystal ball with Baby P or Victoria C, they just had to do their jobs but they were probably too busy investigating families that didn't need investigating

I think speaking to a child is a very serious decision that should not be taken lightly. Even at the age of 14 I was very troubled by having to speak out about not wanting to see my Mum and why I wanted to live with my Dad. It's a ****ing horrible thing to put a child through and should not be done lightly!!

Hope it went ok for you today xx

Dunno about anyone else......but if I saw my neighbours kid [apparently] playing with poo, i'd tell my neighbour first, rather than report them!

I do hope everything went well....keep checking for an update!

Hope all went well Jules.xx

But that is the thing, you'd think that it wouldn't be so easy for someone to pick up the phone/write a letter and turn a family's life upside down. Like I said, the Social Worker in question only needed to speak to the school/gp anyone that has seen the family, then VV wouldn't have got so upset and her child wouldn't be facing an inquisition. There should be professionals to weedle out the bull**** from genuine complaints. If I were VV I'd be livid and I really feel for her. No matter what comes out of this complaint from whoever felt it necessary to put a Mum and her child through worry and upset, it will no doubt stay on file somewhere, whether it be Social Services, the School or anyone else and I would find that an invasion of my privacy.

Sorry I disagree with this. This happened years ago with someone I know..they phoned the school when an investigation should have happened...thus a couple of kids slipped through a net (I wasn't professionally involved and it was many years ago). Do you think it is always so obvious when abuse is happening? Trust me it isn't.
I would rather be investigated needlessly than have a child left in an abusive situation, because SWs didn't investigate properly.