"Its difficult for me to know where to start and how to summarize what me and my child have being experiencing over the past few months under our local authority . I am still in a state of disbelief at the way we wre treated, and the things that where said to me IN FRONT of my child.
"I have allways home educated my child, who is happy and self assured, i have never made a secret about my child being home educated. Somebody (not my near neighbors im sure , as i have asked them, and they have no concerns about my child as they see my child often) reported to the local Authority that my child was not attending school and looked scuffy, (does not look like a undernourished victorian waif!, but does play outside and run about). This so called scruffiness was treated as "presented as potentially neglected". I was unlucky, they came unanounced, just after i had a migraine and did not look my best! I had not hoovered for a couple of days, (the house is not unclean nor even that untidy). The questioning was quite agressive and accusing in tone, I was constantly interupted so could not answer properly, I was accused of damaging my child, things that i said were twisted round, taken out of context and judged through the distorted lens of current doctrine and suspicion, a case was constructed, it was more than mere misjudgment and even paranoid risk aversion in my opinion. (the factual mistakes alone were many) they thought we were an easy target. At one point i was told that i probably had mental health difficulties, another if i was sure i was not suicidal!. I was also told that if i did not sign an ageement form within a few days or not keep to its remit, alternative forms of care may/will need to be sought for my child!. Yes i had asked about the form and what it would lead to if I did not agree to it, but never could have expected an answer like that, i felt sick, i had to tone down my response as my chid was there and able to understand something of what this could mean. I was told it was unlikely this would happen as they were sure i would see sense and agree to sign ect! things on this agreement form were not true and it gave them too much power and control with no justification ( i did not sign).
"Friends, my mother and family, and neighbors were wonderful and gave me courage and belief to see this through, i am sure no one has ever as ever thought of me in the way they initially saw/portrayed me or my child. Social Services have supposedly now closed the case and we are now supposed to be under only the remit of the Education Department, but I have also been contacted by the Primary Health Care Trust offering a routine health assessment. (i found out that my childs details on the Integrated Childrens System - contact point will show as having had involvement with Social Services)
"I also discovered that if I decline this kind offer of an assessment, social services will be informed of my "non engagement", talk about musical departments! I have taken my child to the doctors ect and he is in good health.
"We have since had an inspection by the Education Department, but have not had written response yet, this was more on the level, much more professional even though we have different view points and still mostly judged on a school bias. This was done before the Badman Report, we intially agreed that they could come back in 6 months, has something changed in some way, or are they just slow?.
"In regards to all the other so called issues some people may think "no smoke without fire" ect, i am not a perfect parent i fall short some times like everyone does, my child as most healthy children do sometimes has a grumble, i would not neglet or harm my child, i do not have mental health issues, just the normal concerns like most others. To be treated like this, to be accused through a distorted lens of suspicion because my child is home educated, and so are not allways totally coventional (we do know school friends, we are in fact no different in most respects.)
"No duty of care was shown to me or my child. It was bizarre , but maybe not in light of home educators bieng stigmatized. We were the hands of an incompetent and I believe an unscrupulous or stupid Social Workers and some other staff. It was said that they were only acting in light of what me and my child told them, a lot of this i cannot accept, so much was incorectly recorded on paper (where is a tape for all parties to hold?). We have lived under a cloud, its not acceptable and this could happen more and more to others. These people must be more accountable, and subject to independent scrutiny, a way needs to be found at ground level to do this.
"BE PREPARED- TAPE EVERYTHING, I WISH I HAD! GET AN INDEPENDENT WITNESS WITH YOU. NEVER BE ALONE JUST YOU AND THE CHILDREN. This may sound extreme but some have their own adgenda, personal, departmental, poltical. Some may even be misguided that what they are doing is right for the child. They could have caused and can cause such damage, with their risk aversion. It has been painfull and scary for me, i have managed to protect my child from most of this but it was not allways easy, and I am angry that we have been used like this. They did not act in the best interests of my child. But we are stronger wiser and closer now, because we have now stood up to them and know we have nothing to hide. I will no longer allow them to intimidate and scare me, and interfere like they did. They have backtracked as they cannot verify their statements, but i feel they still wish to justify their actions. There is much more i could tell of, but it would take too long, its like a weird strange dream (another example is the social worker telling my child that there are germs in the garden, putting on the form that he must clean his teeth every day (he does, and has no cavities - yes he is allowed sugar!) enough you get the picture, is this what child protection is about? strange. They did not even contact my childs father who my child sees every week, and i am on good terms with.
"We need to cherish all our children, not try at any cost to squeeze them into a goverment approved mould. As a society we need to value diversity, creativity, empathy. Most of all we need children to grow up happy and confident , with self belief they can achieve so much. Does the current state system do this for all children, i dont think so.
"What price do you pay for a state approved child?, no muddy or faded knees on their trousers, tidy neet hair, otherwise how will they socialise?, dont let them show their feelings to much, its not appropriate. This is a taste of things to come, it happend to us, sociable, well adjusted , basically ordinary individuals, but who home school. I dont believe any of this would of happend if my child attended school."
