Lost Child Care Files Social Services

Lost Child Care Files Social Services

Here is a piece from Ann, who would like to share here experiences with Social Services, including her dealings with the Newham Social Services.

"I was born in the East End of London, taken into care as a baby. From the age of 16 I have been fighting for the right to have access to my files, It's taken me years to reach a point of no return, for Newham refuses to accept responsibility or to even give me a proper answer to what has happened to them. They can quote the law at me, I do have rights if they have wrongly been destroyed then I need to know Why, When an By Whom?

Do you think that I can get these answers? They tell me, after I have written them countless letters that, because they cannot find them, they must have been destroyed-that is not good enough.  They might only be pieces of papers to them, they are my life. There is vital, important information on them. Plus, I believe the real reason they do not want me to have access to them is they know that what went on in care as far as they are concerned should stay behind closed doors.

If it turns out that my files have been destroyed, someone needs to explain themselves. I cannot believe that no one has used their common sense, thought, that one day I would need to see my files, especially as I had already made arrangements to collect the, on my 18 th birthday, they like my Medical files have miraculously dissappeared.

I do not know where my mum is as I have barely had contact with her, not that she would probably   tell me what I need to know anyway. There's a lot more to my story, if anyone has had dealings with Newham Social Services or has been in care too, I would appreciate it if you got in touch.

I cannot get back my childhood, there is a lot that can never be put right for me, this was one thing that Newham could have done, kept safe, what was mine. I know that the law was recently changed, a law is only man made after all, it does not make it right, a lot of damage was done to me in care and I do not want to see another child/adult suffering in that way again.

I was told by another Social Worker that Newham are the worse in the Brough, well sadly that does not surprise me, it's no excuse either."

Ann