British mothers fear baby will be taken for adoption if they admit post natal depression.

Discussion:

(too old to reply)

Robin Harritt

2005-11-28 20:07:08 UTC

I thought it important to post this story from the BBC as it shows just how
abysmal our social work industry is becoming in the UK under Mr Blair's 'New
Labour' government. Under the new adoption laws a local authority can get
Bacon Status and additional government grants if they increase their
adoption figures sufficiently. Tony wants it doubled. It's starting to look
a bit like the 60s all over again. I do have to wonder if there could be a
connection between a large increase in adoption in my own local authority
and poor provision for PND, well that and the fact that Essex SS takes
babies away from adequate parents who have a low IQ.

Robin Harritt

http://harritt.net
_____________________________________________________________

British mothers fear child will be taken for adoption if they admit post
natal depression.

Silent suffering of depressed mums

Postnatal depression affects at least one in ten women.

It can range from the so-called baby blues to the inability to look after
their baby, hatred of the baby, and even to suicide.

Yet if it is identified and treated, the vast majority of sufferers make a
full recovery.

But Real Story has discovered that many mothers are not getting support
because they are frightened to tell health visitors and doctors about their
condition.

They are worried that if they admit to needing help they could be judged
unable to cope and have their babies taken away.

One woman, whose depression had made her suicidal, claims that social
services told her "you'd better get better or your baby will be adopted."

And a psychiatrist tells us of his fight for more specialist mental health
services for the women who need them.

"A lot of mothers in Britain are getting less than the best treatment," says
Professor Ian Brockington.

"And as a result of that I think a lot of them will lose their babies." Real
Story with Fiona Bruce: Monday 28th November at 1930 GMT on BBC One.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/programmes/real_story/4477748.stm

Published: 2005/11/28 11:53:32 GMT

© BBC MMV

Posted by

Robin Harritt

Robin Harritt

2005-11-28 20:19:55 UTC

Permalink

Umm...Beacon Status, that should read. See

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/adoption/improvingpractice/beacons.shtml

Essex becomes more and more controversial in some of its adoption work
despite its status.

Post by Robin Harritt
Tony wants it doubled. It's starting to look a bit like the 60s all over
again. I do have to wonder if there could be a connection between a large
increase in adoption in my own local authority and poor provision for PND,
well that and the fact that Essex SS takes babies away from adequate parents
who have a low IQ.
Robin Harritt
http://harritt.net
_____________________________________________________________
British mothers fear child will be taken for adoption if they admit post
natal depression.
Silent suffering of depressed mums
Postnatal depression affects at least one in ten women.
It can range from the so-called baby blues to the inability to look after
their baby, hatred of the baby, and even to suicide.
Yet if it is identified and treated, the vast majority of sufferers make a
full recovery.
But Real Story has discovered that many mothers are not getting support
because they are frightened to tell health visitors and doctors about their
condition.
They are worried that if they admit to needing help they could be judged
unable to cope and have their babies taken away.
One woman, whose depression had made her suicidal, claims that social
services told her "you'd better get better or your baby will be adopted."
And a psychiatrist tells us of his fight for more specialist mental health
services for the women who need them.
"A lot of mothers in Britain are getting less than the best treatment," says
Professor Ian Brockington.
"And as a result of that I think a lot of them will lose their babies." Real
Story with Fiona Bruce: Monday 28th November at 1930 GMT on BBC One.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/programmes/real_story/4477748.stm
Published: 2005/11/28 11:53:32 GMT
© BBC MMV
Posted by
Robin Harritt

Rhiannon

2005-11-28 20:46:19 UTC

Permalink

Post by Robin Harritt

Umm...Beacon Status, that should read.

So I figured.
Though "bacon" suits well enough in the context of government grants,
and the chance for local authorities to get their snouts in the barrel.

See

Post by Robin Harritt
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/adoption/improvingpractice/beacons.shtml
Essex becomes more and more controversial in some of its adoption work
despite its status.

Rhiannon

2005-11-28 20:37:58 UTC

Permalink

Post by Robin Harritt
I thought it important to post this story from the BBC as it shows just how
abysmal our social work industry is becoming in the UK under Mr Blair's 'New
Labour' government. Under the new adoption laws a local authority can get
Bacon Status and additional government grants if they increase their
adoption figures sufficiently. Tony wants it doubled. It's starting to look
a bit like the 60s all over again.
I do have to wonder if there could be a
connection between a large increase in adoption in my own local authority
and poor provision for PND, well that and the fact that Essex SS takes
babies away from adequate parents who have a low IQ.

Sounds very possible. It sucks. Living with this kind of fear would
make any woman feel even more anxious. I'm sure it would exaccerbate
any PND symptoms a woman might have. In fact the fear alone might even
be enough to cause it. Sort of like a self-fulfilling prophesy. This
government really have got it arse-backwards, haven't they?
I know plenty of terrific mothers who've suffered and recovered from
PND who'd have lost their kids under this kind of lunatic scrutiny.
Though most of these were the kind of reasonably well-off, educated
middle-class matrons for whom greater allowance is generally made.
Keep us posted.

Post by Robin Harritt
Robin Harritt
http://harritt.net
_____________________________________________________________
British mothers fear child will be taken for adoption if they admit post
natal depression.
Silent suffering of depressed mums
Postnatal depression affects at least one in ten women.
It can range from the so-called baby blues to the inability to look after
their baby, hatred of the baby, and even to suicide.
Yet if it is identified and treated, the vast majority of sufferers make a
full recovery.
But Real Story has discovered that many mothers are not getting support
because they are frightened to tell health visitors and doctors about their
condition.
They are worried that if they admit to needing help they could be judged
unable to cope and have their babies taken away.
One woman, whose depression had made her suicidal, claims that social
services told her "you'd better get better or your baby will be adopted."
And a psychiatrist tells us of his fight for more specialist mental health
services for the women who need them.
"A lot of mothers in Britain are getting less than the best treatment," says
Professor Ian Brockington.
"And as a result of that I think a lot of them will lose their babies." Real
Story with Fiona Bruce: Monday 28th November at 1930 GMT on BBC One.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/programmes/real_story/4477748.stm
Published: 2005/11/28 11:53:32 GMT
© BBC MMV
Posted by
Robin Harritt

Steve White

2005-11-28 23:26:06 UTC

Permalink

Post by Robin Harritt
I thought it important to post this story from the BBC as it shows
just how abysmal our social work industry is becoming in the UK under
Mr Blair's 'New Labour' government. Under the new adoption laws a
local authority can get Bacon Status and additional government grants
if they increase their adoption figures sufficiently. Tony wants it
doubled. It's starting to look a bit like the 60s all over again. I
do have to wonder if there could be a connection between a large
increase in adoption in my own local authority and poor provision for
PND, well that and the fact that Essex SS takes babies away from
adequate parents who have a low IQ.

Robin, I don't know why your're surprised. Give government this much
power and then expect it to lay off people? Not a chance.

In the evil United States, the state would never hear that a new mother
had post-partum depression unless she turned to them for help (which
would generally be a bad idea, since social workers in our country are
generally about as nuts about these things as the ones in your country).
Her doctor, psychiatrist and/or psychologist would not be required to
tell the state anything, and her health care insurer wouldn't be sharing
that vital tidbit of information -- her diagnosis -- with the state.

So unless we get really goofy, or get a progressive Democrat as
president (but I repeat myself), this shouldn't happen.

Thanks for the BBC link.

steve

Ray Ingham

2005-11-29 00:41:24 UTC

Permalink

Post by Steve White

Post by Robin Harritt
I thought it important to post this story from the BBC as it shows
just how abysmal our social work industry is becoming in the UK under
Mr Blair's 'New Labour' government. Under the new adoption laws a
local authority can get Bacon Status and additional government grants
if they increase their adoption figures sufficiently. Tony wants it
doubled. It's starting to look a bit like the 60s all over again. I
do have to wonder if there could be a connection between a large
increase in adoption in my own local authority and poor provision for
PND, well that and the fact that Essex SS takes babies away from
adequate parents who have a low IQ.

Robin, I don't know why your're surprised. Give government this much
power and then expect it to lay off people? Not a chance.
In the evil United States, the state would never hear that a new mother
had post-partum depression unless she turned to them for help (which
would generally be a bad idea, since social workers in our country are
generally about as nuts about these things as the ones in your country).
Her doctor, psychiatrist and/or psychologist would not be required to
tell the state anything, and her health care insurer wouldn't be sharing
that vital tidbit of information -- her diagnosis -- with the state.
So unless we get really goofy, or get a progressive Democrat as
president (but I repeat myself), this shouldn't happen.
Thanks for the BBC link.
steve

Robin,
I suspect governments are moving in this direction as it saves a lot in
welfare money. I think my country is going in the same direction although I
think there are very few adoptions here and I haven't heard of anything here
like the BBC report (and hope I never will). Money is what is important
rather than peoples happiness or their support.
Ray

Robin Harritt

2005-11-29 11:20:54 UTC

Permalink

Post by Steve White

Post by Robin Harritt
I thought it important to post this story from the BBC as it shows
just how abysmal our social work industry is becoming in the UK under
Mr Blair's 'New Labour' government. Under the new adoption laws a
local authority can get Bacon Status and additional government grants
if they increase their adoption figures sufficiently. Tony wants it
doubled. It's starting to look a bit like the 60s all over again. I
do have to wonder if there could be a connection between a large
increase in adoption in my own local authority and poor provision for
PND, well that and the fact that Essex SS takes babies away from
adequate parents who have a low IQ.

Robin, I don't know why your're surprised. Give government this much
power and then expect it to lay off people? Not a chance.

Steve, I'm not particularly surprised that it's happening. I am a bit
surprised to see someone that prominent in the British media reporting in a
rational way, that it is happening, and on primetime major channel BBC1.

Usually it's just the anti-adoption brigade that get a hold of this issues
like this and do more harm than good with them, by declaring that they're
evidence of some evil conspiracy involving every evil adoption worker
everywhere and politicians at all levels of every government.

When someone who might be taken seriously reports about this, then it's time
to spread the word. I wish I'd known that it was on, before it was
broadcast.

Post by Steve White
In the evil United States, the state would never hear that a new mother
had post-partum depression unless she turned to them for help (which
would generally be a bad idea, since social workers in our country are
generally about as nuts about these things as the ones in your country).
Her doctor, psychiatrist and/or psychologist would not be required to
tell the state anything, and her health care insurer wouldn't be sharing
that vital tidbit of information -- her diagnosis -- with the state.
So unless we get really goofy, or get a progressive Democrat as
president (but I repeat myself), this shouldn't happen.

I find myself veering back towards the anarcho-syndicalist sympathies of my
teenage years. Then, second childhood might be just around the corner.
Umm..I don't know.

Robin Harritt

http://harritt.net