Social Worker

 There’s a social worker who is currently on sick leave, who stands to lose their job, is getting death threats, has been on anti-depressants for years, has been working crazy hours, maybe 20 hour days and feels as though they have been in a room with 100 small fires and an egg cup of water.

‘Just one?’you ask.

No. Not just one, or even the two in Solihull, who visited Arthur before his death: The two who considered that a boy who told them that he was happy and felt safe (interviewed alone) wasn’t as at much risk as the boy who had been returned to his parents by a judge, despite clear evidence of systematic abuse. They offered parenting and mental health support instead.

The government has pledged to leave no stone unturned until they can find an individual to blame. It definitely couldn’t be a failing of lack of money. An egg cup of water should be enough.

Meanwhile, these two social workers are not allowed to talk to anyone. Other social workers keep their distance because they are told to. The death threats are all over social media. Lies are told about them not being registered (they are, I checked). Social workers have to re-register every two years. They can’t leave their homes and their children get spat on on the school bus.

It breaks my heart that this little boy died but the people to blame are in prison. The people who failed to stop it are just as much victims (except maybe the people who cut funding and the judges who return abused children to their parents). The hairdresser who watched as the little boy was made to stand still in a corner for 6 hours, the grandparents and uncle who reported the issue but didn’t step in and insist the child lived with them, the school who had reported that the boy was traumatised from his mother previously stabbing his step-father and going to prison, the teaching assistants who were ringing during lockdown and the social workers will all be feeling guilty but they were only trying to help.

I wonder why this case has bothered us so much. How could I be so heartless? But this little boy isn’t the only one. There are thousands suffering at the moment.

You think we should know?

You listen to the recordings his step mother made and with the benefit of knowing he has died hear an abused child however if I had recorded my child’s tantrum after being told they couldn’t eat all the chocolate in their advent calendar then I’m sure it would sound very similar.

The fact that this happened so fast is what has shocked us but I can’t help feeling more sorry for the thousands of children that are dying slowly and the social workers who only have an egg cup.

A picture of my daughter’s cat as he tried to convince us he should have all the treats in the catvent calendar to lighten the mood.