No one actually knew whether they were or not, but on the basis that they might be.. permission was granted. A judge had listened to the arguments from ‘one’ social worker but the public were are not allowed to know the identity of the Social Worker, and so it was a document was drawn up delineating what subjects the son was allowed to speak of to his parents in their own home but must cease in discussions with his parents relating to any arrangements for securing the family home.
Social Services arbitrating in inheritance laws.
What happened to the home in which he and his parents lived was to be entirely a matter for the local authority to decide if and when they thought it should be sold…..presumably if and when the parents became vulnerable through mental incapacity.
The Social Workers were outraged, why should they have to grovel before a judge and explain themselves before they could enter a home and decide the basis on which family relations should be conducted?
The fact that they wanted to do so should be perfectly sufficient…
They lobbied hard to be given an automatic right of entry to any household they wished, irrespective of whether the occupants were vulnerable for any reason, in order they dole out health advice or dictate how individuals conducted their family affairs.
The Government agreed to consult on the matter. The results of that consultation were published a few days ago. The Government were not minded to give that power to Social Workers :
“We believe it is highly significant that members of the public were far more strongly against the proposal compared to health and social care professionals [...] it is clear that some people perceive themselves at greater risk of unwarranted intervention by social workers than of abuse in their home.”The Social Workers have thrown yet another hissy fit! We, the public, don’t understand! Nanny knows best! We have to be encouraged to eat our ‘five a day’, and Social Workers are the people to do it… no sooner was the Government’s conclusion to the survey announced than the Social Workers flounced into print :
A survey of social workers carried out by the College during the consultation had found overwhelming support for the power, with practitioners citing cases where they would have used it had it been available. Walker said :
“It seems that the weighting [the government has] given to individuals’ responses doesn’t reflect the evidence or the professional view.”
They are mobilising ‘the professional view’ to lobby the Government before the second reading on the 21st May of the Bill that would give them this power. This is becoming a battle of wills. Nobody is objecting to them going to court if they really believe that there is a specific problem in a specific household - but that is a world away from all Social Workers having the power to enter any house at any time and dictate how the occupants live.
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