Three parents were arrested yesterday

and charged with manslaughter. 

The cases were not related to one another. The neglect was obvious in every case. Social services were involved in every case. In every case the children were left with their parents in a situation which was very obviously not in the best interests of the child.  

I was talking to a neighbour about this late in the afternoon. We were watching the children in the street speed up and down on their bikes and scooters. Schools are on holiday until next week and I try to help out by watching the children do this on some occasions. The neighbour had just put their evening meal in the oven and we were watching the youngest trying to do a "u-turn" on her scooter.

"If she falls off and breaks her arm I will probably have social services visit and tell me I am a bad mother," her mother said.

She was not joking. The incident would be reported. The idea that a child might be allowed to do something that could lead to such an injury is something now questioned. 

I looked at her daughter. She is obviously well nourished and healthy. By late afternoon she was also, while still well dressed, rather grubby. It had been a busy day playing with big brother and the other children in the street. 

But yes, there would likely be a visit. I don't know whether this is a good thing or not. Perhaps there is a need to check but it seems that the real issues are not being dealt with.

Both my parents had "difficult" schools - schools where there were acknowledged to be high levels of serious social welfare issues. They came to know some social workers very well indeed. There were times when my parents pleaded with children to be removed from households where they were simply not safe. They knew the local police and the doctors all too well. There were too many children who came to school dirty, inadequately clothed and without food. Some of those issues could be dealt with but it was more difficult to deal with violence at home, alcohol and drug issues. There was one child whose mother was a prostitute. He "stole" from his mother's purse in order to eat. He would do it while she slept off the alcohol of the night before.  She would beat him for it. There is no way that child was receiving proper parenting but he was returned to her even after a week in hospital due to her neglect. Social services just visited occasionally.

One of the children who died had a serious medical issue. It required a special diet that the mother was clearly incapable of understanding or providing. The child was neglected in other ways as well. Other children in the family were seen to be neglected too. Was it really in the best interests of the children to be left in that situation? Those of them who do reach adulthood often have the same issues themselves.

We keep persisting with the idea that parent and child must be kept together even when the children are being neglected. Social workers can visit. Social workers can make suggestions. Social workers can do make reports. They can do very little else. Many of them have ridiculous case-loads and no resources. The woke policies they are required to try and apply just make it more difficult and they sometimes end in tragedy.

I hope little L.... never breaks a bone but, if she does, it will not be because her mother has deliberately harmed or neglected her. Social services don't need to be involved. The school can tell them otherwise.