like i ve been punished for something that i didn t even do. as the government prepares to publish a report into the deaths of two toddlers, we ask, are social workers properly supported to decide who s at risk and who isn t? it s absolutely critical that social workers do their work. it s delicate, it s complex but it s absolutely essential. because, if we don t do it, the stakes for children are incredibly high. my name s louise tickle. i ve spent years investigating how and why some children are removed from their parents care. the family i m about to meet suffered the tragic loss of a very young baby a year ago. children s services became immediately involved and removed two other children from the household, which has taken an enormous toll on the whole family. we ve got that one. oh, gosh, that s in the hospital. yeah. literally, you had just given birth there. yeah, just after the c section. tiffany lives in herefordshire. in march last year, mid lockdown, she took he
..and children who feel they ve been let down. this whole process has felt like i ve been punished for something that i didn t even do. as the government prepares to publish a report into the deaths of two toddlers, we ask, are social workers properly supported to decide who s at risk and who isn t? it s absolutely critical that social workers do their work. it s delicate, it s complex but it s absolutely essential. because, if we don t do it, the stakes for children are incredibly high. my name s louise tickle. i ve spent years investigating how and why some children are removed from their parents care. the family i m about to meet suffered the tragic loss of a very young baby a year ago. children s services became immediately involved and removed two other children from the household, which has taken an enormous toll on the whole family. we ve got that one. oh, gosh, that s in the hospital. yeah. literally, you had just given birth there. yeah, just after the c section. ti
He said: he told herefordshire council it must compensate gemma and her sisterfor breaching their right to a family life. but it s notjust the courts that have been critical of children s services in herefordshire. we ve spoken to a number of social workers who have recently left the department. worried about their future job prospects, they ve asked not to be identified. when i started, i was told 20 - was the magic number for cases. by the time i left, i had . a caseload of 36 children. so, then, you re really cutting corners and ticking boxes. - and the support wasn t there from senior practitioners. - and when that was raised i with management, it was, well, that s your problem. i witnessed senior managers causing direct line managers to break down in tears. it s a culture of bullying,
Gemma s case eventually came before high courtjudge mrjustice keehan. he said: he told herefordshire council it must compensate gemma and her sisterfor breaching their right to a family life. but it s notjust the courts that have been critical of children s services in herefordshire. we ve spoken to a number of social workers who have recently left the department. worried about their future job prospects, they ve asked not to be identified. when i started, i was told 20 - was the magic number for cases. by the time i left, i had . a caseload of 36 children. so, then, you re really cutting corners and ticking boxes. - and the support wasn t there from senior practitioners. - and when that was raised i with management, it was, well, that s your problem.