17-Feb 2010

After the meeting with our social worker on 8th February we were expecting a flurry of phone calls and meeting dates to get the ball rolling.  Well, we have heard nothing - we are not surprised but very disappointed.  Mungo contacted our social worker yesterday to ask what was going on but she was out of the office so he called her back this morning.  She has advised that she has heard nothing at all.  There are no dates in the diary for any meetings.  She also conceded that the panel date of 5th March was looking dodgy.

The children have a new social worker and apparently they need more time to read the paperwork.  Now here's the thing: this social worker has been their social worker since December as far as we know.  They took the case to court in February for the Care Order and Placement Order to be granted.  So what on earth is it that they need to read that wasn't pertinent for the court case??!? <--- The amount of punctuation show the amount of anger and frustration we are feeling!

We found out some interesting news about half siblings: following the court case, the judge wants us to maintain contact with them and we are happy with that as it will only be letterbox.  Put it this way, if it's face-to-face then we will say no, because these half siblings apparently still have contact with birth mum and we need to keep the whereabouts of Midge, Tidge and Squidge safe from the birth family.

We have a meeting on 22nd February with our social worker and two of her peers, to go through the paperwork we have and identify anything that might be missing or identify anything that might be a show-stopper to matching panel.  Some movement at last.

This should be a fantastic part of the process, very exciting and nervy, but we are angry and frustrated; it is getting us both down and we are really struggling with it all.  :(