Jailhouselawyer's Blog

Yesterday I went along to the Social Services to see the person who is supposedly looking into my complaint against an employee of the Social Services. She ended up talking about whether I would agree to being assessed by the Social Services to see if I was a risk to a 13 year old girl. I have no problem with being assessed, however, given that the girl was initially being the subject of racial bullying at school, I am somewhat surprised that the whole thing has turned about and that I am now a suspect.

Apparently, alarm bells started to ring when a letter I typed on behalf and signed by the mother was delivered to the school. They took exception to the term legal guardian. In hindsight, this would appear not to be the proper term to use when looking after a child in the absence of the parent. What is the proper term I have not got a clue. In any event, the girl was suffering from toothache and was crying and wanted to leave school but the school would not let her leave. She was unable to contact her mother on the phone at work, so she phoned her friend, who is also a friend of mine, and as we were not far from the school we rushed to the girl's assistance. It was to no avail, as the school would not release the girl into our custody without her mother's consent.

I do not criticise the school for having a security policy in this respect. But, the girl was in pain and in distress, and she had known this friend for many years in Latvia before coming to live in England. We sat helplessly in the school's reception area for an hour and a half before being allowed to see the headmaster. As my friend only speaks a few words of English, she has asked me to act as her interpreter even though I only speak a few words of Latvian. I complained about the lack of help we were able to give the girl in this situation, and mentioned that we were concerned about the racial bullying that the girl was suffering from English pupils during classes. I mentioned that when the girl had complained to one of the teacher's, and the teacher had responded that it was not her problem, I said I disagreed and that it was not just the teacher's responsibility but also the school's to deal with the issue.

Eventually, the girl was able to contact her mother on the phone and her mother said it was alright for us to take the girl out of school. The headmaster suggested that to save a problem in the future, the mother should write a letter to the school authorising us to take out the girl in the mother's absence. When the school received the letter they referred it to the Social Services. I received a visit from the Social Services and the police. I was asked whether I knew the family, and when I responded with an affirmative I was asked if I knew the 13 year old and what my connection to the family is. I replied that I am a family friend. I was then advised not to be alone with the girl. When I asked why, and said that I am not a paedophile I did not receive an answer.

The Social Services visited the family and informed the mother that I was not to be allowed to be alone with the girl. This had the effect of planting a seed of mistrust in the mother's mind whereas before this she had grown to trust me over a period of time. I asked the mother if she understood everything that the man from the Social Services told her, and she replied only 50/50. I submitted a complaint based upon the issuing of advice without justification in relation to my being a risk to the girl, and that the Social Services had visited the mother without taking a interpreter along to overcome the language barrier. The impression I was left with after the meeting to discuss my complaint, is that the complaint has been pushed to the sidelines as the Social Services wish to carry out an assessment of me to determine if I am a risk to the child.

I have a criminal record for violence committed over 25 years ago. It was not a sexual assault nor was the victim a young girl. I am puzzled by the missing link between this offence and the Social Services present concern. I get the feeling that neither the school nor the Social Services are being as open as I think they should be on withholding information in this matter. I cannot address the "charges" if they keep them secret from me. This whole thing has something of the Kafkaesque about it.