A Story of Vicky’s Life
Vicky was a 16 weeks premature baby and poorly all her young life, most of it
spent in hospital. Vicky’s mother became pregnant in 2003 and could not visit
Vicky as often as she would have like at the end of her pregnancy. Just after
the birth of her son it was very hard for her and also to find someone to look
after the baby, while Vicky was in isolation. Vicky was at that time prone to
infections.
Shortly after his birth the Local Authority undertook an assessment of Ms S
ability to parent her new born. That assessment found that Ms S was able to
parent her son very well recognising his needs and meeting his demands. This is
the first time she has been an asset by any local authority.
Regards to Vicky and the involvement of social services her mother ended up with
very little rights or responsibilities for Vicky, the Social Services had taken
out an Interim Care Order. The Social Services took over and eventually Vicky
was transferred from Stepping Hill Hospital Stockport to Manchester Children’s
Hospital Pendlebury if and when she was allowed out of hospital she would
probably be placed with foster carers. Vicky’s mother was frightened that if she
did not give up Vicky, she would end up losing both children.
The Local Authority wanted Vicky Adopted, but mother did not want Vicky adopted.
Although there is no apparent reason, why the mother or maternal grandparents
were excluded from seeing her. This is a very clear plan by the social services
to Groom for adoption,. And to get rid of the family,. This would only then give
the mother and the grandparents indirect contact until adoption takes place, and
as the grandparents lived in Cornwall and Vicky in the North West, but the
grandparents fought for direct contact for Vicky even to the extreme of going up
country on several occasions to court.
The grandparents could not get Legal Aid so they turned to an Organisation
called Children Need Families who had a legal adviser. They got papers for 12
months and still got know where, in the meantime they phoned the hospital every
week to see how Vicky was doing, all they got told was “she is doing fine” They
also asked if she was receiving postcards which they were sending once a week to
the hospital, they said yes. The postcards were of animals etc and laminated.
Then one day they phone the hospital to ask how Vicky was to be told “she is not
here she has gone home with her foster parent”.
The grandparents decided that this had gone on long enough and got a solicitor
who directed them to court, but this took some months. The adoption came up yet
again.
The solicitor could not represent them because of the distance and cost so they
represented themselves.
In October 2005 the grandparents went to court and that all parties was to send
in a skeleton argument and written submission by January 2006.
The court also told the Local Authority to send all relevant paper work to the
grandparents for their viewing and to read the medical reports and the
Psychological report and that the court would give the social time to find
suitable persons for adoption. Afterwards the social pointed out why they did
not want the grandparents to see Vicky and that they must read the Psychological
Reports.
When they got the Psychological Report they stated that they had concerns about
Vicky that it would upset her if she saw the grandparents, but some of the
report did not make sense, on one occasion it said that Vicky’s crying was very
sad to hear, but was not attention or needy/hurt, but seems soulful and lonely.
Another sentence it said that Vicky would look at people smile and blow
raspberries and is very endearing it also said that she was more interested in
adults than children so why would it upset her (has previously stated) if she
would be introduced to her grandparents.
The Psychological Assessment Report was all based on the conversation between
the Foster Carer and Psychologist and NOT on what the Psychologist monitored (we
have paper work to prove) plus what is this title is she a Child, Criminal, or
Education Psychologist this is her true title: -
M.Sc., B.Sc., Dip. Ed. Dip. Criminal. Psych Chartered Forensic/Educational
Psychologist. If this is her true identity then what happened to the Child
Psychologist also why didn’t all these solicitors notice that her report was
biased?
When they went back to court in January 2006 the social were asking the court
for an extension to find a suitable adoption parents for Vicky, as they were
having a lot of trouble finding someone to take Vicky due to her medical needs.
Vicky’s biological mother came to court to tell them that she did not want her
daughter to be adopted.
They had another court appearance in May 2006 the judge asked if adoption was
still on the cards, the social said that there were no one who was willing to
look after Vicky even on long term fostering, just short term fostering. At the
same time the issue of Vicky’s operation on her bowl came into question, so they
decided on a meeting between the Social, solicitors, Cafcass and the doctor’s to
see if it was feasible. The judge asked the grandparents if they still sending
cards and photos they replied yes, but he said that they would be excluded of
the next meeting. Then the judge summed up and said that the next court hearing
will be in September 2006.
Vicky was taken into hospital again to have her operation on July 19th 2006 but
after the operation Social Services put a block on all information regarding her
well being including child solicitor and Cafcass for two weeks while they were
both on holiday and all mother and grandparents knew was that she was very
poorly and in intensive care unit.
Then two weeks after her operation the Social Services phone the grandparent to
say that Vicky was dying and you have got permission to come up right away to
see her. They left right away, about 400 miles and arrived late at night.
The grandparents stayed a few days to see Vicky improve and they were allowed a
supervise visits to her bedside, while the foster carer looked on, because she
was told by the Social Services not to leave Vicky on her own with them,
although there were doctors and nurses all the time at her bedside. Vicky’s
started slowly to improve so the grandparents decided to go home in the thought
that Vicky would make a full recovery.
The grandparents kept in touch with the hospital every day until a week later
they phoned the hospital again to be told that she had a bad night after been
taken off the ventilator, so they phoned later that day and a male nurse said
that Vicky had passed away, and the foster carer was nursing her.
The Social Services paid for Vicky’s funeral, because she was in their care so
that meant the biological mother and grandparents were not consulted with the
arrangements of the funeral. It was all about what the carer wanted plus Social
Services, they had all the say in what church, even though the church is the
same as foster carer went to.
Vicky’s biological mother was complaining to the Social Services, because she
had bought the child a little white dress this is what she wanted her daughter
to be cremated in. Vicky’s foster carer had already dressed Vicky herself in a
dress she had picked, on the morning of the funeral at the chapel of rest,
without consulting Vicky’s biological mother. While the grandparents were told
to wait in the reception room in the chapel of rest, because someone was
attending to Vicky, in their amazement they saw the foster carer coming out.
In the grandparents opinion the carer was a very controlling person, again it
was all about what she wanted and not to work together to get through this
difficult time. When the biological mother arrived at the chapel of rest she was
very upset to see the dress the carer had dressed Vicky in, so she asked the
staff if they would help her to change Vicky into the dress her biological
mother had brought, and they said yes you see they wanted Vicky to look like a
little angel.
When the funeral car came the family was appalled to see that the coffin came
out and put back on the back seat of the car, there was no hearse just one car?
The next thing they were appalled about was when the funeral car came out and
they followed, the cars that belonged to other members of Vicky’s family were
forced to stop by two vehicles, which belonged to the carers families it was so
that they could be behind the coffin. So by the time they got to the traffic
lights, which changed to red, Vicky’s family had lost the funeral precession.
When they finally got to the church, the foster carer families were already out
of their vehicles. They all followed the coffin into church; the biological
family were amazed to see that the churchwarden took the service.
Vicky’s mother and the foster carer had picked two different hymns to be sung,
but because the carer went to this church and the biological mother found out
before the funeral, she phoned to ask for her hymn to be sung, so not to upset
anyone, the church did not use any hymns, but the ones the church picked. The
foster carer family got a mentioned to comfort them, but no mention to Vicky’s
family the only comfort they got was from a doctor, who wrote a poem and spoke
about how Vicky’s was loved by all at the hospital.
While all of this was going on the Social Service Workers attended the church
service. The churchwarden mentioned to the congregation that if anyone wished to
attend the foster carers home they can, but the biological family will only be
at the crematorium.
This is the time that Victoria’s family could say their final goodbye, has they
had not got the chance before, because of the entire incidence that happened
earlier.
The churchwarden was already there, the family carried her coffin in and placed
it on the alter, the churchwarden asked them to say the Lords Prayer, but as the
prayer had started the curtain closed. Then they noticed that the Social workers
were there, it was like they had to make sure that this was the end. This
service was has far as the family was concerned the quickest funeral in history.
The natural family were devastated to have been so snubbed by Social Services,
especially as the foster carer and her family were sent away on a holiday two
days after the funeral to help them get over Vicky’s death.
The family has been offered no counselling or support from Social Services and
are deeply shocked by their treatment from Social Service, the social worker and
team manager have been moved on to other departments.
On the 11th November 2006 we received a letter from Vicky’s social worker
stating that the photo’s we sent Vicky that they have no recollection of any
photo’s been sent, and some of the cards have been damaged by Vicky chewing
them. (Previously mentioned by the judge) We understand from the social that
these cards would be put in a folder and that some cards were cut up like a
jigsaw. Then we started sending the cards in laminated form, so how can she chew
them up without cutting her mouth, (see medical records) impossible.
Also in the letter they state” I understand that you may have the cream/beige
coloured teddy given to Vicky by the foster carer. This had been left at Francis
House and you brought it to the church. I am sure you will appreciate that this
has sentimental value to the carer and (if possible) this should be returned
through this office. We will refund postage in this case. I understand that the
teddy bear that you purchased for Vicky was never removed from the hospital.
Just remember this would have been Vicky’s birthday; it was the most difficult
day for us to receive a letter like this.
On the 29/11/2006 Vicky’s biological mother has been sent a letter informing her
that if she does not pay the funeral bill, she will be taken to court. Even
though the social has already stated previously that they are paying for the
funeral, so why then has my daughter got to pay? What more can they do to this
family to hurt our feelings.
The social decided to pay the funeral cost in December 2006 just days before
Christmas.
It as been a very difficult few months for the family what with bereavement and
so on and not had a proper chance to say our last goodbyes to Vicky. Vicky’s
biological mother and family as been devastated and been cheated by social.
So in June 2007 we can finally say our goodbyes to our darling Vicky by bringing
her ashes down to Cornwall and scattering her ashes in a beautiful coast line,
with all her loving family around.
