Should Social Services Had Been Involved Much Sooner In This Case?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2266622/Jordan-Green-Final-words-boy-12-hanged-hours-expelled-school.html

Oh what a very sad and disturbing case.

What seems to be obvious from this report is the fact that there seemed to be very little communication between the school, the local authority, and the parents, of this unfortunately disturbed young school boy.

[NOX]

Mags, why are you hellbent on blaming the mother? 'She was a hairdresser'... is that relevant? She may very well have left work early to sort out issues with her child repeatedly until her employers got sick of it and said no more or you're sacked. What then? She would have to judge the severity of the situation, and clearly she misjudged but that does not make her culpable or evil or neglectful in any way.
''There are over four hours from the end of school to her arriving home -she is obviously an unfit mother.'' - or perhaps a very hard working one.
I'm sure you are perfect and have never made a mistake or committed an error of judgement, or perhaps in your zeal to blame someone who has lost their child and will have to live with that forever, you simply choose to think you are. I suspect it's the latter.

[DJHawkes]

This has struck a chord with me tonight as I have just popped into my son's to drop some shopping off on my way home from work and my grandson was there, he lives with his mum during the week, apparently his mum has had enough of him being on report again at school for being cocky and having an attitude, He;s 13 and quite small for his age and I think he is concious of being one of the smallest in his year, he's on report and has had another detention apparently. He looked pretty dejected, his Dad has not been included in any of this with the school and so he is going in to speak to the school team next week. It's a worry and also quite a surprise, I hope it's not because he feels left out with the new baby. It's a very difficult world now in schools I think.

[DaisyNonna]

Why did the school let an obviously distraught child leave the premises without alerting a responsible adult, social services , police, anybody who could try to help him?

[hc4361]

The school did contact the mother, Daisy, who said she was at work and couldn't collect him but gave her permission for him to leave school.

[DaisyNonna]

Not good enough hc. She gave her permission? Who carries the can? Who was responsible for the child? A child? How old legally must a child be to be allowed to be alone at home? Roaming the streets? In school time should have been picked up by police, Oops, sorry, too busy ticking boxes.
Children are vulnerable. You do not throw a 12 year old out on the street however bad the behaviour.

[DJHawkes]

I thought it was illegal for leave children with anyone under 14 but legal to leave a 14 year old alone. is that right?

[sherrardk]

Jeez, none of us knows the full facts but we are condemning the mother. Maybe we should just wait until the full facts are known/released?

[hc4361]

No you don't, and that is what parents are for.

[DJHawkes]

I haven't commented on the case at all.

Apparently there is no law covering the age children can be left unsupervised.I always assumed there was.

[hc4361]

And bear in mind, Daisy, that if that boy refuses to stay in school there is nothing the school can do to stop him.

A teacher cannot restrain a child; a school can not lock a child up. The school told the mother the child was excluded and she could not be bothered to fetch him or even go home for many hours. She told the school to let him go home.

I am sick to death of people pointing the finger at everyone but the parents. One child hellbent on mayhem can cause disruption and fear throughout the whole school - maybe the school should have called the police, and what would they do?

[sherrardk]

My comments are to the people who are blaming the school and the mother, not to you DJHawkes. We just don't know what had been done to help the poor boy, or why his mother couldn't instantly go and get him, or where the dad was. We also don't know how the boy treated authority figures. Here they will let nine year olds walk home from school on their own, my nine year old doesn't, but some do. We just don't know what goes on or the full facts, very sad :(

[sherrardk]

HC - they aren't pointing the finger at the parents, just at the mum.

[hc4361]

That is because Mum was the contact for the school. God knows where Dad was.

[DJHawkes]

perhaps it was the mum;s choice to take the dad off the official contact list.

[hc4361]

Could have been, dotty.

[sherrardk]

Maybe we could wait for the inquest (the proper, official one, not the kangaroo court one)?

[anotheoldgit]

I would have thought that the school should have contacted the mother informing her of their intentions of permanently excluding her child, and arranging a meeting with the mother on the school's premises, so as to make her aware of the problems that has caused the school to come to the decision they have.

[magsmay]

Nox -stop making this personal - I never mentioned me or how perfect I'm supposed to be -I have an opinion as valid as yours thank you - I believe children should not be left alone for hours at a time -call me old fashioned but I believe parents should look after their children or not have any. You may have totally different opinions to me but unlike yourself I would not stoop to cheap snides instead of reasonable argument. . HTH

[magsmay]

sorry for this its off topic but is FOR DOTTY: Please this is meant not to stir or cause streams of replies and I wish I could send this privately but -you had a wake up call about your private posts appearing on FB and closed your account with AB, and yet you have posted very detailed info about your family with your new user name -do your realise this is on the net forever now? If you had not made such a fuss about the FB post I could understand . god help us if this thread goes on FB....(anyone who has dotty's email please feel free to forward the link)

[ummmm]

Dotty...leaving children on their own/with baby sitters, differs from county to county.

Last time I checked there was no limit in Northants. It's down to the parents discretion.