Social worker displayed ‘alarming ineptitude’ in case of children unnecessarily medicated

Two children unnecessarily made to use wheelchairs because their mother “fabricated” illnesses were “neglected” by council social services bosses, a family court judge has said.

Judge Vera Mayer said a social worker who worked on the case for six years had demonstrated “alarming ineptitude”.

The judge has raised concerns in rulings recently published after private hearings in a family court in Barnet, north London.

She has not identified the children, a nine-year-old boy and his seven-year-old sister, but said Barnet Council was the local authority involved.

“The local authority neglected this case and this family, and the social worker, who was allocated for six years, demonstrated alarming ineptitude in the face of clear and obvious concerns expressed by many over a long period,” said the judge.

“A number of opportunities to intervene and spare the children unnecessary medical intervention have been missed.”

She said: “The mother fabricated and exaggerated symptoms in respect of both children.

“She has done this throughout the children’s lives.

“She gave untruthful information to persons in the medical profession, and to those involved with the children in the course of their education/care.

“Consequently, the children were subjected to a great number of unnecessary medical appointments, unnecessary attendances at A&E, unnecessary journeys in ambulances and, at times, to unnecessary admissions to hospital.

“Both children were unnecessarily medicated.

“They were both unnecessarily immobilised by spending time in wheelchairs.”

A psychiatrist said evidence suggested the children’s mother had mental health difficulties which led her to invent illness or become anxious about illnesses which did not exist, said the judge.

The specialist had said the woman might be suffering from factitious disorder or somatic symptom disorder.

Judge Mayer said the children’s father had thought their mother had been telling the truth.

The judge concluded the children could no longer live with their parents and should go into council care and be looked after by foster carers.

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