Judge allows three children to be taken into permanent care

A JUDGE has ordered that three young Greenock children – whose parents have a history of drug abuse – should be adopted.

Lord Pentland agreed with Inverclyde Council that the children should be permanently cared for by another family.

The girls, aged six, four and two, have lived with a prospective adoptive family in the south of England since March 2010.

Their  parents were described as having deep psychological and personality difficulties.

Lord Pentland said: “The evidence in the case showed, to my mind overwhelmingly, that the respondents are not (and are not likely ever to be) capable of looking after the children adequately.

“I find that the respondents each have a history of abusing drugs and of mental instability. They each continue to have these difficulties and there is nothing to suggest that they will ever be capable of overcoming them in the future.”

He believed that Inverclyde’s Social Work department had done “everything that could reasonably be expected of it” to support and assist the couple in relation to their children, but had correctly concluded that it would now be best for the children to be adopted.

Lord Pentland added: “I consider that there is no doubt that the children are far more likely to grow up in a stable family unit if they are adopted.”

He further stated that, in his opinion, any further face-to-face contact between the parents and the children would be completely inappropriate:: “I would have grave concerns that the respondents would seek to undermine the proposed new family arrangements in a way that would be disturbing and unsettling for the children. What the children need more than anything now is a sustained period of stability.”

The court heard concerns in relation to the older two children including poor attendance at nursery; an infestation of insects at their home, poor management of one child’s skin health; and the children being constantly hungry. The family home was reported to be smoky with windows and curtains constantly closed.

On one occasion, police found uncovered syringes on the living room table when they were called to the house and the children were removed under emergency powers.

Foster carers expressed concerns regarding the development of one of the girls. She would only walk a few steps without crying to be picked up. Her hair was thin and sparse and would come out in lumps when being combed or brushed. Her speech was indefinable.

The foster parents noted that she would search rubbish bins for food within their home and would also steal food from children while at nursery school.

Within six weeks of being accommodated, the foster carers noted significant improvements in both children.

The foster father told a family support worker that he was appalled at the state of the children when they came to live with them and the two were the worst neglected children he had ever encountered.

When the third girl was born, she was immediately placed in care.

Lord Pentland said the parents should be allowed to write to the children twice a year and to send them photographs.