Children forced into foster care because social worker didn’t think they could ‘adapt to Yorkshire’

The aunt, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was stunned when initially told by Hampshire Social Services why the pair could not come to live with her after being in foster care for several months.

An independent social worker assessed her ability to parent the children and she had no hesitation in supporting my application.

But despite that acceptance of her abilities, the Hampshire social worker also concluded that since the children “had grown up within the southern region” they would not be able to adapt to the change in area and culture.

It was suggested speaking with a southern accent would cause “difficulties and isolation.”

Solicitor Nigel Priestley, senior partner with Ridley and Hall, in Huddersfield said that proposition came “out of nowhere.”

“Choosing to put children into foster care because of the “Yorkshire culture” is one of the most bizarre social services decision I have come across.”

“This case is an extreme example of the challenges that many kinship carers face. All sorts of obstacles can be put in their way by social services.

“Thankfully, my client had a very sensible judge and the support of an excellent legal team. The wasted months the children were in foster care however, made the settling in period much harder.”

He said the recent court ruling had come at a short-term cost because Hampshire had immediately stopped paying the Fostering Allowances for the children before any arrangement had been made with Kirklees to start payments.

Commenting about that decision their aunt said: “I cannot believe their callousness. What do they think they are to live on until new arrangements are made?”

Ridley and Hall has fought a number of local councils across the country over carer issues.