Parents are being urged not to lose confidence in social workers following the row over Dundee’s so-called “fat family”.
The Scottish Association of Social Workers (SASW) has spoken out after reports that four obese children from the family could be removed from their parents permanently because of their weight.
It is understood Dundee social workers told the 56-year-old father and his 42-year-old wife that three of their daughters aged 11, seven and one and their five-year-old son could be fostered without contact or adopted.
The couple also have older children and came to the attention of the authorities in 2008. At that point their then 12-year-old son weighed 16 stone, their 11-year-old daughter weighed 12 stone and their three-year-old girl tipped the scales at four stone.
They failed to lose weight with their parents and all seven children were ultimately taken into care.
The family were later allowed to move into a supported unit run by the Dundee Families Project, at a reported cost of over £100,000. Even so, the children remained dangerously overweight and the spectre of the parents losing the four youngest permanently was apparently raised last week.
The couple have pledged to do everything in their power to get their children back.
A city council spokesman said: “The council always acts in the best interests of children. We have always made it clear that children would not be removed from a family environment just because of a weight issue.”
SASW manager Ruth Stark said: “Social workers always work closely with families before a child is removed from its parents and would only seek to recommend such a step where it is in the best interests of the child.Due process”Social workers are duty-bound to investigate circumstances where a child may be being abused or neglected but any major decision about their future will be taken by a court following due process and in the light of a thorough multi-disciplinary assessment.
“Social work professionals would be rightly criticised if they did not act where appropriate to the safeguard the very best interests of a child.
“There are many checks and balances in the system to make sure children are only removed from their parents’ care when there are no alternatives.
“Any action that is taken to remove a child from their parents care is only taken when it is considered in their child’s best interests.”
She added: “Social workers are hard-working professionals striving for the best outcomes for some of our most vulnerable and under-privileged families. SASW would urge the media and the public to take a closer look at their work and recognise its crucial importance.
“Although the public only usually hears about social work when something has gone wrong, we are proud of research which demonstrates that social workers have played key roles in reducing the number of child deaths over the last 30 years.
“Child protection systems are founded on well-balanced laws and procedures. The public, who pay for social work services, should be able to have greater confidence in social workers.”