Amanda Weston

*SWLPAP - University of Staffordshire*
*Museum Cultures with Curating Alumni - Birkbeck, University of London *
*PhD - University of Wolverhampton*

[Amanda Weston @AmandaLW88]

From this.... To this 💕😊

[bearforceofficial @Richard48535122]

National Care Group Limited
Today our #bearforce HQ team visited Stoke centre.
What a wonderful morning we had with everyone, thank you so much Kerry for the invitation and to everyone for coming to say hello to our AB bear who is delighted to meet so many new friends.

[Prof Fiona Candlin @FionaCandlin]

What happens to collections when museums close? I'll be talking about that and other topics with Raiford Guins and Jo Morra at the 'Afterlives of Objects' event at Birkbeck, London, 6pm on 24/10. Everyone is welcome. https://t.co/YURcxAyl6T @RSHistCentre @Aimuseums

[Birkbeck, University of London @BirkbeckUoL]

Sexual violence is one of the most serious problems in the contemporary world. Birkbeck’s impactful @shme_bbk research project sought to explore the role played by medical professionals in understanding & dealing with sexual violence: https://t.co/ZvkQ25tiJO

[Amanda Weston @AmandaLW88]

Wonderful news for the funding, such a shame how selective the council is when choosing where it is placed. When will our miners get the recognition they deserve and much needed funding & maintenance for places like @Chatt_Whit?
#SupportMiningHeritage

https://t.co/46sIWgK6pR

[Birkbeck, University of London @BirkbeckUoL]

Only 3 days to go until the first #BirkbeckClimateFestival begins 🎉 Join us for a week of talks, workshops, and interactive sessions and find out how to live more sustainably: https://t.co/yA190kdZ0H

[BBC Midlands @bbcmtd]

Unique bottle oven cleaned after fundraising appeal https://t.co/lGB4kBD3xa

[Birkbeck, University of London @BirkbeckUoL]

Birkbeck has joined a coalition of over 60 UK higher education institutions seeking to use their combined might to encourage banks and asset managers to develop more environmentally friendly types of deposit accounts and money market funds. 🌏

Read more: https://t.co/bRsVPCQB5q

[Tate @Tate]

🍻 Join us tomorrow to celebrate the last weekend of #PhilipGuston at Tate Modern and the launch of “Painting, Drinking, Eating”, a Guston-inspired collaboration brew with DEYA! Be the first to try this fantastic beer, and meet the artist behind the brand: https://t.co/pCfxUejSbT

[Birkbeck, University of London @BirkbeckUoL]

#OnThisDay George Birkbeck, founder of Birkbeck, was born.

His vision meant that, for the first time, artisans and craftspeople could learn about science, art & economics: a concept so controversial that he was accused of 'scattering the seeds of evil'.

Happy Birthday, George!

[Birkbeck, University of London @BirkbeckUoL]

Wow! What a brilliant, tense episode of #UniversityChallenge last night - another win for Team Birkbeck! 🦉 Well done to our fantastic team! 👏

Watch the episode: https://t.co/ZDOs02TY7d

@BirkbeckUnion

[Dr. Jessica Taylor @DrJessTaylor]

Another common way to criticise ourselves after we have been abused is to ruminate on, “How didn’t I see it coming?”

No one sees it coming, I promise.

No one would go into a relationship or family that was extremely abusive if they knew exactly what was coming. The reality is, no one really knows what’s coming - whether that’s them becoming more and more jealous over time, or them becoming violent and dangerous.

Sometimes, hindsight really is an arse. We look back and think, ‘How could I not see that coming?’ - and then we criticise ourselves and shame ourselves.

You didn’t see it coming because you were not supposed to see it coming.

That’s part of the grooming process. Even if you did have inklings or feelings that something was off, you were likely gaslit, groomed, lied to, reassured, manipulated and calmed by an abuser or even by someone who was colluding or standing by.

Whenever this one comes up, remind yourself that you couldn’t have seen it coming, and even if you did, you still would have been in danger from the abuser as they lost control and escalated their abuse.

[Amanda Weston @AmandaLW88]

Does anyone else get bored after hand in dates and start additional diplomas? Now the proud owner of 2 new courses from @Online_Courses to increase language capabilities Korean and Latin... All this while PhD search continues, any tips greatly appreciated 🙂
#LifelongLearner

[Fighting for Justice for DA victims and Equality @jadewelshy]

I also felt I was stepping into a circle of truth.
I believed the oath meant something.
You may believe that yourself but rest assured your abuser won't, social workers, @MyCafcass don't.
Family law solicitors and barristers don't always abide by the law and neither do the judges

[Fighting for Justice for DA victims and Equality @jadewelshy]

When a victim is going through #DomesticAbuse #domesticviolence they are stressed, terrified, upset. Almost every emotion you can think of.
When they reach out for help to be let down by the #police, #childrensservices #socialworkers they feel there's no where to go.
No One to protect them or their children.

They try and put measures in place but without the experience, education, training the services designed to help let them down in this.
They become desperate. The people they've been told to reach out to haven't helped.
They become angry with the services who are letting them and their children down.

In the end many are so desperate they take it to #FamilyCourt thinking it will be their saviour.
They then have their #DomesticAbuse #domesticviolence ignored, called historical and irrelevant. Being told it has no impact on the case and where thr children should live.
That was their final port of call and they were failed again.
All the while the perpetrator is instilling into the professionals the mother has #mentalhealth issues. Their focus then becomes that with the abuse lay forgotten.
They lose their children or have to share custody with a narcissist, abuser, being told to coparent.
If it was that easy to coparent they would have done that themselves. You cant coparent with an abuser, a #Narcissist.
All of this abuse continues aided and abetted by the professionals and the court. Post separation abuse.

The victim never becomes free.
Every reaction the victim has to the failures by the professionals, the abuse is deemed wrong.
If they lose their children or are seperated their #mentalhealth becomes the focus.
That isn't a mental health issue. That's trauma caused by you. Their trauma from abuse isn't their fault their devastation at not seeing their children a normal reaction.
I'd like to see @MyCafcass
And #socialworkers and @JudiciaryUK seperated from theirs and see their reaction. Would you have us see you as a mental health problem?

You judge us, we should be judging you.
You should be explaining to these children why they aren't with their siblings, why they haven't got a #familylife because of your decisions. Why they hardly see their parent. You shouldn't expect the parents to because they don't understand it either. Even other professionals don't. The trauma you have caused long term to them you can never repair.

This country and these professionals need an overhaul

#DomesticViolenceAwarenessMonth #DomesticViolenceAwareness

[Kerry @kerryc1983]

@bbkpsychosocial great first day on campus today......feel like this could be a great year.......not forgetting my roots though look what I picked up on my travels today @meganebirney I even told the shop worker, elf style, 'I know her!'

[Fighting for Justice for DA victims and Equality @jadewelshy]

I've actually said and thought so many times should I have stayed in an abusive relationship.
People may think this is madness to say or think this.
It isn't.
While we were there our children were protected by us as much as possible from many forms of abuse, drugs, alcoholism etc.
When we left and tried to ensure #socialworkers #FamilyCourt #FamilyLaw @MyCafcass took these things seriously - they didn't.
They made orders of 50/50, or full custody to the abuser, addict etc.
Prior to that If it was children's services they may have allowed unsupervised, extra time etc.
Which all frightened the safe parent.
They now weren't there to protect their child.
They now can't protect their child from the decisions made for them by the above.
Some mothers are seen as too protective, over emotional, guilty of PA.
No.
You haven't lived that life. You haven't suffered the damage from it. We know what it's caused and want to protect our children.
We've considered going back.
I thought about leaving my partner when my ex found out about him. I'd met him 6 months later why? Because my child was treated like an object able to be bought, a weapon to use at me.
I thought if I went back I could keep my child safe.
The truth is I wouldn't have survived.

I've seen many mothers now in care proceedings because of their abusive relationships.
Told to leave by social workers and they have. The authorities use risk or harm, failure to protect even with positive parenting reports and being seperated from the abuser for months.
Yet the ones that did leave are not praised either. Isn't it the court and social workers who should be facing the ultimate punishment for failing to protect the child?
Not the parent who left.
Sometimes it's difficult to see the abuse when you're in it so many have to be told their ex is an abuser and to leave.
Many of these cases have ended up with the abuser getting custody or 50/50.

Honestly when women reach out to me and say what should I do?
I don't have the answers.
It's a system damned if you do and damned if you don't.

#PSAAW.

[Dame Nicole Jacobs @CommissionerDA]

Yesterday I spoke to @KamaliMelbourne @SkyNews as new findings show 3/4 survivors of sexual violence report worsened mental health after reporting to police.

All eyes are on the Victims & Prisoners Bill to ensure govt properly funds & joins systems together to support survivors.

[Dame Nicole Jacobs @CommissionerDA]

Domestic abuse & sexual violence are connected crimes - one in three perpetrators of rape & sexual violence reported in the survey were current/ex partners.

Police failures on domestic abuse & sexual violence are closely linked. @ukhomeoffice must urgently address this. (2/2)

[Dame Nicole Jacobs @CommissionerDA]

Every survivor should expect the highest care when they bravely report to police.

My response to survey findings today that three out of four survivors of sexual violence report worsened mental health after reporting to the police. (1/2)

⬇️

https://t.co/IcCH3zrjmc