Christine Waterman

former home educator, now early years SEND teacher, interested in sensory story telling, early communication, and learning through play.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@sappholives83 @di_nitterwitter I’m guessing that will have been his last got a very long time!
We don’t know what behaviour he has presented in the past. Maybe nothing that made them suspect something so awful could happen.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@TheStaunton @DailyMail They are. But the mind of enquiry that this would need doesn’t happen instantly and doesn’t happen on social media.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@sappholives83 @Allywag3 @di_nitterwitter They do that for lots of reasons, including physical care needs, epilepsy, tendency to run off etc.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@sappholives83 @di_nitterwitter We used to lock them all away in institutions. We know now that was cruel and exacerbated many behaviour issues. The balance between keeping everyone safe and giving people with a severe disability a bearable life can be delicate. Sadly, very wrong on this point occasion.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@sappholives83 @Me_only_me76 I agree that if he knows what a crocodile is, he likely knows what a child is, but he may still have no concept of the danger crocodiles pose, or that a child could die or feel pain. We know so little about him.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@sappholives83 @NicolaD21835930 There’s a big difference between being able to answer yes to a simple question and being able to understand police questioning. If his cognitive functioning is very low, then there would be nothing to be gained from questioning him. Managing him securely is the only thing.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@nikki_twine @Northpr7 @Bozenka_2023 I think sometimes people can’t bring themselves to think it, even. Especially if someone does a good job of being personable and likeable on casual acquaintance. The idea that they could do something so terrible seems so unlikely that you feel bad for even wondering.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@Northpr7 @Bozenka_2023 @nikki_twine I worked with children at that stage of development for many years, and they fall a lot but rarely enough to injure themselves. It’s a tricky balance for professionals-spotting concerning injuries while not putting families through investigation for understandable bumps.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@Bozenka_2023 @nikki_twine I feel like he must have been giving off enough signs that he wasn’t coping to warrant increased supervision, especially with the hospital trips and the fact that this was a healthy normally developing baby, in contrast to many children with disabilities, older family groups, etc

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@Bozenka_2023 @nikki_twine Children are placed with prospective adoptive parents but the adoption order doesn’t go through for 6 months to a year. In that time, you have visits from social workers, and you need their permission for things like medical treatment.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@EvacTony I would imagine the consequences are the same as if the client themselves are injured in someone’s care - an enquiry will look at whether it could have been prevented. People lose jobs, licences and even go to prison for negligence that results in harm.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@juliewash01 @DearRebelAda He seems to blame them for ‘spoiling’ the baby rather than showing any awareness that this little lad had been moved away from the family he had known, and now needed comfort and help to feel safe.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@DearRebelAda He’s in his 30’s now and I am still grateful for all the fun and joy he has brought into my life.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@DearRebelAda Especially when seen against so many hospital trips for a child of that age. They were too quick to see what they wanted to see.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@DearRebelAda I agree. My experience as the adoptive mum of a toddler was similar to yours. Not everything was easy, but parenting has expected challenges, and the joys of it, after waiting so long, were wonderful. Varley’s extreme struggles should have been a concern for his sw.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@Nic21121970 @Yorkslrehlker I used on that was very similar at a pre school and the top bit could be removed, turned over and placed in the cube. There were little tabs to hold it in place.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@melanieander3y @DLCDonut Exactly. Not a fashion statement for us, but a reminder of a potentially fatal illness and the worry and suffering that brings to our families.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@ChuffPuff123 @DLCDonut Exactly this.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@DLCDonut @amandakf95 Can you imagine that many women with these scars have not yet defeated cancer? They may still be undergoing treatment, they may be in remission with a strong likelihood of recurrence, they may be anxiously awaiting results of a follow up scan, or already facing it coming back.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@DLCDonut @fletcherkathy8 It’s not shame, it’s fear and dread because while we felt well, cancer was growing in us. It takes time to have any confidence that we are now well, to worry less about recurrence. Celebrations can seem too soon, tempting fate.

[Christine Waterman @Chrissibuzz7]

@DLCDonut @fletcherkathy8 For women with breast cancer the scars are a reminder of a condition that can kill them, of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, of drugs that we have to take for years. We don’t go straight to celebrating beating it because recurrence is so frequent, and we have years of follow up. 1/2