Hello people. I'm a student midwife, and as part of my collaborative practice module I have had to write a short story from a service users perspective. I have written about a fictional lady who has had two babies removed from her care, the first due to drug abuse, the second was a concealed pregnancy because she was scared the baby would also be taken (and it was). With the third baby, she is trying to show that she is reformed and capable of looking after her baby.
My question is, would she be offered drug tests to prove that she is clean? I don't want to put it in if it's not realistic.
Many thanks :-)
Probably such a Case would be put into Care Proceedings - so psychological testing would be required and her legal advisers would probably ask for a Mother & Baby Assessment placement.
She will have had a previous Core Assessment so that would need re-visiting to assess how she had changed - does she have more insight into professionals concerns and what has she done to demonstrate positive changes.
She would almost certainly need to demonstrate that she is working with drug agencies. Testing may or may not be a part of that, but it is the engagement with a relevant drug agency and a plan of treatment that is key.
Wow thanks all of you for your replies. She has a place at a mother and baby unit for assessment and is attending all her appointments and going to parenting classes so hopefully she will stay clean and will be able to keep her baby!!