Saturday 7 May 2016

Social services

I never did receive a reply from SS,  but they have at least stop hassling me for a while.

One of the things the social worker queried was me having a key to DD's house, she seemed to find that really strange. Actually I have a key to 3 out of my 4 children's houses and they have a key to mine.

We all live within easy walking/driving distance of each other and the key situation means that it's very easy if we are needed to feed pets, check post, take in a parcel etc. Or if someone locks themselves out!

My other son lives in Ealing, much too far away, but if he was nearer he would probably also give/have keys.

The social worker kept returning to this subject repeatedly as if it were some strange perversion. We did explain that we only used the keys if asked or in an emergency but she still found it strange.

What do you think, is it strange?

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good grief no it most certainly isn't strange. I live in the same road as my brother and the amount of times he or my niece's have forgotten their key .....well let's just say I've ran out of fingers and toes. But have no fear...big sis is here and I've been able to hand over the spare. Likewise they have a spare to mine for hols. We don't use them willynilly!!!

galant said...

Our sons each have a key to our house, and even to the shed and summerhouse and garage. I don't see anything remotely strange in this, they are our family. So, no, it's not strange at all. I think it would be more strange if your family didn't have a key to your house.
Margaret P

Sue in Suffolk said...

SS are strange for thinking it was strange for family members to have keys to houses when they live close enough to be useful.

justjill said...

I have friends keys as they have cat, hens and ducks. So if anything happened which it has when one of them was rushed to hospital we were on hand to step in for the animals. Social Services? Set of nutters who havent a caring bone in their bodies.

Lyssa Medana said...

I think it depends - my MIL used to go through our post and rearrange paperwork I'd hidden away.

I think SS are looking for a reasons to fit preconceived ideas. Good luck. x

Anonymous said...

We all have keys to each others houses. As you say I can nip into their house and let the dogs out if they are going to be held up and they can do the same for me. I don't think it has anything to do with SS. Maybe she isn't privy to her family keys lol.

Sue R

rabbitquilter said...

My son has our house key, and we have his. There is also an emergency key hidden for No.2 son, who still lives at home and is always forgetting to take his key with him!!!! Think Social Worker is in the minority here, then most SW seem rather odd!!!!

Hard up Hester said...

Lyssa, how awful.
Well the social worker definitely seems to be in the minority here.
I don't pry, when I cat sat for my son I didn't even go upstairs.
I certainly wouldn't go through someone's personal things, maybe that's why it works for us.

Athene said...

I have keys to three friends' houses - one in case their burglar alarm goes off and the other two for cat feeding. This week one friend's daughter (aged 12) locked herself out, so I was able to go to the rescue. The following day her brother did the same thing! I wouldn't dream of using the keys for any other purpose but I know they are relieved to know I have them, and I'm glad they have mine for the same reasons. It's entirely normal for family to have keys.

Poppypatchwork said...

We have keys to our daughters houses and my brothers house, I think SS is strange. Families help each other out and having keys is a basic part of that.

Trudie said...

No its not strange at all Hester - I would say that it's plain
'common sense' but we're talking about Social Workers here and I've yet to meet a Social Worker that uses 'common sense' xxx

Trudie said...

No its not strange at all Hester - I would say that it's plain
'common sense' but we're talking about Social Workers here and I've yet to meet a Social Worker that uses 'common sense' xxx

Eeek said...

Not strange at all. You only use them to help each other. My ex MIL had a key to the house. It was the bane of my life. She would march in unannounced. She is an ex mother in law.

Eeek said...

Not strange at all. You only use them to help each other. My ex MIL had a key to the house. It was the bane of my life. She would march in unannounced. She is an ex mother in law.

homefire said...

Not strange in the least. If I didn't want certain people to have a key to my house they wouldn't have them or vice versa. I find it helpful for the reasons you have listed. My oldest son repeatedly locked himself out of his apartment and it was mom to the rescue to let him in!

LameWolf said...

Nope, deffo not strange.
My husband's best pal has a key to our place; before my husband retired, he worked a 30-mile drive away, and if I'd had an emergency at home, or a fall or something, his pal at least works just a couple of miles away (and lives even closer) so he'd be able to come and rescue me.
He comes in and checks the place over, picks up the post and waters my herbs when we're away, but he'd never dream of just coming in uninvited; it's just sensible for him to have the spare key.
And look at it this way - when we had the car accident back in April last year, if it had been worse and we'd both been carted off to hospital, at least he'd have been able to get in to see to the two dogs I was looking after at the time!

Patti said...

The social worker is a nut job. Don't let her get inside your head. Nothing weird about having keys to homes of family and friends or anyone you are close with.

kelley said...

maybe the social worker is not used to working with families that care for each other...or else is a complete nutter!

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