There’s something I feel I need to say out loud, clearly and honestly. I can’t bring your children home. I don’t have that kind of power, and I would never claim to.I’m not a lawyer.I’m not a social worker.I’m not a miracle worker. I’m just a mother who survived a system that tried to silence… Continue reading I Can’t Bring Your Children Home — But I Can Walk With You

When you're thrown into the world of child protection, court proceedings, or PLO letters — it's overwhelming. You're told what to do, what not to do, who you should speak to. You’re handed a list of “recommended” solicitors. And because you’ve never been here before, you follow the lead. But here’s something I wish someone… Continue reading Not All Help Is Helpful: Why You Don’t Have to Use a Local Solicitor

Families are often told the same advice when the system comes knocking: “Keep every email. Record every call. Write down every detail.” It can sound obsessive, even mistrustful. But when your family’s future rests on the words of professionals, those words matter more than anything else. And words have a way of shifting. The Meeting… Continue reading When Words Shift: Why We Record Everything

My daughter grew up in the sound of siblings — laughter, arguments, footsteps thundering across the floor. Chaos was her comfort. Noise meant she wasn’t alone. Then she was taken.Placed in foster care.Even there, she had company. Another child in the home. More chaos. More noise. When she came back to us, it was different.… Continue reading “Silence Hurts More Than Chaos: When Sibling Bonds Are Torn Apart”

When I first began The Girl Speaks, it was never about me.It was about a system.About the quiet, hidden battles so many families face behind closed doors and courtroom walls.I wanted to shine a light on what is so often kept in the shadows , not by shouting, but by speaking softly enough that people… Continue reading From the System to My Story: How The Girl Speaks Has Grown

I did the work. But the system didn’t see it. After months — years — of showing up, healing, and proving myself, I found myself back in court being judged on a report written three years ago.My therapy? Ignored.My discharge letter from mental health services? Ignored.My glowing contact notes, character references, updated assessments? Pushed aside.… Continue reading When Healing Isn’t Enough — Why I’m Fundraising for a Private Assessment

There was a time before social media, before public discourse opened doors that were once bolted shut when the mere mention of social services carried a weight heavier than most could understand. If they were involved in your life, people didn’t ask why. They assumed. You were labelled. Judged. Cast as a “bad parent” before… Continue reading Stigma in Silence: Why I Refuse to Stay Quiet

“Every story shared through ‘The Girl Speaks’ is a glimpse into lived experience. Today, we share a powerful testimony from a parent who wanted their voice heard — not for sympathy, but for change. This is their truth.” Social services, in theory, are designed to support families in crisis — to offer guidance, protection, and… Continue reading When Help Feels Like Harm: A Personal Perspective on Social Services and the Family Court System

Telling the truth isn’t illegal.But in a system built on silence, it’s treated like rebellion.I don’t speak to break the law —I speak to break the silence.Because if telling the truth feels like a crime,maybe it’s the silence that’s been guilty all along. More and more parents, carers, and even young people with lived experience… Continue reading Telling the Truth Isn’t Illegal — But It’s Treated Like Rebellion

Our oldest son turned up on our doorstep.Not because he ran but because he couldn’t cope.And neither could they. We did everything right.We brought him inside, calmed him down, made sure he was safe.We called the professionals, followed the rules, waited for someone to come. When the foster carer arrived, something became painfully clear:They had… Continue reading When the System Gives Up on a Child