Barnardo's

Just bringing this back to the top. Some of the links in the posts above might no longer work, you can see my story on the following links. [url]http://barnardos.harritt.net/[/url] [url]http://search.harritt.net[/url] [url]http://barnardos.harritt.net/barnardos[/url] Robin call +44 20 7871 1835 Fax +44 20 7691 9668

Just bringing this back to the top. Some of the links in the posts above might no longer work, you can see my story on the following links. [url]http://barnardos.harritt.net/[/url] [url]http://search.harritt.net[/url] Of interest to anyone who was involved with Barnardos (Barnardo's) in the past. [url]http://groups.msn.com/thebarnardofamilygroup/general.msnw?all_topics=1[/url] Robin call +44 20 7871 1835 Fax +44 20 7691 9668 *

. Just wanted to bring this back to the top yet again as I still feel that it raises issues of importance to anyone cared for by or adopted through Barnardos (Dr Barnardo's) in the past. Even perhaps now. Robin Harritt [url]http://harritt.net[/url] *

. I've added another page to the website on this [url]http://robin.robin.org/records[/url] Robin Harritt [url]http://harritt.net[/url] *

. This letter just dropped through my door [url]http://harritt.net/barnardoletter[/url] Considering the main document that they are still withholding contains information about my long dead putative father and my mother's relationship with him and that I currently finding my patrilineal family they are acting very unprofessionally. Just one little twit trying to protect his own backside I guess But that's how Barnardos at Barkingside operate, always have always will I suppose.:mad: Robin [url]http://harritt.eu[/url] *

`I received another weaselly letter from Campbell Hooper, Barnardo's lawyers, on Thursday They object to my use of the word veracity (as in lack of) Perhaps someone can help me out with another term to use when one social worker within an organisation tells you one thing and then another social worker from the same organisation tell you something completely different? What's the polite way of questioning that? Well at least Barnardo's seem to be refusing to comment at all on what I have said in a letter to its solicitor, re my father's family. Usually if Barnardo's know nothing on a particular issue there is a swift denial of all knowledge, I have to take that as affirmative, along with its offer to cooperate with an ASA of my choice. In making that offer it implicitly acknowledges that the file that it last year claimed to be complete, can not possibly be so if it has other information. Why do people who would like to claim that they are 'professionals' have to play these stupid games? Prior to the coming in to force of the Legitimacy Act 1959, Affiliation proceedings were heard in open court and reported by newspapers, so it is hardly that Barnardos are protecting some great secret. Particularly given the speculation that I have already passed on via Campbell Hooper its solicitors. All they would be doing is saving me some research at Colindale or the top floor of Romford library, where appropriate newspapers still exist. And perhaps they could then see that the whole thing is handled with some care and sensitivity. But in my experience Barnardo's Family Connections Project [url=http://www.barnardos.org.uk/familyconnections.htm]Barnardo's Family Connections[/url] is much more in the business of protecting the Barnardo's corporate backside. As for those already found, apart from my alleged father's family from his his later marriage and the family of my brother who died, the rest all keep in touch at least. We tend to see each other at least once a year. The Germans, I keep in touch with via the internet. So I guess I can't have done all that much wrong so far. Robin [url=http://harritt.eu]harritt.eu[/url] *

I was interested from a curiosity point of view re: Barnadoes policy and practice guidelines on adoptees access to its records and got the following page on the internet, has the page changed at all??? Thanks Welcome to [URL="http://www.netidentity.com/default.aspx"][/URL]Whoops!!! The page you are looking for on [URL="http://robin.robin.org/"]robin.robin.org[/URL] might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.If you are a Netidentity customer and have a support issue please email -- contactus@netidentity.comPlease try the following:If you typed the page address in the Address bar, make sure that it is spelled correctly.Open the [URL="http://robin.robin.org/"]robin.robin.org[/URL] home page, and then look for links to the information you want.Click the [URL="http://javascript<b></b>:history.back(1);"]"BACK BUTTON"[/URL] to try another link.HTTP 404 - File not found

` Doesn't need the html suffix [url]http://info.harritt.net/barnardos[/url] RH [url]http://harritt.eu[/url] *

Dear Robin,I've read some of your situation and its appalling. You wrote: Perhaps someone can help me out with another term to use when one social worker within an organisation tells you one thing and then another social worker from the same organisation tell you something completely different? What's the polite way of questioning that? The word that comes to mind is 'integrity' - a complete lack of integrity. I admire your tenacity to keep going. Have you found all that you need now? 15 years is an amazing amount of time to spend in order to locate your family. I was gobsmacked about the part Barnado's had in sending children to Canada. Very informative. Thank you.

`Hi JannyrooSorry should keep everyone updated really, but I don't post on adoption.com so much now, too many silly rulesI'm looking for my (long dead) father's other family(ies) just making a start on that really but still hampered by Barnardos attitude. Reminds me I need to write again. I believe from what I told by the first SW that I saw at Barnardo's that there are other records which I do not yet have which would help. I also still need them to make a decent attempt to get copies off of really badly done microficheRobin*

Hi Robin, forgive me for mentioning this if its a dead end or financially impossible, but I watched last year with some fascination a BBC programme about heirhunters and the professionalism of the companies involved (and competitiveness) in locating heirs to unclaimed estate that would go to the government's coffers if they weren't found. Now the point of my mentioning this is this, if they can find the most difficult obscure relatives and be successful in a lot of the cases, I wondered if it was worth approaching them to help you? Obviously it would cost, but they have ways and means of getting information out of people and organisations, as does the Data Research company in Horley, Surrey (private detectives kinda thing). Again, forgive me if this sounds like I'm barking up the wrong tree, but I do say it in all sincerity, as I was amazed as to how they found Aunt Fanny and Uncle Joe Bloggs where others had failed. Are you ok for me to drift in this direction????? and again, apologies if your efforts are more indepth than they can ever achieve. [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/heirhunters]BBC - Lifestyle - TV and radio[/url] unclaimed estate : [URL="http://www.copfs.gov.uk"]www.copfs.gov.uk[/URL] I wish you success in your attempts to find your family, you mention your fathers side, have you found anyone in your bfamily at all?

`Hi JannyrooIt's not really the searching for people that is the problem. I find that the easy bit, or I do now anyway after gaining a lot of experience and there are always lots of people looking at groups like this one, who will helpIt's getting the information that you need to make an informed decision about what is the right way of going about making contact, if indeed making contact is the right thing to do. Also of course in Barnardos case it was not exactly easy to get things like my own health information from when I was in the home, or other family health info that they holdAt the moment I still need to know what info Barnardos hold on what other children my father had at the timeThose Title Tracers take a fair old wack out of the deceased's estate don't they? But they're not doing anything that a good adoption tracer could not do, believe me some of mine have been just as difficult, but I've got there in the endMy most recent ones have been found (or nearly found) via Genesreunited, still waiting for the info I feel that I need to be confident about making an aproachRobin*

Hi Robin,I'm making a tentative enquiry here, knowing that there is a lot of pain involved in search. I didn't do the search, my son looked for and found me, so again, forgive me if I'm treading on a sensitive area, but do you mind me asking why you feel you have to have information to make an informed decision? I ask myself, is there any 'right' way of making contact? Personal question I know, forgive me for treading on areas that may be deeply personal to you, but I hear of many on these boards feeling strongly that its their family too, why would you feel so reticent about contacting your family? I know I am a birthmother and I was thrilled to have contact, I truly did not expect it, I felt so worthless giving my son up after this system cornered me, but I almost feel your fear and pain of being rejected. Is that what it feels like for you, or is it other information that has made you doubt that you would be well received? What kind of information would make you feel more confident of approach? If you don't want to say, I can understand, but there is so much pain and anger in your posts, is a thought shared, some pain halved? My son was brief and to the point, leaving me with a choice. He left the decision with me to contact him with an intermediary contact details if I should so choose. It also was simple and not filled with any emotional expectations other than do you wish contact? and take it from there. It put the ball in my court I guess. I hope I've explained that ok. In my opinion, that was a smart move, as I was scared. Scared of what I would find. Suppose for example he was angry with me. So the intermediary, having talked with him, could tell me. It was a gentle way to be introduced to him. I emailed them and they forwarded the email. Telephone conversations didn't come until much later in the game, even after our first F2F. This is what he wrote: [FONT=Times New Roman]I am writing this message in regards to finding out if you are (my name as on his birth certificate) who previously lived in (county).I have been trying to locate you through (name of adoption agency). I am not sure if you are the right person, but my name is (adopted name) although I was born as (the name I gave him at birth) on (date of birth). [/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman]You can either contact me directly through Friends Reunited or if you would like, through (adoption agency/intermediary - giving name & telephone number) and ask to speak to.... (caseworker name).If on the other hand this message makes no sense to you, please would you be kind enough to let me know so that I can cross you off my list.[/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman]Yours sincerely[/FONT] I hope this may contribute to any ideas you may have on approaching your bfamily, Warmest wishessincerely,jannyroo

`Hi JannyrooDon't think I ever had that much emotionally invested in a search, certainly never felt any fear of rejection, just wanted to know what had happened to my sibling and thought they would want to know about each other, and of course they did. Their kids wanted to know about their cousinsWhy did / do I want information to make an informed decision? Because of the possibility of issues such as rape, incest, abandonment etcetera. All the more so when as at the present for me, it's a father's rather than a mother's children who I'm searching for. When I was searching for my mother's family I was conscious that I was not my mothers first child to be separated from her, I was the seventh. The seventh child she had had in eight years. There had to be some reasons underlying that situationWhat is it in my posts that you feel reflects pain and anger? I don't feel any anger, pain at what happened to my mother and some of her other children perhaps, but not sure how that is touched on here. I do believe Barnadro's behaved disgracfully both in the 1950s and again recently but that's more of a legal anoyance. I don't think anyone would be happy at having to spend getting on for 10,000 in legal and other fees to get the records of their adoption and time in careI think your son was very sensible and sensitive in the way in which he made contact, as you'll know from reading my posts I am a voluntary 'Contact Leader' for one the better known Adoption Support Agencies undertaking intermediary work here in England. So I do see some of the real mistakes that people make in their attempts to reuniteI hope you don't mind me asking, has your son searched for / found his natural father / expressed an interest in doing so?I do appreciate your kind thoughts I am though 16 years down the line and somewhat 'case hardened' rather than pained or angry, well that's how I fell about, bit worrying if it looks like pain and anger from the outsideBy the way Barnardo's are fairly good at doing the setting up reunion meetings, its the access to records side they fall flat on, as Barnardos major concern IS protecting the Barnardo's corporate backside. I did think the SW ought to have given us some privacy though, she did tend to linger to no visible purposeAnyway, perhaps I'm rambling nowAgain thanks for the chat and I hope it continues well with you and your sonBest wishesRobin[url=http://harritt.eu]harritt.eu[/url]*

I'm trying to shame the adoption agency, Barnardos (or Barnardo's as it calls itself in the UK) in to parting with more information that it has about my family, I'd be interested to know if anyone thinks I'm going just too far in doing so? It's worked before when nothing much else has (including big money lawyers) [url=http://robin.robin.org/blog]Barnardo's, Adoptee Rights & Extraordinary Redaction[/url] How else do you get family information, I'm getting old now, all this happened over 50 years ago, yet records still sit there in a file, why keep them in the first place? Who was all that done for? How the heck do all you folk over there in the USA cope, where you can't even get a copy of your original birth certificate, because of the great corrupt profit driven machine that is adoption American style? Canada doesn't look a whole lot better at times either Robin Harritt [url=http://harritt.eu]harritt.eu[/url] *