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Behind Closed Doors

Why We Break Up Families - and How to Mend Them

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Behind Closed Doors

By: Polly Curtis
Narrated by: Penelope Rawlins, Polly Curtis
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About this listen

Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing

Meet the mother whose children were taken away, and the father who fought for his son. Listen to the radical social worker, the judge, the lawyer. See inside the homes of foster carers, adoptive parents and children in care. Because behind closed doors, a scandal is ongoing.

We now remove more children from their parents than ever before. Children's Care is a system where fathers are ignored, and mothers are punished for experiencing abuse. Rife with prejudices about race, ableism and class, determined by a postcode lottery. Blind to poverty and its effects on family life. And, at its very worst, an exercise in social engineering that can never replace parental love.

From North to South, rich and poor, Black and white, these are the people who know, first-hand, what is going wrong—and how we can fix it.

©2022 Polly Curtis (P)2022 Hachette Audio UK Social Sciences Adoption

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All stars
Most relevant  
Fearless and brilliantly researched and written. Polly Curtis shines a spotlight on how the most vulnerable families in society are kept in a state of dysfunction by a dysfunctional system. The system is crisis-driven rather than proactive or preventive. It feels like Catch 22. The book deserves the widest possible audience, especially policy makers.

Powerful and a must-read for policy makers, professionals, parents

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I myself have had social services involved and lost my children. I can echo the exact same story of a mother who has ticked some of their boxes, and found myself on the conveyor belt towards the court room. Completely helpless to do anything. Being in the lower class I was totally unable to get the help I needed quick enough. And the "timescale" didn't fit the kids.

I am so pleased to have listened to your book because it's highlighted alot of what I already suspected was going on.

There is no support. I've had no support since and have been just left to get on with it.
You've told this fairly from all points of view and had me gripped from the moment I started to listen.

You've reignited my desire to help change happen

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