made aware of this situation and refers her partner
for urgent treatment of his drug problem. In
addition to input from addiction services she also
requires ongoing support from social services,
especially in view of her previous parenting
problems. While her wish to hide her pregnancy
from the social worker is understandable, it is
essential that the social worker is informed. If
possible this should be done with JM’s consent so it
would be justifiable to delay referral while trying to
gain her consent. However, prolonged delay should
be avoided since ultimately notification will be
necessary and assessment should be undertaken as
soon as possible. Even if she regains complete
stability and requires minimal input from her social
worker, an initial assessment is essential with a
management plan drawn up to provide ongoing
support and/or address possible subsequent relapse.
A multiagency meeting at 32 weeks gestation
should be convened by social services to facilitate
management planning.