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Reporting a concern
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Report child abuse or neglect to your local council
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well I got along to an fnf meeting last night, this sort of thing has never appealed to me before and to be honest I was a little skeptical about what I would take from it. I'm not usually one for sharing, but I was encouraged to talk openly and confidentially (I believe) about where I am in my life, it was good to just talk about the things I am thinking and feeling if nothing else, "better out than in" as they say.
It was not a big group, and I was told the numbers vary considerably from meeting to meeting. The advice I received was varied, with everyone who was there drawing on their own experiences and there were some extremes of view, some of the things I heard were quite eye opening and I dont know how some people can even begin to cope.
They were a little surprised by my situation as it looks like I have attended at the start of what could turn into a bad situation, rather than most who attend once they are deeply buried.
Dont wait until the [censored] hits the fan and you are running out of options, get in there early you might be surprised, and with the offer of free legal advice at some of the sessions it has to be worth it if only for that.....
I can only say as find, and I will definitely be going back for more and would recommend the experiance...We are not alone.
Thanks Rizzy
It's great to have feedback....we recommend these meetings as an extra layer of support, but we are aware that the quality of meetings varies from area to area. As you say though, as long as you are aware that there will be differing views, there will be something positive to take from it.
There will always be extreme viewpoints where there are people badly damaged by their circumstances, the advice from these people is best approached with caution....but it's good to talk to others in similar situations who can empathise.
I did another fnf meeting at a different venue, and can only once again praise the people who run these things, just the opportunity to talk to others in a similar position was amazing, got some really good legal advice (free) and will make every endeavour to attend future sessions, this has been a god send to me emotionally, and some of the advice given really welcome.