Arise & Shine Organisation

Making sure justice is done to families

Schools, the Social Services, the NHS and the Police force are primary public services delivered by the emanation of the States to the families/people in the community. They are people in position of authority or trust who work for the government. Their role is to follow the government policy and procedures rules to teach, motivate, support, empower, protect, uphold the law in a just and fair manner. Families need these services to continue to work effectively to ensure their needs are met, to ensure the services are delivered fairly and effectively in order to limit the number of trauma and hate in the families and limit liability for the government as well. Lastly, families need these services to ensure safer and brighter future generations are promoted.

GAP

During the period of 3 long years, when I was closely involved with the above authorities, I safely noted that, the abuse of power exercised by these authorities is the consequence of the amount of discretion given to them to exercise this power over families. That means their power is not examined closely and thoroughly by an independent body. Also, social workers are in high demand in UK. The workload is huge and there are logistics and resources problems. Deprivation of the right information about their practice and your rights also has its own consequences. As a result, their work is tearing families apart unlawfully, families are losing their home privacy, and fear and hostility are silently growing in the community. The damage for duty of care negligence and cry for justice are huge and they are barely held into account due to the lack of means for access to justice in court systems. Legal Aids cut became a big barrier to the access to justice specially for those who are vulnerable placed at disadvantage position. Fear and anger are leading families to choose the option to electively home educate their children- not just due to disability reasons but also to avoid the invasion of privacy by social services. More parents, even British nationals, are choosing other countries to raise their children away from the above authorities.  

Second Chance

The above authority’s work is linked together. Their work is supposed to bring families together by helping them to improve their lives and promote a healthy community in the society. After I was previously targeted and treated outrageously by these authorities that were involved with my family in four boroughs, systematically and consistently for 3 long years, I am confident enough to say that there is a huge defect in their practice. Children Act 1989 allocates duties to local authorities, courts, parents and other agencies in the United Kingdom, to ensure children are safeguarded and their welfare is promoted. It centres on the idea that children are best cared for within their own families. However, it also makes provisions for instances when parents and families do not co-operate with statutory bodies.  There is nothing wrong with the Act. The problem lies in the enforcement of the Act were the safeguarding and welfare of the children are oversighted by the school, doctors and lastly by the social services. The strategic policy reason behind their practice concept’’ whatever something happens to a child even if it happened in school, the parents are to blame’’, triggers failure to thoroughly investigate the report coming from schools and from the doctors. They are in a position of advantage to discover the vulnerability of the families and most of the time, they misuse it.  Apart from my story written in more than 200 pages, we have many others out there stories such as:

• ‘’ https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/25/are-we-failing-parents-whose-children-are-taken-into-care’’ -  mental health/lack of mental support/ wrong decision to permanently remove her children.  
• https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/mother-tongue/8349748/Social-services-took-my-children.html – You can’t contest your rights. Lies, abuse of power, malice. My fellow professional mate was a very busy single mum lacking support that was all exactly as me. I just wish I could find her to know how is she getting on and offer my support.

 As a Portuguese immigrant, I also have the story of many Portuguese families that have lost their children to the social services unlawfully:

• https://www.jn.pt/nacional/advogados-fazem-apelo-sobre-criancas-retiradas-no-reino-unido-5486317.html - Portuguese Authorities were very concerns and tried to support the families.

I can’t thank God enough for the power of His love upon my family. He powerfully saved me from strong opposition that worked together to destroy my entire family life. Despite the degrading treatment and injustice my kids and I were subject to, despite the psychiatric injury my daughter has suffered as a result, the huge financial, academic, professional damage and family home instability and mental distress suffered, I got closer to God, more than ever, and even dared to tell them the gospel in the face of strong opposition. By now, all of them must have concluded that there is a God above any other god ready to do justice to those who call upon His name. He is watching. I believe they have also agreed with President Trump’s statement during the National Day of Prayer Thursday ‘’God is above the government‘’ https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/2018/may/prayer-changes-hearts-president-trump-honors-gods-redemptive-work-in-former-bank-robbers-life.

I managed to conclude my Law degree and launch my little legal business in the face of very difficult circumstances caused by the conduct and unreasonable behaviour of these authority. I had all the reasons in the world to give up and fall sick with frustration and depression. However, I have never given up my goals neither have dropped my gun in protecting my kids from the schools and social services attacks and several attempts to remove my kids away from me. But I can tell, I couldn’t have done it by myself. God Almighty was in control throughout and my families were also very supportive all the way. I must point out that a bit of legal knowledge background helped me to challenge my family rights and get good results. What I have gone through has placed me in a position where I can understand the pain and suffering of parents that have experienced similar circumstances or even worse, lost their children to the social services unlawfully. I sympathise with you in such a way that I want to tell you that God has heard your cries, He has been seeing your pain and suffering, that He now wants to stand by you. I want to tell you that, the same way my daughter cried loud for me and still cries loud for justice‘’ I want my mummy’’, He also heard the voices of your children crying loud ‘’I want my mummy’’. I cannot imagine how many children are out there crying loud for justice but, He knows. I just thought if all the families that have not just lost their children for the social services unlawfully but also those that want to help us to join the voice of these children by crying loud with them, their voice would be heard. The government spend lots of money in national security but I must point out that the worse threats are not coming from outside but is coming from inside our country; because nationals in position of power/trust know the law and can easily take advantage and manipulate it. The Local authority is emanation of the State. They work for the government. The government is elected by the people for the people. People are constituted by families. Without families they will rule nobody. Therefore, they have a duty towards families. We all need each other in a way. Families need these services but, we deserve to be treated equally with respect, just and fair. Whether you are a British National or immigrant, in a country that upholds human rights, we must be able to live free of fear of intimidation and hate, free of pain and suffering. However, like everybody else, they also deserve a second chance and opportunity to reform their policy and practices. Let us give it a go.

What can Be Done

Since I started my small legal business at home, I have been assisting clients mostly on pro bono basis and I have been successfully performing it in a very difficult financial and family crisis circumstance, due to my daughter’s mental condition and the involvement of the Local Authority that has never contributed to the safeguard and welfare of my children. Most of them are families that couldn’t even afford my fees at all and I had to use my own money to complete and deliver the service. I am aware of legal aid cuts. I could not say no to those families in need. Even though my heart was bleeding, seeing them smiling after a good outcome of their case has brought a smile to my face and heart. I have also volunteered and offered my legal services to the Ipswich community and I have been assisting them consistently.

Unfortunately, I had to rush my daughter to sick treatment abroad and I am going through a huge financial hardship. I was forced to take a break from my Legal Practice Course and master’s degree in law to dedicate more time to my daughter’s recovery. I have a family member who I trust that could look after my daughter whilst I get back to my studies and work but, that requires financial resources as well.

I have always supported the community with joy, determination and persistence. Even though I am lacking resources, I still respond to people’s enquiries and help them with their legal matter. I want to use my small law business as a starting point to launch the ‘’ Arise & Shine Organisation ’’to continue to provide support to people but, I need your help to make it possible and easier to support more people that cannot afford legal fees and families that are involved with social services experiencing difficulties. Even myself, I need funds to pay my legal fees in order to hold the above-named authorities into account and recover damages. I would be able to restore my financial and social position and part of this money would be donated to this project.

We need a space for an office to assist families in privacy with their legal matters, whilst their children are being looked after in another side by our trusted volunteer if the case maybe. We will need a big hand to organise and shape this vision. We will need assistance to buy office tools instruments and legal information resources to assist with researches. We will need transport to make location accessible. We will need the help of a mental health professional to support our families. We will need a space for our training and mentoring to empower our families, to extra support and strength them mentally with prayers, worship and fellowship and physical activities. We will need IT, Accountant and Lawyers/Solicitors to help us deliver our services with professionalism.

Our Values

Faith and Love. We are a non-judgemental family that uphold equality and diversity with strong Christian and moral values.  We want our services to be delivered by the families for the families with love and joy. Everyone deserves a chance to redeem from whatever bad and past failure experiences at any point in life. But it is good to know there is someone out there that still loves you regardless of your failure and is ready to help you to turn it around. It is does not matter if it was your fault the reason upon which you lost your children for the social services or not. God loves all of us as equal, He still loves you and so do we. Whatever your story may be, you will be treated equally without discrimination. You will be empowered to be capable to transform and shape your life and change your own story. You will become sufficiently strong and confident to make a difference in the community. But we cannot do it alone. God is above government; God is abundantly in love and mercy. He is a God of opportunity. We will achieve this with prayers, worship and fellowship with God. Inspired by that vision, we will create strong, loving and united communities ready to face many grave challenges we face.

OUR AIMS

I am looking to raise £100k to enable us to launch and build this vision. Together, we will fight all the way to break the strategic chain of bad conduct, lies and discrimination in school, doctors’ social services and police officers. We will push the government to hold into account those that abuse their power/position of trust by working outside of the law, the policy and procedure to protect their own interest over our family’s interest. Together, we will also push the government to strictly scrutinise the work of the Local Authority more efficiently and improve their practice.  It is not enough to say that the welfare of the children is paramount consideration but also, it is the time to efficiently uphold the principle of the law upon which the Act was enacted by the Parliament and deliver quality services to all families. ‘For the people to the people’ principle must get its true meaning deliverance.

By doing that, we are also cooperating with the government in a way that limits the number of children that are taken into care. On the other hand, it also limits the number of liabilities against the Local Authority. That would also reduce fear, anger and hostilities against the Local Authority and bullying’s attacks in schools from the teachers. Together with other people smarter than us in the Parliament, we will be able to push the government for review of child proceedings. Together and in harmony, we will shout to the Lord our cries for justice to change and improve family’s lives and promote a healthy community. Together we will contribute to a brighter future generation. Together, we shall succeed and confidently get our children to school, the place where they belong, to learn with the right expert, the teachers.

God bless each one of you as you start to give.

Thank you

Ana Leitao

15/12/2019