A SMALL band of Wee County parents held a demonstration outside Kilncraigs yesterday in protest over perceived grievances with the Clackmannanshire Council’s social work department.

Around 40 people turned up to show their support after the event was arranged through a Facebook page.

A number of mothers took to the site to sharing their experiences of being separated from their young ones.

In one particular case, an Alloa mum says her daughter has been in care for the last seven months and says she is desperate get her back.

She said: “I am unhappy with the treatment that I’ve been given since the time my daughter has been taken.

"And that I’ve had to come this far actually get heard is terrible.

“As a social worker they should try and get families back together again and work to keep families together and they’ve just done the exact opposite.” Fellow protester James Anderson added: "The way they have conducted their service is totally unprofessional.

"What they’ve done to this family is shocking, they broke up a family unit." Clackmannanshire Council say the would not comment on individual cases but that they always operate with the protection of children as their foremost concern.

A spokesperson said: “The council and our partners take the protection of children extremely seriously and it is one of our highest priorities as an authority.

“In the majority of cases, a child is in care because either a hearing or a court has agreed that as the most appropriate course of action.

“Occasionally care can be entered on a voluntary basis in agreement with the family.” The spokesperson added: “We work in an integrated and co-ordinated way with the police and health service to ensure children at risk are afforded the levels of protection they have a right to expect.

“This does take time, but families can be assured that due process is followed by all the agencies involved in order to reach the most appropriate outcome for the children at the heart of these cases.” A SMALL band of Wee County parents held a demonstration outside Kilncraigs yesterday in protest over perceived grievances with the Clackmannanshire Council’s social work department.

Around 40 people turned up to show their support after the event was arranged through a Facebook page.

A number of mothers took to the site to sharing their experiences of being separated from their young ones.

In one particular case, an Alloa mum says her daughter has been in care for the last seven months and says she is desperate get her back.

She said: “I am unhappy with the treatment that I’ve been given since the time my daughter has been taken.

"And that I’ve had to come this far actually get heard is terrible.

“As a social worker they should try and get families back together again and work to keep families together and they’ve just done the exact opposite.” Fellow protester James Anderson added: "The way they have conducted their service is totally unprofessional.

"What they’ve done to this family is shocking, they broke up a family unit." Clackmannanshire Council say the would not comment on individual cases but that they always operate with the protection of children as their foremost concern.

A spokesperson said: “The council and our partners take the protection of children extremely seriously and it is one of our highest priorities as an authority.

“In the majority of cases, a child is in care because either a hearing or a court has agreed that as the most appropriate course of action.

“Occasionally care can be entered on a voluntary basis in agreement with the family.” The spokesperson added: “We work in an integrated and co-ordinated way with the police and health service to ensure children at risk are afforded the levels of protection they have a right to expect.

“This does take time, but families can be assured that due process is followed by all the agencies involved in order to reach the most appropriate outcome for the children at the heart of these cases.”