Family Rights Group | Kinship carers’ Forum

What will the legal status of a child be if childrens services get an interim court order? If after getting interim order they then place the child with me (grandmother) Does this now mean the child is a looked after child? Any help appreciated as social worker tying me up in knots here??

Dear nana dee
I am very sorry that you feel frustrated with the situation you find yourself in at the moment working with the social worker.
In response to your post, the legal status of a child where Children Services the court makes interim care order in favour of the local authority is that the authority will share parental responsibility with the mother and the father if he also has parental responsibility for the child.
Once the authority shares parental responsibility, children services will be able to exercise their parental responsibility over and above that of the parent or parents or anyone else who may have parental responsibility. You can look at it as others have less than 50 per cent of parental responsibility. You will be able to read more about it here parental responsibility [/b]
The child will be a looked after child under an interim care order. A child is also looked after if he or she is accommodated by the local authority under a s.20 agreement with a parents’ consent. You can read about children services duties where children are in the care system.
If you do not understand anything about the process you are in you should ask the social worker to explain things to you clearly. Social workers are supposed to make sure that you understand their procedures by being open and transparent.
I hope you will find the information helpful.
Best wishes,
Suzie

In the case I am involved in, the child is under an ICO. I understand about the shared PR. CS have overruled the BM once that I know about regarding something that happened in the FC setting. The BM said "no" and CS overruled.
Now, CS plan for the child to come to me long term and had planned for her to come and visit me last week so that contact could be reestablished z( the little girl has been in short term FC over a year now, in spite of the 26 week timeframe!!)
CS were keen, in these circumstances, to enable the child to reestablish contact with significant persons ( well, me!!!)
She has not had contact with any family memebrs, who are deemed unsuitable!
They got permission from court for the contact but then the BM refused permission.
Could CS have overruled and, since they didn't, why do you think not?
They have intimated their frustration with the situation to me and said that the ongoing emotional abuse is apparent since the BM is not considering he childs needs, just trying to "punish" me!!

Dear Egged1,

Children services have parental responsibility under an Interim care order and they have backed up their authority by asking for the court to approve contact between the child and you and the court granted a contact order.
I am not sure why they have not arranged any contact as planned. If you have not done so yet, speak to the social worker, the team manager or childrens guardian and find out why.

Best wishes,
Suzie

I think they felt that since the BM is not in agreement with the long term plan ( but CS are adamant that they are sticking with the plan for a connected long term placement where permenance can be achieved) that, at this stage, they would take it back to court at the next hearing (IRH)
I would imagine that they will state that the BM is not cooperating with them or working for the childs best Interest.
Maybe if they had overruled her at this stage they may have thought this would increase her resistance. Not sure...... Just trying to work it out myself!! I may be way off mark!
The SW said to me that, even if the child was not planned to come to me that they woudl still want to promote contact as we have been very significant in her life!! She has been in care 50 weeks now and still some way to go. So they are concerned that she has not had any contact with anyone other than her mother ( no family members etc)