What can I do?

[Cupcake1]

Hi

My grandson case has been going on now for exactly 2 years. I was told that it normally takes 26 weeks to complete, however not in this case.
The Local Authority (LA) gross mis-conduct, incompetence, and neglect of their responsibilities means that we still have another 4 months to go before a decision is made on my grandsons future.
It all started back in Aug 2020, when he went into care taken from his mother who at the time was residing in XXX.
We filed to be a guardian, our initial assessment was positive, it then took them 9 months to complete our SGO report. They changed their minds very last minute to file a negative report. This was based on no evidence but on a gut feeling of the assessor. We challenged in court and we was granted an independent assessment. This was extremely thorough and the outcome was positive. We have never been included in the pool of perpetrators, the assessor just did not like us. It also transpired that the assessor top manager told the assessor to make the report negative!
We had to fight for our grandson to be returned into the family this took us a year, with added solicitors costs which was totally unnecessary.
Since Feb 2022 the LA have done absolutely nothing in regards to the case. So again we had to pay for our solicitor and took them to court. The judge was not impressed, with the time span and that the LA haven't done anything, neglecting the child.
Now we find ourselves once again not having any word from the LA, we have not seen our SGO care plan, mum's parenting assessment has not been completed, we haven't seen our grandsons SW. Our grandson starts school in Sept, contact will need to change, yet no one has been in touch.
What else can I do for the total lack of LA responsibility ??

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Cupcake1

Thank you for posting again. It is great that you had a positive assessment from the independent social worker (ISW) but your grandson’s case has taken a long time to reach a conclusion.
The delays you mention are unacceptable and has cost you in legal fees. It is not clear from your post when directions the court gave at the last hearing and, if your solicitor is still instructed, could ask for a copy of the order made at the last hearing. You should have received this as you are now party to the proceedings.

There should also be an interim care plan which give details of how contact will progress. It might me helpful if you contact the independent reviewing office (IRO), this is the person who chairs looked after children’s meetings, I do not know if you are part of these meetings. The IRO is an independent person who oversees the child’s care plan to ensure that children’s services is acting in the child’s best interests. If you do not attend these meetings then you can ask the social worker, the team manager or the children’s guardian for details of the IRO.

You will find information here about the IRO’s role

Depending on what is stated in the last court order, for example, if there are specific timescales for children’s services to do something, you could write to the court if these times have not been followed. It may be that you or your solicitor could ask the Judge to request the Director of Children’s Services attend a hearing to explain why things have taken so long. It may of course be the nature of the case and what experts may have needed to be instructed but 2 years is a long time.

As you are having contact and understand that there will need to be changes as your grandson is due to start school, you can write to the social worker to ask about the new contact arrangements. Ask the social work to provide a written response.

You may find it helpful to read information in this link about the duties that children’s services have when a child is in care.

I hope you will find this helpful but should you wish to speak to an adviser please telephone our free confidential advice line on 0808 801 0366. The advice line is open from 9.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays)

Best wishes

Suzie