Son Arrested

[Har1Her1]

Hello,

It is a little time since I wrote here and I had hoped the situation would have resolved itself sufficiently for me not to have to post again. However, this morning 5 officers from the Serious Crime Squad came to my house and arrested my 17 year old son. My son has autism and mental health difficulties and he writes things down in his diary. What he writes are details of his intrusive thoughts and the content of what the 'voices' say to him. CAMHS have been helping him deal with these thoughts and voices.

However, about three weeks ago, I contacted the Prevention team. My sons are just beginning to engage a little with the PRU (my youngest) and a voluntary group (the eldest). I wanted Prevention just to help support the engagement by providing someone to accompany one son or another to venues if I could not get there myself.

Prevention also work in the same building as CAMHS, so it was prudent to meet both agencies at the same time. My son brings his diary to the CAMHS appointments where he is assured that people take him seriously but there is nothing hat makes him an awful person or a risk to others. However, I received a phone call from the consultant psychiatrist last week saying that the police had contacted her and they were very concerned about what my son had written in his diary. The police had been contacted by the member of Prevention who attended my son's joint Prevention/CAMHS appointment.

Another incident arose on Sunday when my eldest ran off and was found by the river. Again, he said he was hearing voices which were telling him to kill people. He was taken, with me, to a Mental Health Assessment Centre where he underwent a very long assessment under the Mental Health Act. At the end of the assessment, the doctors and social worker said they were satisfied that he did not pose a risk to himself or others and he was discharged to my care.

So this morning came as a surprise. He has now been in police custody for 10 hours. They say he has an 'appropriate adult' with him, but I am no sure how appropriate anyone can be unless they understand his particular communication difficulties, his autism and his mental health issues.

My problem is: can I hold my family together in the face of this and, how do I avoid more so called 'intervention' from CSC?

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Har1Her1

I am sorry to hear about the extremely difficult circumstances you find yourself in with regards to your 17 year old son who clearly has a range of complex needs to consider moving forward.

It is evident that your family has been engaged in ongoing agency support to assist with his complex needs. As a result, their input could prove invaluable when interagency professionals are contacted to inform any assessments that may be undertaken.

The comprehensive assessments that you refer to would have fully assessed your son’s capacity and considered his human rights in this process. It is reassuring to know you were present and able to witness directly the initial stages of your son's detention in police custody.

You may also find it useful to refer to your local CAMHS confidentiality policy and copy of any signed agreements regarding the work they intended to or have already completed with your child.

Whilst CAMHS has a clear safeguarding reporting threshold to abide by, and a duty to report any adult or child protection risks, if as you say he was acting on advice to write down his thoughts as part of any therapeutic work will also set a context for any future care planning.

I was wondering if your son has ongoing advocacy support from a known and trusted professional as this may help to reassure him under what must be very frightening, uncertain and anxiety provoking circumstances. Hopefully the ‘appropriate adult’ is suitably trained in police protocol to ensure that correct procedures have been followed.

Should you wish to speak to an adviser about your son’s situation or any other aspect about the duties of Children’s Services please feel free to contact our advice line and speak to an adviser on 0808 801 0366 Monday to Friday 09.30 to 03.00 pm

I hope this helps.

Best Wishes

Suzie

[Har1Her1]

Hello,

Thank you. I was present at the mental health assessment on Sunday, but I was not allowed to accompany or stay with my son during his arrest and detention on Tuesday morning. On Sunday, after he mental health assessment, we were told that my son was not considered to be a danger to himself or others and that hospital admission would be 'detrimental' to him (he has absconded from CAMHS inpatient units on several occasions in the past). This is why Tuesday's arrest came as such a surprise. We were visited at 8 am by five officers from the Serious Crime Department and my son was led away in handcuffs. He was groggy from his nighttime medication and, because he is a very compliant young man, he went to the van with no issues. He did not even ask why he was being arrested. I was told he was arrested because he had made 'threats to kill'. I cannot remember him making any such threats, but I do know he has written down his thoughts about killing people. Later, I was told that he had said privately to an officer that he was going to kill a nurse at the hospital. I think this is unlikely, but I can understand that the police were concerned about his potential risk to he public and the possibility that he may run away from my care again with potential weapons in his possession. I can accept that they needed to do something to force him into hospital. Cynically, I also know that each time the police are called (I do no usually call them), it is a massive drain on their resources.

My son is now under section in a CAMHS unit. The doctor at he unit told me that the medical staff who sectioned him did so reluctantly, but they were told by the police that if a section was not carried out, the police would charge him with the 'offences' and he would be detained further in custody. I have seen my son and he wants to come home. The consultant at the unit has said they will conduct the forensic assessment that the police require, and, meanwhile, my son can come out on day time leave to carry on any activities he needs to do.

My youngest son now resides with me. This is a factor in my eldest son's recent behaviour. There were issues between them that contributed to a Child Protection Plan last year. I am aware of the issues and also aware that we live in a small two bedroomed house and each boy needs his own space (due to the behaviour between them that raised concerns in the past and due to their mental health/ASC needs). I have applied for a larger property. My eldest has also expressed a desire to stay at my sister's for respite. I am going o contact her today.

So, I want o avoid intervention and assessment by Children's Social Care. The issues are well known. I can deal with them practically, but when CSC become involved,the focus moves from mental health and complex needs to family functionality. Family functionality is impaired because we have two young people who pathologically refuse to engage with provision; one young man who hears voices and expresses thoughts of killing people and runs out of he house with razors and bleach; two brothers whose behaviour together has been sexually inappropriate and abusive; a father who is also on the autism spectrum and has gone to live with a friend so the youngest cannot live with him anymore; and a mother who is trying to manage things pragmaically with help from CAMHS, voluntary associations and education.

I do not want any involvement from CSC, yet the police have told me there will be a strategy meeting and I am sure another Child Protection Conference will be arranged. I am also sure that if they assessed my case they would find all sorts of causes for concern. For example, sometimes harmful substances are not locked away - I can get a strong box. Sometimes I am preoccupied by marking and online tuition and the boys are not supervised directly - I can send one out on his bike or do the marking at night (I do most of it in the early morning); our living conditions are not adequate - I have applied for a larger house and my eldest may have respite at his aunt's house. I can state all these things without he need for ineffective intervention from a service that has proved unable to meet or understand our needs in the past.

Please can you tell me if it is possible to avoid involvement from CSC?

[Ignatious]

Dear Har1Her1,

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I myself became involved with my now fiancée a little over 5 years ago. Not much later I moved into her house and assisted with the family functioning pretty much from the start which included looking after her 3 disabled children. Not being a parent myself, some would say (Social Services) "Why would I put myself into that position". (None of there business as far as I'm concerned but moving on).
My involvement with SS since then have been significant. They poked and prodded the relationship, but we refused to end the relationship. Owing to issues beyond our control, (allegations and unfortunate unexplained bruising) we ended on a S47 and then CPP (now no longer on). More recently, Last year, I was hit with another S47. Last week, we were hit with another which is going to Initial CPC.

Firstly, I would like to commend you on all that you do for your children, as a parent now of 5 children, the original 3 with degrading issues of disability from very mild to severe (undiagnosed Autistic for one of them with professionals saying just global delay) I, and I'm sure many parents out there in similar circumstances know how difficult it is dealing with children with these kinds of complex and diverse, and typically individually specific to that child's needs.

I completely agree with your not wanting CSC involvement, primarily because it switched to family functionality. We, the parents are in that situation 24/7 and for an outside agency to come alone and interfere for want of a better word is distressing for the parent/carer.

As a parent, I need to know what is going on in my children's lives and feel a need to be fully informed.

I think once the referral went to the police, they have powers under section 46 of the Children's Act 1989 (Police Protection Powers). I will openly admit I am not clued up on police procedures, but I think in your situation and as you stated 5 officers were in attendance, someone senior within the police would have signed off on the detaining. You may be able to apply for a copy of anything the police have in relation to this incident as a Subject Access Request. (SAR)

My reason for commenting is owing to my situation I found myself in last year, I took matters into my own hands in investigating what happened in regards to my situation and have found certain information which I thought I would share. My specific CSC have a policy and procedure regarding Strategy Discussions. I do not know if this is too much different from one instigated by the police, it may actually be they contacted CSC to start a strategy discussion and your CSC guidelines would then apply.

Typically, in all cases, the Strategy discussion will have no parent involvement and is a discussion with varying professionals. A Strategy discussion as far as I'm aware makes up part of what is called a Section 47 and specifically in my area (which may differ from other areas) requires a minimum of 4 people. The Social Worker, their manager, a police representative and a health professional (ie GP, Paediatrician). I myself asked for a copy of the strategy discussion in my case through the Local Authority which they provided me with. Again, you might need to do a SAR. It also states in all cases where a child protection medical takes place a paediatrician should be included in the discussion. Again, as I pointed out, I do not know the Polices policies and procedures so can not comment on the polices authority regarding medicals (the mental health assessment). I presume your his primary carer. I do feel personally that if this is the case and this is my own opinion that you should be included in decisions being made about him.

I would probably advise by your own admission of causes for concern, address each of these issues and take steps to remove them from concern. It just gives CSC less cause for involvement. Whereby I sympathise in your not wanting CSC involved, Having read what you've put I feel as if the decision is already beyond your control. A Strategy discussion as stated by the police will take place, this I feel will trigger Social Services (be it First Response, or Child Services) to investigate (if they have not done so already). This you'll have no control over. It will all depend on the outcome of that visit on how they will proceed.

I would like to add that for the most part I have been possibly justifiably negative towards CSC. I would like to point out that there involvement can actually be used to your advantage in the role of the support they can give. With the support we have had, we now get Respite care for 2 of the children. With interagency support, we have had modifications made to the house. Granted the multitude of meetings are a bind but for the most part constructive in moving forward.

I hope I have helped in some way, and knowing how much you don't want CSC involvement, I hope what little I feel your about to receive is just that in it goes away and you can get back to some sort of normality.

TP

[Har1Her1]

Hello,

Thank you TP and Suzy for your responses. They are very helpful. I have seen my son twice since his admission to CAMHS. The consultant has told me they have requested a forensic psychological assessment for my son. I am worried about the assessment and what the implications will be. He is under Section 2 at the moment which is for 28 days. I am also worried that pressure will be put on me to separate the boys. That is to say,if my eldest comes home, I am worried that my youngest will be asked to go in to foster care (this was discussed in the original CP issue).

The lead social worker who was in charge of our case contacted me yesterday to tell me the referral had landed on his desk, but he might not be leading the case. I have assured everybody that I welcome the chance for my son to be assessed and I will continue to work with agencies. However, I need advice about how to convince the police and CSC that I can keep my children safe if they live with me. I know many of the things that have happened are the result of the boys' disabilities and past experience. I may need to be a bit more vigilant and organised, but I am sure the boys and I can live together once my eldest is out of hospital again.

Can anyone tell me what a forensic assessment seeks to establish?

[Har1Her1]

Hello,

My son told me, earlier this week, that he was continuing to be 'abused' by his younger (15 year old) brother at home (my house). This has really concerned me. My younger son returned to live with me about a month ago. Previously, he lived with my husband following the Child Protection issues of last year. Then my husband gave up the flat and made plans to lodge with his friend. He says he did this for financial reasons, but I think this is unlikely because he received a large proportion of Housing Benefit to pay the rent for the flat. So my youngest son came to live with my eldest and me quite suddenly. My youngest has chronic issues with anxiety. It is also possible that he has PDA or some other spectrum condition. He has a very intense need to control his environment and control the people within it. He is fine with me, but, perhaps due to their vulnerability and the unpredictable nature of their behaviour, my youngest has huge attachment/control issues with his brother and his father (both of whom have AS). I am certain my husband simply could not manage my youngest son's behaviour and so he sent him to live with me despite the Child Protection issues between the two brothers in the past.

I thought I was managing the behaviour pretty well. My youngest tried to control e.g told my eldest what to eat, ordered him out to go on a bike ride, told him that he should go out and take driving lessons now and so on and I worked by distracting, intervening and arranging separate activities for the boys (my husband would take my youngest out and I would go shopping with my eldest, for example). I know of only one occasion where my youngest barged in on my eldest when my eldest was taking a shower. Again, I ran up the stairs and ordered my youngest son out. I talked to him about the seriousness of what he was doing, especially in the light of the recent Child Protection issues. He told me he had only gone in to use the toilet.

However, my eldest has old nurses that my youngest barges in on him with regularity and that the younger boy touches him when he is naked in the shower. I asked my youngest if this was true and a first he said he had only touched his brother's privates once as a joke, and then he said it had happened two or three times

I feel devastated. The door to the bathroom can be opened from the outside. This is a precaution because my eldest self harms and has suicidal ideation. My youngest sits on the top of the stairs because the light is just right there and the traffic noise from the front rooms is diminished so he can study. I am often busy downstairs with marking or cooking, but I keep an ear open for noise and check on the boys regularly. I would have thought my eldest would call out if my youngest came anywhere near the bathroom when he was using it. Now I wonder if, once again, I just have not been sufficiently vigilant. Another problem is our sleeping arrangements. My eldest needs a bedroom in which he can self regulate. Yet we only have a two bedroomed house, so someone has to sleep downstairs. If it is me, it leaves the boys with open access to each other's rooms when I am asleep downstairs. Besides, it is hard to sleep downstairs on the sofa with the persistent traffic noise. I have therefore, shared a room with my youngest. Both my youngest and I were really uncomfortable with this arrangement, so we made a temporary arrangement that the boys would share, but we would get a partition. This arrangement was also being reviewed when the incident which led to my son's arrest occurred.

So now: my eldest is on section in hospital awaiting a forensic assessment. He has disclosed more emotional and sexual abuse from his brother. My husband has given up his flat so there is no chance of either boy living there. A strategy meeting has been arranged and I know my parenting and safeguarding will be torn to pieces (perhaps rightly so).

Yet I want to be pragmatic about things. I want to present some possible ways forward prior to any Conference which will certainly ensue from the Strategy meeting. Would anyone be able to tell me which of the following possible course of actions seems to be the best for the boys. Are there any glaring flaws that I have missed or has anyone any other ideas about how i can respond to this worrying situation:

Options:
1) My eldest stays in hospital until supported housing can be found. Supported housing (a supported group home) will give him the social contacts he needs as a young man and help him to develop the life skills he needs to one day live more independently. It will also give him a break from his brother and family dysfunction. I will be able to support my eldest (at a distance) if he lives locally and I will be able to focus my attention of helping my youngest (who has some significant issues) with help from other agencies.

2) I secure the home e.g put a coded lock on the bathroom (or make sure only I have the key to the lock). I have already applied for a larger house but I ask for the application to be prioritised. Both my sons have a bedroom of their own with locks and I have a space that I can sleep in. We engage in Family Therapy or other interventions. My youngest son gets help for his controlling and possibly sexualised behaviour.

3) My youngest son goes into temporary foster care and I continue looking after my eldest. However, I feel this option would only work if my son went willingly. I am also concerned that he would either rebel completely in care, or become a victim of abuse himself. Both my sons are very very vulnerable.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Har1her1,

I can see that you are managing a very difficult and fluid situation with not enough support.
It is to your credit that you have thought through different plans in such detail.

However, I imagine that it will be very difficult to make decisions about the longer term plans that you have suggested, until things are more settled. Have you suggested the different options to the social worker? I can see there is merit in all of them.
What are your sons views, do you think, to the different options?
Which option do you prefer and what support do you think you need to ensure that option happens?
It is clear that given the change of your family’s circumstances, further assessments by children services will need to take place.

At the moment you say that a forensic assessment is being done. To find out more about what this means in the context of child mental health you could contact the parent line at Young Minds as well as asking that question of your son’s medical team.

When your older son is released from his section there is likely to be a core programme approach (CPA) meeting to make plans for his return into the community. This meeting will include children services as well as health and will look at the support that will be put in place to help him stay safe. This will run alongside any child services assessment.
Let me know what children services are suggesting. I might then be able to give more relevant advice.
Or call our advice line to discuss in depth with an adviser.

Best wishes,

Suzie

[Har1Her1]

Hello,

Out lead social worker has phoned me to tell me that a Section 47 will be started because my son(s) suffered significant harm due to my inability to protect my eldest from abuse.

Fair enough. This is what I expected. Now, I want to know how to respond to the situation to achieve the best outcome for my children.

I have arranged to meet with the lead social worker on Tuesday with my youngest son. The lead social worker will introduce my youngest to another social worker who has some training in dealing with sexualised behaviour in young people . The fact that her son is also autistic makes her even more suitable to work with my youngest (who I suspect has some form of spectrum condition).

If this work begins, even as a plan, before any ICPC ensues, it will probably be perceived as positive proactivity. It could even help my sons (and me).

[The fact that this work was considered to be central in the previous Child Protection case and yet was not undertaken because my son would not engage will be ignored]

I will suggest a belt and braces approach with respect to what happens after my eldest son comes off his section. Suzy, you are correct, concrete plans cannot be discussed until the results of the forensic assessment are known. The police will also want my son to stay somewhere secure until they are sure about the forensic side of things. However, I will suggest (a) that I put locks on doors, lock away all sharp things and so on and work with agencies on helping my youngest with his behaviour.
(b) My eldest finds suitable supported, therapeutic accommodation where he can begin his transition into adult life and I continue helping my youngest (with the help of agencies) to manage his boundary pushing behaviour.

However, despite this pretence, I feel very upset. A room full of so called professionals have come to the evaluation (again) that I cannot protect my eldest son from abuse from his brother. I gave up my career, my marriage and my home to keep my eldest safe, and it was only when my husband sent my youngest to live with us that the behaviour became a problem again. It is behaviour that can be subtle and often secretive.

Now I have to accept the shame of being branded with 'failure to protect' and, if I am lucky, I will have to choose one son over the other. Why can no-one help us? Why do we face this cylce of condemnation and psychologists and the local authority simply gave up working with my youngest because he would not engage?

Tony P. mentioned the fact that his family have had several S47s. So, why can CSC and other agencies not work effectively with parents who have to manage the dynamics between children with very complex needs?

Anyway, I will go and prepare the report, co-operate to the fullest and see if there is any way I can keep my family intact.

[Ignatious]

I probably shouldn't discuss the specifics, but here's some bullet points. An elder sibling assaulted one of the other children in the house. We ended up on a S47 due to this incident, but through course of the S47 procedure, it ended going to ICPC. Subsequently we are now on a full CPP under category of neglect. This decision affects all children within the house, for which I am extremely unhappy about, but switching from negative to positive,... NOW we get the help we need. Time to milk the system for everything we can get and make these professionals work for us rather than against us.

Somebody connected with the family has already said that he doesn't like the Social system in that it fails to provide unless there is a crisis. On a large part of that statement I can agree. After our last CPP the support seemed to dwindle and here we are again, I would argue at the lack of support we should have had maintained. Despite the decision already being made, I will still go ahead and apply for all the background information I can, i.e. a copy of the s47 strategy discussion, and a copy of any police file related to myself that may or may not have been carried out. I think it is also time to make someone work hard for a change and this family will be putting in a Subject Access Request for each and every member of the family individually. Reasoning,... If we put in one request for the whole lot as one block, it might get refused as taking up too many man hours. Individual requests should be considered individually and would each have its own 'man hours' which should be well within limits.

I would suggest, accept what is almost certainly going to happen. an ICPC which will result in CPP. Fully accept it and engage moving forwards. The 'professionals' should then be all fully on board with having to provide you with all the help and support you need.

Good Luck

[Har1Her1]

Hello

Thank you Tony. I have one child (17 year old) who is on Section in hospital and he is unlikely to come home if his brother continues to reside with us. Yet at 17, with mental health difficulties and additional needs, my eldest may actually benefit from a supported transition to adulthood. For the past year and a half, my youngest has received 4 hours of education a week from the LA in the form of home tuition and my eldest was asked to wait for his personalised programme until he could overcome his anxiety sufficiently to get to the building where it was held. The LA did not start any work on my youngest's sexual behaviour because he would not engage and the psychologist stopped sessions because my youngest controlled them! I have had to deal with two boys in total meltdown, self harming, a boy who screams at 'devils' and runs from the house with knives and bleach in his bag; the youngest who runs from the room if someone coughs and a man (who is also on the spectrum) who has run from the scene leaving the boys together again, and I have had to deal with mos of this behaviour on a daily basis. So, I would like the powers that be to tell me who has been neglectful.

There are so many failings. However, I think perhaps this is how life is for parents with children who have challenging behaviour. As soon as the behaviour brings the children (or the family) into contact with the police or Social Services, heavy, intrusive, judgmental and largely ineffective intervention takes place and ones status changes from admirable carer to negligent or even abusive incompetent.

How can I get the services that my children need? The last CPP was so ineffective.

However, on a practical note. How can I get the police records and the records of the Strategy meeting? Is there any particular department o which I should apply>?