What happens now?

[Mumofminis]

Ok so on Friday a social worker rocked up at my house. My eldest (12) had gone to school and told a teacher my hubby (his step dad) was physically abusing him. This is not true. My son has never been harmed and neither have his siblings. Ss have said they will be investigating. I have a history or depression and anxiety and this has really sent me spiralling but my kids are my world. Since then my boy has basically ruled the roost. He will not follow even our house rules as he knows we are being investigated and knows it's my biggest fear the kids being taken. I need to know what to expect? Will my kids be taken?

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Mumofminis,

Welcome to the Parents forum. I am sorry to hear about children services involvement with your family. I can see that you are very worried about this and it has impacted on your mental health.
It is easy to think the worse will happen when children services are involved. However, most cases just involve support being offered to families, not children being removed.

Have a look at this diagram about support and intervention .

In your post, your son has made allegations of physical abuse against your husband. Children services will want to carry out an assessment to find out whether this could have happened and whether there might be a risk of it happening again in the future. But the assessment may also be quite wide in that it will include all your children, your parenting, the environment that you live in and support from family and friends. Here is information about assessments .
So expect children services to want to speak to your children alone , look around your home and speak to professionals involved with your children such as the GP and head teacher of the schools and or nursery as well as the police. Usually, they should ask for your consent before they make these enquiries although in exceptional circumstances they do not have to. Are the police investigating as well?
Here are FAQ’s that you might find helpful. The best way forward is to cooperate with the assessment process. But the social worker should also explain the process to you. You should also ask for a copy of the assessment report.
Here are tips for working with social workers.

You ask about your children being urgently removed from you. It is easy to worry about this but it can only happen either if you agree to it or if children services obtain an urgent court order such as an interim care order.
If you were asked to agree this, always get legal advice first or call our advice line.
To get a court order, children services would need evidence that the children were in immediate danger of suffering serious harm and there is no other way of them being protected. You would be entitled to a solicitor representing you.
If children are removed, they should always be placed first with another parent, if it is safe. Second, with friends or family -before stranger foster care.
Children services are very unlikely to take this route. Instead, if they were worried about your husband, they may ask that he move out of the family home for a few weeks, until he is risk assessed or that you and the children move elsewhere, temporarily.
There may be ways other ways that your children could be protected from any risk. Could your husband be supervised by you when he is with the children? Or a family member move in to help? Would he be willing to go on parenting courses?

I hope this advice helps but if you have any questions, please post again or call our advice line on 0808 801 0366.

Best wishes,
Suzie