Case should have been closed.

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Lolly111392
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2018 2:26 pm

Case should have been closed.

Post by Lolly111392 » Wed Dec 12, 2018 11:24 pm

Hi
Sorry for the long post:
My son is 8 months old. When he was 3 weeks my ex (partner at the time) was arrested on suspicion of sexual activity with underage girls. I initially stayed with him - mostly due to the fact that I had a 3 week old, was suffering badly with pnd and couldn't really add that to my pile. We broke up after about a month of this happening.

Social services got involved the day after he was arrested and my son placed on a child in need plan and no unsupervised access with his dad.
They did their assessment and decided to keep him on the plan in conjuncture with his police investigation and I was passed onto a long term care team.
They then had no contact with my ex after the initial assessment but they visited me every 6 weeks.
The new social worker at my first appointment with her stated she wasn't sure why I was still on a cin plan as they have zero concerns about me or his wellbeing and basically I'm only on the plan so they can ensure I don't allow unsupervised access with his dad.
Currently my ex comes round once a fortnight for a few hours. I'm mainly keeping contact allowed to keep getting maintenance as he pays me more than I'd get through CSA as as I'm on maternity leave and I've lost his half of the house contributions from him I really need it.

She stated that they can't keep me on this plan long term as we aren't achieving anything by having a chat in my house every 6 weeks. Until his case progresses and there is some sort of formal outcome - she said they've got cases going on for over a year that still haven't gone to court so this could be a while and that we aren't achieving anything by her seeing me every 6 weeks and just asking how I am, have I seen the dad recently and then leaving.
She then was going to speak to her manager to get the case closed. At my next appointment she said that they didn't have the original risk assessment on file and that she needed to get a copy of it. If there wasn't a copy anymore then she'd have to do a new one so max 2 weeks until the case is closed. 3 weeks later I call her to check, she has a copy but her manager needs her to do an up to date one just for records and asked me for his contact details to organise a meeting. 2 weeks later I ask him if she's been in contact - she hadn't so I called and asked why and the reason was the number didn't work, must have written it down wrong so could I give it her again (ridiculous as she could have called me weeks before) so I gave it again and then proceeded to call her every 3 or so days because she still hadn't even phoned him. Then she went on holiday so it was even longer. At this point its been over a month since our last meeting, I call her office and leave a message because at this point she's stopped answering her phone to me and she finally calls him and they make an appointment.
She comes to see me the day before to 'retrospectively close the case' - I understand supervision has to stay and they are happy with that. She has her meeting with him - nothings changed in terms of progress with the investigation so the initial risk assessment stays relevant. She tells him the case is closed.

2 weeks later and I get a call from someone in her office, she's off sick so someone needs to see me in place of her. I explain that I'd been told the case was closed. She has to check this with her manager and will call me back, I said will that be today and she said yes. Typically, she did not.
When she finally did, as my sw was off sick they couldn't contact her so in the mean time the case would stay open and therefore they had to see me in a certain time frame so now wants to see me next week and she's invited my health visitor - who I haven't even seen for 4 months and hasn't been to any but the first appointment!

I'm beyond annoyed that they are just so awful at doing their job on time and how they can just tell me the case is closed, making me relax finally after 7 months and then do this!
I said to her that all my sw does is ask how I am and have I seen him and then leaves and she said that it would basically be that again.
There is no point, and just before Christmas honestly makes me so mad and upset.

I've been told numerous times that the cin is voluntary and i've complied because I've just been really scared what they'd do if I stopped 'volunteering'
As the case SHOULD have been closed but hasn't been due to the poor filing efforts of the workers if I cancelled the appointment would they really escalate it? I really don't want to cause trouble for myself I'm just sick of this and they're getting more people involved for no reason.

Miserylovescompany2
Posts: 220
Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2017 6:55 pm

Re: Case should have been closed.

Post by Miserylovescompany2 » Thu Dec 13, 2018 10:05 am

Hello

From what you have written I would give serious thought to whether you wish to initiate a formal complaint against CS. During their involvement everything should have been explained. An assessment should already be on file and you should of had a copy.

What a mess. Can I ask if there were any meetings which other professionals were invited to - like the health visitor for example. Because there should of been!

If memory serves I am sure there is information on what should happen with a CIN on one of the FRG advice sheets. Children's services should be following a plan. In your case it doesn't sound like they have.

I would also have a look on the HCPC register and enter the name of the social worker who has now gone on sickness leave. If you can not find them on there likelihood is they are not registered.

Lolly111392
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2018 2:26 pm

Re: Case should have been closed.

Post by Lolly111392 » Thu Dec 13, 2018 12:18 pm

Hi

I have been thinking about making a complaint, I'm just not a complaint type of person - I will eat the wrong meal at a restaurant rather than make a fuss!
The only assessment I've had a copy of was the initial one made when he was a month old. My health visitor came to the first appointment with them and was supposed to be at the second but didn't turn up until they'd already left and then my new sw didn't see the point. I take him to the baby clinic to get weighed every 2 weeks and they flagged up to her that they wanted to be involved in meetings and she said it wasn't necessary.

My plan literally states that supervision should be maintained, a risk assessment done (which wasn't until the other week) and that if I feel I need it to seek professional help for any depression. It's barely a plan and my sw agreed.
They have never had any issues with me, my house or his well being it's all to do with his dad which is ridiculous because he can go and babysit for friends and hang out with his nephews with no consequences.

I don't know her last name to use the register you mentioned. The only paperwork I've got has the original workers name on.

PerfectlySafeDad
Posts: 171
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2016 2:57 am

Re: Case should have been closed.

Post by PerfectlySafeDad » Thu Dec 13, 2018 6:59 pm

'I will eat the wrong meal at a restaurant rather than make a fuss!'
This is how they get away with so much. Many people suffering CS involvement in their lives are stressed to begin with, by the very nature of the problems, and the asinine and draconian methods of CS just add to it. People are fragile and do not have the willpower or legal acumen to fight anything. Whereas the people who manage (so to speak) the system (again, so to speak) are the thick-skinned ones who thrive on the chaos of it and have the callousness required for the disruptive decision-making required.
It's basically about attempts to cover backs in a system where people don't know who's coming or going, and most of the staff are hopelessly our of their depth with the many varied situations they're thrown into, which don't even fit their alleged specialisms in many cases.
It's a shambles, which historically has always been a breeding ground for tyranny, and ultimately something will have to be done about it.

Miserylovescompany2
Posts: 220
Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2017 6:55 pm

Re: Case should have been closed.

Post by Miserylovescompany2 » Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:51 am

Hello again,

What ever Children's services have on file regarding your family will remain. The health visitor should of played a role if your child was identified as a CIN. From what you wrote the HV wanted an active role - I would imagine so they could support you and your child. Information should of been shared and the meetings connected to the CIN plan are usually the place where professionals not only get to share concerns but also progress. You have been taking your child to be weighed regularly and by doing so ensured a health care professional saw you both. That information should have been included.

Obviously it is up to you whether you wish to initiate a formal complaint. I will say if the correct guidance is not followed by a SW and their team the likelihood is they will continue to do this with other families. Complaints assist Ofsted in regulating CS. This is your life and I can not stress enough that what is recorded relating to this should be correct because if it is not this could influence future decsions.

PerfectlySafeDad makes a very valid point. I agree wholeheartedly with everything he has written. I wish the system was not this way however if anything it is getting worse. During the past 2 years my family has had 5 different SW. The current one has over 30 families on her caseload. I pity not only each individual family but also the SW - how can one person do each case justice. Each one of those cases will be different as no two cases are the same. There are no protected caseloads in my county either so the number I quoted could have gone up.

I know the number because I overheard a phone conversation with the SW and my son. He had put her on loud speaker. Her words were "what do you want me to do ***, I have 31 other families to deal with." My son didn't need to hear that, what he required was her to listen and hear him. My son like so many others is being failed by a broken system.

This is your family, I sincerely hope you have a positive outcome to your own case.

Lolly111392
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2018 2:26 pm

Re: Case should have been closed.

Post by Lolly111392 » Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:51 pm

Hi

Thanks for responding again, it was the childrens centre I take him to that wanted to be involved, my personal hv is the one who didn't turn up to the meeting on time and hasn't been to one since.

After talking to my mum she persuaded me to phone to cancel the appointment so I called and said that I was told the case was closed, he was told the case was closed so there was no point in the meeting. She stated that her manager wanted her to do the meeting and I said that she should have been aware the case was being closed because my sw spoke to her about it. I reiterated that my sw had told me since the beginning the cin is a voluntary thing and so I said I didn't want the meeting. She asked if I was refusing the meet, I said yes and she huffed and said she'd have to tell her manager and then hung up! Not even a bye or anything.
Now I'm freaking out because I don't know what happens next, do they close my case without me knowing, will they be phoning me again someday or will someone just turn up and it have been escalated to a cpp or something.
Ages ago I asked my sw what would happen if I stopped cooperating and she said they'd just close the case as they weren't providing me with any support or anything but clearly the people I'm talking to now aren't like her.

Miserylovescompany2
Posts: 220
Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2017 6:55 pm

Re: Case should have been closed.

Post by Miserylovescompany2 » Sat Dec 15, 2018 12:43 pm

Hello again Lolly,

Sorry if I muddled up the HV and the children's centre - both should have played an active part after your child was identified as a CIN (child in need). It was the SW job to ensure these people were not only invited to meetings but to assist in giving updates.

The SW manager is supposed to oversee CIN cases also. At times also the SW would of had times of supervision by their manager. In your case no-one will be aware of how badly the case was handled.

To cover yourself I would initiate a formal complaint because if you don't this could impact on you negatively. I would put in writing to the complaint team everything that has happened in your case thus far - you could then bullet point areas of concern. The fact you were not even aware of SW surname or their managers name so you could of taken this further. Also the fact you were not given a copy of the initial risk assessment - which makes me question whether this was written up correctly in the first place. It is the SW job to ensure reports are written in a certain timeframe and uploaded to the system. This is to ensure that the information is available for others to access. Had there been an incident involving your child then the lack of information could have resulted in your child been placed back into a harmful environment.

I would use the complaint process to formally request a copy of that risk assessment. SW has probably made a right pigs ear of it!!

PerfectlySafeDad
Posts: 171
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2016 2:57 am

Re: Case should have been closed.

Post by PerfectlySafeDad » Sat Dec 15, 2018 5:31 pm

Reading this lot, it speaks to me that
1) the system is such a dire combination of draconianism and shambles that in the work of social services nowadays in Britain there is no difference between 'support' and harassment.
2) they never have the humility to admit their many mistakes, for fear of being discredited as an authority (deservingly so), but rely on muddling through and evasion, protected by the confusion of the process and the stigma towards offenders.
In Lolly's case, the decent and constructive thing for them to do would be to shut it down, back out of your lives completely (with an official letter from management to seal it) to acknowledge the mess and disruption caused, and that you and the children would be better off without them.

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Suzie, FRG Adviser
Posts: 4210
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:57 pm

Re: Case should have been closed.

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Fri Dec 21, 2018 3:41 pm

Lolly111392 wrote: Wed Dec 12, 2018 11:24 pm Hi
Sorry for the long post:
My son is 8 months old. When he was 3 weeks my ex (partner at the time) was arrested on suspicion of sexual activity with underage girls. I initially stayed with him - mostly due to the fact that I had a 3 week old, was suffering badly with pnd and couldn't really add that to my pile. We broke up after about a month of this happening.

Social services got involved the day after he was arrested and my son placed on a child in need plan and no unsupervised access with his dad.
They did their assessment and decided to keep him on the plan in conjuncture with his police investigation and I was passed onto a long term care team.
They then had no contact with my ex after the initial assessment but they visited me every 6 weeks.
The new social worker at my first appointment with her stated she wasn't sure why I was still on a cin plan as they have zero concerns about me or his wellbeing and basically I'm only on the plan so they can ensure I don't allow unsupervised access with his dad.
Currently my ex comes round once a fortnight for a few hours. I'm mainly keeping contact allowed to keep getting maintenance as he pays me more than I'd get through CSA as as I'm on maternity leave and I've lost his half of the house contributions from him I really need it.

She stated that they can't keep me on this plan long term as we aren't achieving anything by having a chat in my house every 6 weeks. Until his case progresses and there is some sort of formal outcome - she said they've got cases going on for over a year that still haven't gone to court so this could be a while and that we aren't achieving anything by her seeing me every 6 weeks and just asking how I am, have I seen the dad recently and then leaving.
She then was going to speak to her manager to get the case closed. At my next appointment she said that they didn't have the original risk assessment on file and that she needed to get a copy of it. If there wasn't a copy anymore then she'd have to do a new one so max 2 weeks until the case is closed. 3 weeks later I call her to check, she has a copy but her manager needs her to do an up to date one just for records and asked me for his contact details to organise a meeting. 2 weeks later I ask him if she's been in contact - she hadn't so I called and asked why and the reason was the number didn't work, must have written it down wrong so could I give it her again (ridiculous as she could have called me weeks before) so I gave it again and then proceeded to call her every 3 or so days because she still hadn't even phoned him. Then she went on holiday so it was even longer. At this point its been over a month since our last meeting, I call her office and leave a message because at this point she's stopped answering her phone to me and she finally calls him and they make an appointment.
She comes to see me the day before to 'retrospectively close the case' - I understand supervision has to stay and they are happy with that. She has her meeting with him - nothings changed in terms of progress with the investigation so the initial risk assessment stays relevant. She tells him the case is closed.

2 weeks later and I get a call from someone in her office, she's off sick so someone needs to see me in place of her. I explain that I'd been told the case was closed. She has to check this with her manager and will call me back, I said will that be today and she said yes. Typically, she did not.
When she finally did, as my sw was off sick they couldn't contact her so in the mean time the case would stay open and therefore they had to see me in a certain time frame so now wants to see me next week and she's invited my health visitor - who I haven't even seen for 4 months and hasn't been to any but the first appointment!

I'm beyond annoyed that they are just so awful at doing their job on time and how they can just tell me the case is closed, making me relax finally after 7 months and then do this!
I said to her that all my sw does is ask how I am and have I seen him and then leaves and she said that it would basically be that again.
There is no point, and just before Christmas honestly makes me so mad and upset.

I've been told numerous times that the cin is voluntary and i've complied because I've just been really scared what they'd do if I stopped 'volunteering'
As the case SHOULD have been closed but hasn't been due to the poor filing efforts of the workers if I cancelled the appointment would they really escalate it? I really don't want to cause trouble for myself I'm just sick of this and they're getting more people involved for no reason.
Dear Lolly111392

Thank you for your post.

From what you say you, after several months of involvement with Children’s Services have not yet been given adequate information about the concerns that social workers have about your child and family situation.

I think it would be useful for you to ask the social worker and her/his manager to meet with you to clarify their concerns and/or to meet with you to ‘finalise’ their involvement with your family. If feasible at their offices rather than in your home or other venue. I may be useful for you to ask for the reports that they have drafted and those that they have on file, if there are difficulties in obtaining these you can access the information through a subject access request.

It may be useful for you to ask the social worker to provide you with the local policies about how assessments are carried out, including the timescales. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 (page 28) sets out the framework for assessments and gives guidelines about what constitutes good assessments (pages 24-27).

You are correct when you say that if a social worker suggests that your child is in need of services your engagement is voluntary. However, it may be useful to hear what the social worker is suggesting before you refuse a service and to ask her/him what refusal may mean so that you can make an informed decision about the choices you are making.

Asking the local authority for their complaints policy may be helpful too and you should not feel that making such a request will be detrimental to your situation. Our advice sheet about Challenging decisions and making complaints may be useful to you.

Best wishes

Suzie

Lolly111392
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2018 2:26 pm

Re: Case should have been closed.

Post by Lolly111392 » Fri Dec 28, 2018 10:06 pm

Hi Suzie

Their concern is having unsupervised contact with his father as the police investigation hasn't progressed much - she said that although the current view is he has shown an interest in teenage girls that they could find other things on his laptop so they are basically being overprotective until they know more (that's how she described it) my social worker has no worries about me and fully believes I'm supervising contact - this has been written in the assessment I was given months ago.

They aren't offering any services or support. They told me if I feel depressed due to everything that I should seek a GP's help and that's it.
I did ask her a while ago what would happen if I no longer 'volunteered' and she said as they aren't providing me with any services or support and have no concerns they would just close the case because they have no reason to keep it going.

I refused a visit from them on the 13th Dec based on the fact I was told my case was being closed and I didn't think it was necessary, after being hung up on I've had no contact from them so I still don't know if they are going ahead with closing the case or if they are just leaving it open until my social worker comes back from being off sick.

I did end up putting a complaint in through the online forms and I was told I'd have a response back in 20 working days so still waiting on the outcome of that.

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