Child protection plan

[1975scaredmum]

Hello
I am looking for advice please basically on the 9th of march my whole world was turnt upside down my husband was arrested on suspected rape of my 14 year old daughter his stepdaughter after investigation the case was closed due to insufficient evidence and her not wanting too go to court. Anyway we have a 7 year old autistic child together who is obviously the subject of a child protection plan I am chronically ill myself and the social worker has stated on the assessment report that my ability to protect my daughter is limited due to my illnesses and I am firmly standing beside my husband over my daughter we have suffered violence and verbal abuse by her over the years and it has been hard my question here is they have put in a short term safety plan as he came back home Sunday after he was not charged what can I expect from this conference which we are part of I am willing to continue the supervision of my husband and he sleeps upstairs on his own and we sleep downstairs could this continue or will they put in more measures he is awaiting a sexual risk assessment
Thankyou

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear 1975 scared mum,

Welcome to the Parents Forum. My name is Suzie, FRG’s online adviser.

I can see how upset and shocked you have been by your husband being arrested for suspected rape of your 14 year old daughter. You say the police have not proceeded with a prosecution due to insufficient evidence and because she does not want to go to court.
Your husband has returned to the family home and this has meant children services have put in a short term safety plan to protect your 7 year old daughter who has autism from possible sexual abuse. He has agreed to have a sexual risk assessment.

I assume your 14 year old daughter cannot come home and is now living somewhere else. Is she with family or in unrelated foster care?
An initial child protection conference has been arranged and you want to know what to expect.

Here are FAQ’s about child protection .


However, due to the COVID 19 virus, the conference will not be face to face. It is likely to take place either by video or by telephone conferencing.
The conference will be chaired by a senior person from children services. It will be involve different professionals such as the police, school, school nurse and children services. Both you and dad should be invited.
It can only decide whether or not there should be a child protection plan. To make this decision there will be need to be evidence that they “suspect” your daughter has suffered or is at risk of suffering significant harm.

The social workers report says that due to your ill health you are not able to protect your daughter from possible sexual abuse by your husband. Until dad has had his risk assessment he must be seen as risky-even if he isn’t. Children services have a duty to protect children from suffering sexual abuse so cannot take any chances.
So it is likely, from what you have told me, that a child protection plan will be put in place. If that happens, the first plan will last up to 12 weeks. After that it will be reviewed. Hopefully, by then the risk assessment of dad will have been completed. Find out the timescales for the assessment and who is doing it.

Parent’s Protect have information about how to protect against sexual abuse and courses that are available.

A plan may involve children services putting in monitoring and support and you all remain at home. You could ask about the Women as Protectors course or see what I offered on Parent’s Protect.
Or children services might say that dad should moves out until he has been assessed. Or they may suggest that you move out of the family home with your daughter?
Can you come up with another plan? For example, a family member or friend to move in to your home to help you protect your daughter.

Only in the worse-case scenario, if children services felt it was just not safe for your daughter being at home with your husband, they could support you and your daughter to leave the family home. If you did not agree, they could consider using the legal route. For example, if they wanted her to go into care until the risk assessment had been completed. This could only happen if you agreed to your daughter going into care (called section 20 or accommodation) or if children services got a court order such as an interim care order.
If removal of your daughter is discussed, you should seek urgent legal advice. You would be entitled to legal aid.

Please see our information about the pre proceedings process

I am giving an outline that I hope is helpful. If you have any questions, please post again or call our free and confidential advice line on 0808 801 0366.
Best wishes,
Suzie

[1975scaredmum]

Hello and sorry Suzie I have only just seen this reply
Yes the CCP was put in place we are working with our socail worker and the review is next month unfortunately my daughter who was living with her father my x attacked his fiance today and she is at a Freinds house it may be my husband has to move out so she can come back home as no sexual risk assessment has been done yet due to Covid-19 there is no court order in place so will see what the review meeting brings in July I have been following the protection plan and mm y husband is never left unsupervised with her as per the plan I sleep downstairs with our daughter on a z bed he sleeps upstairs so I am hoping they see I am doing everything I can to safeguard her I am awaiting to hear where my daughter who made the alligation will be placed as her father refuses to have her back she really needs help I will post after our review
Thankyou for your advice

[1975scaredmum]

Okay so our review is on Monday I am so s ared as my socail workers manager has put on the report that my daughter should move back home in September she was legally signed over to her father so it seems to me that my husband will have to move out even if he does this sexual risk assessment it will not make no difference my youngest is autistic and she will be in bits how can they do this I am following the CPP and bring totally amicable and my socail worker has been so helpful it is her manager who had said this Ido not know how much more I can actually take

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Okay so our review is on Monday I am so s ared as my socail workers manager has put on the report that my daughter should move back home in September she was legally signed over to her father so it seems to me that my husband will have to move out even if he does this sexual risk assessment it will not make no difference my youngest is autistic and she will be in bits how can they do this I am following the CPP and bring totally amicable and my socail worker has been so helpful it is her manager who had said this Ido not know how much more I can actually take

Dear 1975scaredmum

Thank you for your posts of June 24th and 26th

I am sorry to read that your situation took a turn for the worse in that the placement of your eldest daughter broke down with her father. By now you will have had the review conference and plans may be in place for the assessment of your husband.

If your daughter is still with the family friend it is possible that they can be assessed as carers for her. You could ask the social worker about this saying that:

• her father cannot care for her
• there is risk in your home if your husband has not been assessed
• and the friend may be happy to care for her until any assessments are completed.

Children Services may be able to assess the family friend that your daughter is staying with. Our advice sheet Relatives and friends taking on the care of a vulnerable child in an emergency may be useful to your family at this time. As well as this advice sheet called Support for relatives and friends who are looking after someone else’s child.

Additionally it may be a good time to ask the social worker about progressing the child protection plan because whilst there are still concerns about the pandemic, Government guidance is that we can meet up with people who do not live in our households. Do ask the social worker how their local authority is moving forward based on what the Government has advised, including any timescales they have. You may find it useful to check your local authority’s website for updates.

Best wishes

Suzie