Social services at nearly 16

[Concerned mum]

Hi I need some advice
My daughter is 16 in March....she started helping out on the fair with a very good family friend of my family at weekends....inbeween Christmas and new year I had a visit from 2 social workers who wanted to speak to us.....they informed me that there was concerns about sexual groomin on the fair and asked me to sign an agreement that I wouldn't allow my daughter anywhere near the fair not even to go on for rides.....on reading the agreement I noticed as well as saying she wasn't allowed near the fair that I would agree to social services turning up at my house announced or unannounced....and also that my daughter would attend school everyday and be on time......the latter two I really didn't see what they had to do regarding the fair so I told them I didn't agree to them....as I said my daughter leaves for school every morning at 7.45 and doesn't start school till 8.15 so should never be late but is most days......but once she has left the house there isn't much I can do......once I had removed the 2 things I didn't agree to I signed the agreement to say I would keep my daughter away from the fair......since the visit from social services my daughter hasn't been near the fair as she knows the consequences if she does......the social worker came to my house to see me and my daughter last week and said they was holding a meeting the following day......I rang up to ask the outcome of the meeting to be informed that they are now planning a child protection conference.......I said to the social worker so now your going to put my daughter on the at risk register to which she said no it doesn't mean that.....but I know myself with these meeting that is the usual outcome of these meetings......

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Concerned mum,
Welcome to the parents Forum.

I can see that you are very surprised that the social worker has taken it up to child protection level so quickly.

You had agreed to stopping your daughter going to the fair-where the risk of sexual grooming had been identified but not to the other conditions –because you did not see your own home as a risk and because your daughter was leaving for school early enough to get there.

Did the social worker explain why she wanted to do home visits and why she is worried that your daughter was not getting to school on time? Did she say that she would have worries if you did not agree? Did she say that it might escalate to child protection, if you did not agree to the visits?

I would have expected the social worker to have set out all her concerns about the possible grooming and how it is extremely difficult to deal with because your daughter might not recognize that she is at risk.

Grooming and child sexual exploitation

There is research and new guidance about child sexual exploitation which includes grooming.

Research recently has shown that when a child is being groomed, she often becomes extremely vulnerable and increasingly isolated by the person who is grooming her. This is to the extent that she might not be able to talk to her family or her friends and starts missing school. Often a child might not recognize that she is being groomed.
There is a strong link between grooming and children being trafficked as well. It is common for intimidation and violence to be used.

Any significant low school attendance, truanting, sudden changes in performance or behaviour or well-being as these could be possible indicators of child sexual exploitation. Did the school make referral to children services because of these changes?


In order to find out more, you could ask for a meeting with the social worker and her manager.
Ask the social worker to:
• Explain what children services and the police are worried about.
• What help and support is available to your daughter? As your daughter is 15, she will want to have a say about any plan that has been considered. You could ask the social worker about her being given an advocate to help explain the process to her. In some areas there are resources such as specialist advocates for girls who the police or children services are worried are being groomed or are risk of being sexually exploited.
• What support is available for you as a parent? Barnardo’s has a programme of support or you could contact PaceUK (Parents against child sexual exploitation). They are a national charity which has experience of supporting families. See link below.
• To cooperate-and maybe avoid a child protection plan, you could agree to the home visits and working with the school, if your daughter’s attendance had been flagged up as a problem.

Child protection conference
Here is a filmand our FAQ’s about the child protection process.


A few days before the conference the social worker should take you through her report which will set out the worries of the children services. If you see any errors in the report, let the social worker know so that corrections can be made.

You will should attend the conference and you could ask the social worker about any advocacy support that might be available to you. You should have the opportunity to meet with the chairperson before the conference. They will explain what will happens at the conference and you could ask to see any reports (such as police reports beforehand). If you felt upset, you could ask the chair about having a break in the conference if you felt overwhelmed.

In the conference, as well as the social worker, there will be a representative from the police, school and health (often the school nurse). If there are any other professionals who work with your daughter-who you think would be helpful, you could ask the social worker that they be invited.
All the professionals will be asked to share any information about your daughter. At the end a decision will be made as to whether or not there should be a child protection plan. The alternative would be a child in need plan or no plan.

If the chair and professionals thought that your daughter was still at an “ongoing risk” of suffering harm, then a child protection plan would be made.

I have given you a lot of information. If you have any questions, please post back or you could call our advice line for advice and support on 0808 801 0366. It is open 9:30 to 15:30 Monday to Friday.

Remember also the specialist advice services for parents where there is worry about child sexual exploitation such as grooming.
Parents against child sexual exploitation uk



Best wishes,

Suzie

[Concerned mum]

Thank you for your reply......

As far as I am aware it is the police that have passed a report onto social services regarding the concerns on the fair.......the initial visit was from 2 social workers from the duty team as it was the 29th dec 2015.....they explained part of what the concern was but said they hadn't been given all details yet from the police......I wasn't even left with a copy of the agreement as they said they only had brought one copy with them......but a copy would be posted to me as of yet I still have no copy of the agreement......

We have only met with our social worker once the day before the planned stratgey meeting.....it was at this meeting in my home that she mentioned the meeting to me.....

My daughter came home last week and said she had been taken out of a class at school to be told that the school nurse wanted to speak to her.......when she was with the school nurse she was questioned about the fair ETC........I didn't think she could be questioned by anyone while not on a plan without my consent........and made me think more today that I had support from child protection call me and ask if it would be ok for them to go speak to my daughter in school tomorrow.....which I said was fine I didn't have a problem with that......

My daughter has told the social worker and school nurse that she never experienced anything in the way of grooming while on the fair and never witnessed anything like grooming......

I really appreciate all your input on this matter as I'm lost as to what to do I really don't want my daughter on child protection because of her being at the point in school of getting ready to sit her exams........

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Hi concerned mum
Thanks for posting back with more details about the joint (police/children services) investigation.

A strategy discussion has taken place and a decision has been made to hold a child protection conference.

You are worried that children services are not following their procedures

I can see that you feel that you are not being consulted even though you are a parent with parental responsibility. You have been visited once only and you have not been consulted before other professionals (the school nurse) have become involved.
Your daughter was interviewed without your prior consent.
You haven’t receive any paper work-not even the agreement that you signed.

You are right to expect copy of the agreement you signed because you will be expected to stick to it. You might have also wanted to seek legal advice about it.
Can you ask that a copy is emailed to you?

You are also right to expect children services to keep you up to date with the investigation as this is what practice guidance says should happen when there are worries that a child is being groomed or sexually exploited.
Parents can be a “protective factor” if they have been kept informed about the dangers their child is facing.

However, in respect of the social worker sharing and gathering information with other professionals’ things are less clear.

First, the general rule is that social services should seek the written consent of a parent when they are sharing information with other services-such as the school or GP. However, if there are child protection worries and/ or a crime is being investigated they do not always have to consult with you.

So for example, if they thought by getting your consent might increase the risk of harm to your daughter –because of delay or for some other reason, they do not have to get your consent. However, a written note of this decision should have been put on your daughters file.

Second, as your daughter is 15, she may also be competent to make her own decisions. Your daughter may decide that she does not want you to know. If that was the case you would have been informed.

I suggest you ask the social worker ( in writing) to explain what is happening, her worries, what the police are worried about and ask for a copy of their assessment.

Are you able to cooperate with children services? So;
• agree to them visiting your daughter at home –even unannounced visits,
• work with the school to check and ensure that your daughter is arriving on time,
• help your daughter access advocacy and support so that she comes to understand the harm that she may face.
• Is there any advocacy support for you as a parent?

Grooming

Your daughter says she has never been groomed or witnessed grooming. However, one of the worries about grooming-is the victim is often completely unaware that s/he is being groomed.

I don’t know whether you managed to look at the PACE website which I linked in my last post. They could outline support that might be available to you and your daughter, in the area that you reside.

I have also found some information on the NSPCC’s website about grooming.


Does there need to be a child protection plan?

You say that children services are holding a child protection conference. This will go ahead whether or not you as parent agree.

However, a child protection conference does not always result in a child protection plan being made. The conference may decide that a
child in need plan is more suitable if they think that your child is not at continuing risk of significant harm and that you are able to care for and keep your child safe with extra help being provided.

So work as best as you can with children services. Ask for all the information they have so that you can know the risk and make steps to protect your daughter.
Understand why they want to make visits to your home and allow them access.
Ask for and engage with any support that is offered to you and daughter.
On the basis of your wish to work with children services, ask that a child in need plan is considered instead of a child protection plan.

As your daughter is 15, how is she being involved in the process? Is she invited to the child protection conference as well? Ask the social worker about an advocate for her.
Have a look at the links I gave you in my first post about child protection conferences.

I have given you a lot of information which might be confusing. If you have any questions or need further advice, please post back or call our advice line on 0808 801 0366.

Best wishes,
Suzie