confused

[carrotcake]

I've posted here before about how my 2 children are on sgo and my oldest is on section 20 (after child arrangement order broke down). It's been a year and a half since all of this was finalised. I was in an abusive relationship. SS got involved after my ex was caught with indecent images. Because of over 10 years of abuse from my ex I was a mess and stayed in the relationship for a while after this came to light. I had a breakdown. I posted on here when I was pregnant in July and advised that SS would support me and my new partner. We decided to keep our baby but sadly lost it at 8 weeks. We have now decided to try again in a year or so. However, after a year and a half of section 20 SS are considering a care order (due to breakdown of child arrangement order a year ago). The child arrangement order is still in place but should not be, which is why its going back to court. I'm confused by this, as non of the thresholds are relevant any more. My health is better, I have no contact with my ex and have even reported him to the police for suspected sex offences! It does seem that the care order is a back up plan if section 20 does not work. So what I am also worried about if whether a care order this long after the 26 weeks timescale would affect what happens if my partner and I have a baby. He has no criminal record and works in mental health. I am assuming that because the arrangement order was meant to be permanent but quickly broke down, SS need to alter the nature of the permanent arrangement? There have been no more assessments or involvement with me since May 2015. I am in a very different place than I was in late 2014 when my children moved out of my home. My oldest has stated that he wants to stay with foster carers so I'm wondering if this may have contributed, he is 15. SS were worried that because I had been in an abusive relationship that I would fall into the same trap again. However, my partner is not abusive, and is very supportive and caring. SS said that I would be ok once I had received counselling. I have since had a course of counselling. I have done the freedom programme, which actually helped me to realise that my ex was not the only abusive person in my life, and I have since taken steps to remove the other abusive person from my life too! I now have a very deep understanding of abuse having read up on it from a psychology point of view.
When the orders were made back in May 2015 I asked my solicitor if I had any further children if the same would happen again. He said that there was nothing in the thresholds to suggest it would happen again. He said that things might have changed and there may only need to be an initial assessment. As far as I can see, I have moved on a lot. I have stood up to my abusive ex, reported him to the police, took him to court, divorced him...... and I have had no mental health problems since I cut him out of my life.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Carrotcake,

Welcome back to the parents forum.

I am so sorry to hear that you lost your baby. It must have been so difficult for you and your partner.

You posted on the forum to ask advice about children services seeking a care order in respect of your 15 year old son who is currently accommodated in care after a child arrangements order broke down.

You are right to question why children services are taking care proceedings to discharge the child arrangements order and also whether they will be able to meet the threshold criteria.
Is there a supervision order still in place? (if it had been extended from a 1 year order then children services may not need to prove the threshold again).
Your son is now a looked after child due to being accommodated into care. He should be having looked after children (LAC) reviews on a regular basis.

The review would look at your sons care plan and you should have been invited to attend and should have been consulted about any changes to the legal arrangements.

The LAC review is chaired by the independent reviewing officer.

You should contact the independent reviewing officer find out what is the care plan. What are your views? What do you want to say about contact, for example?
It may be that your son is at risk from the person who had the child arrangements order and that person is threatening to remove him from foster care.

When you become pregnant again, your midwife will ask questions about previous children services involvement and will make a referral to children services. Or your GP may refer or you could refer yourselves.

A pre-birth assessment will take place and all the positive changes that you have made will be assessed. From the information you have given including the changes you have made, what your solicitor has said, the fact that your new partner is not dangerous, suggests that the threshold of harm will not be met this time. have a look at our information about assessments.

If you have any questions, please post back.

best wishes,

Suzie

[carrotcake]

Hi, there were no problems with the child arrangement order other than the carers decided they could no longer look after him. The supervision order is now finished so I don't understand why they did not act to rectify the legal issues before it ended?
There are meetings yes, but as they take place at my sons foster address I have been unable to attend (protected address). I have emailed the social worker about this but have not had a reply. They do send me the paperwork but that's about it!
It did say that I was to support the section 20 to support the care plan, but it seems to me as if nothing is really being done properly. The old social worker was useless, but there is a new one now so I hope he is better. I actually had councelling arranged in 2015 and cancelled it on the advice of the old social worker (he said they would provide some but they never did) and then in the thresholds it said that I had not had any councelling. I found him to be very sly! That is also what worries me as I do believe that their underhanded tactics contributed to my breakdown.
Also I would like to ask, I am considering teacher training to work in secondary schools, would all of this prevent me from doing so?

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Hi carrotcake,

I have posted a response on your other thread.

Best wishes,

Suzie