Meeting with parents before LAC review

[charmed1]

Hi everyone. I'm a bit confused and concerned right now. The children have had a new social worker since August. This will be the first LAC review since they took over the case. Children are still under a placement order. This will be the third review since that was granted and will be five months since the judge wanted it brought back if no adopters had been found.

My concern is now that the new social worker who we have now met has told me that she and the IRO would like to meet us prior to the next LAC review. This has never happened before. Is this common practice? Are they likely to drop a bombshell? We were lucky before to even receive consultation forms in the post prior to the review and now we are going to have an actual meeting in person seems concerning especially as we are about to take it back to court. The PEPs are still outstanding and it appears that at least one child's review has gone ahead without us so this doesn't sound like efficiency to me.

Has anyone else had a face to face meeting prior to their children's review?

[ange301126]

Dear Charmed, It could be a good sign.Perhaps they have decided to consult you before making new plans for your children as they should do and perhaps they will consider the positive changes you have made and think about home rehabilitation as they also have a duty to arrange if it is at all possible.

Be wary though because in the month or two before I took the CS back to court,despite never having done so before , they invited me to a PEPs meeting and started following procedures thus when we got to court ,the resultant paperwork appeared to show up my complaints to be unfounded.They are so,so crafty. After the case,they just reverted to their usual behaviour and I have never been invited since to any such meetings.

This is not to say they are not genuine in your case.Just be wary,that's all.

[charmed1]

Hi ange. The only change they would have record of is the change in us during contact. No one has met with us at our home. We've moved since children were taken. Only the guardian visited us at home last November before the final hearing.

As for PEP's we've missed at least one of our kids reviews as the social worker changed and it got missed. No big deal for her maybe. At least we received the children's end of year reports.

My eyes are wide open and I won't become complacent. They are facing a different person than they did before but I don't believe they realise just how different. Tables will turn.

[charmed1]

Omg I just can't believe this. It wasn't a BEFORE LAC review meeting it was an AFTER LAC meeting. We sat down and were told what a room full of people had discussed behind our backs. They are completely ignoring the court order deciding to carry on looking for adopters regardless. My kids can't sleep and are getting distressed at the limbo and insecurity they are experiencing.

Can they do this? I mean leave you out of the meeting and only ask your opinions afterwards? They have even discussed contact and changes to it. Again can they do this without changing the care plan and putting it before the judge as we are taking it back?

Missed PEPs and now LAC review. Their incompetence is incredible like we never went to court at all. They have their orders and can now make it up as they go along.

Ange stated that they pulled their socks up prior to going back to court in their case. With us it seems they're getting worse.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear charmed1,
I am sorry to hear what has been happening.
Parents will normally be invited to the review but in exceptional circumstances you could be excluded, if the independent reviewing officer (IRO) and social worker think it is not in your children’s best interests for you to be there.

However, if this happens they must give you written reasons for refusing to allow you to come to the review and they must ask you to give your views another way, for example, by letter or tape. Please have a look at paragraph 4.21 to 4.23 of the The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regs Vol2:Care planning, placement and case review Was this procedure followed?

Have you spoken to your solicitor about your application back to court? What is happening with this? Do you know whether potential adopters have been identified? If so, it is extremely important that you let your solicitor know-as children services may place your children with potential adopters.
As there is a placement order, children services have the legal authority to do this without going back to court for further permission.
Have a look at page 20 of Adoption advice sheet.

To discuss further, you could also call our advice line on 0808 801 0366.

Best wishes,
Suzie

[charmed1]

Hi Suzie and thank you. I have read the link you sent and no they didn't follow procedure. they had a full LAC review meeting earlier the same day we met with separately. We were not aware that the review meeting had taken place already. Our views were not requested. All we were told was what they had discussed in private. They social worker admitted they had no one in view to adopt our kids and they were relying on the current temporary foster carers "commitment" as the IRO put it to keep the children in the same placement until they decided to stop the adoption search. The judge stated a 6 month search which ended in July now the IRO thinks he can override the judge without the LA seeking an extension.
I have emailed everything that was said in the meeting to my solicitor. She hasn't responded yet and we haven't got a court date but shouldn't be long.

The LA started proceedings nearly 22 months ago and the children are still in limbo. They have no long term foster carers or adopters in sight yet they refuse to do as the judge ordered.