LAC Reviews

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fishwillow
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:35 pm

LAC Reviews

Post by fishwillow » Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:38 pm

Our daughters 3rd LAC review and it seems that the correct procedure has not been taken. To cut a long story short the after the meeting we have asked questions. We asked the Social Worker why she did not write a report for the review and she has written by email to us that she does not do reports she just updates the IRO before the meeting. We thought Social Workers had to write a report. We also have the IRO telling us that he gets all his information form the Social Worker and has no need to contact us unless the SW has said that is what we would like. We asked to meet the IRO and the SW told us that he has no spare time and is very busy. When we questioned the IRO after his review report read that 'parent refused to meet with IRO before the meeting,' he said he was told by this by the SW. When we asked him about the contact decisions made at the review without a discussion with us he answered ' I'm not going into it now it will be discussed at the next review.' Our daughter is volantarily accommodated (S20) so we have full parental responsibilities. We have emailed both the Social Worker and the IRO giving them the opportunity to explain and asked for them to email back, but they seem to want to telephone which I will not answer as telephone conversations are not recorded and I dod not trust them I think things need to be in black and white. Really appreciate a reply.

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

Re: LAC Reviews

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:31 pm

Dear Fishwillow

My name is Suzie, and advisor with Family Rights Group.

Thank you for your post about your daughter’s Looked After Review meetings. You are right to have concerns about whether the correct procedure has been followed, or not.

Social work report

The social worker is required to write a report for the review meeting. Good practice guidance states this should be available for all parties, approximately five working days in advance.

The report should discuss your daughter’s progress - in placement, at school, on her health, development and how contact is going. It is very important that the report shows that your daughter’s views have been obtained.

The report should comment on how far the actions from the last review have been completed, and what support is being planned or recommended for the next care plan.

Consultation forms

A copy of the parental, young person and carer’s consultation forms should also be sent out, at the same time, as the social work report.

This gives everyone the chance to express their views, and raise any concerns before the meeting takes place. The completed forms can be posted back to the Independent Reviewing Officer or handed to them at the meeting.

You do not have to return these to the social worker, if you do not wish.

Meeting with the Independent Review Officer

You can request to meet with the Independent Reviewing Officer, or at least to have phone or e-mail contact with them. Alternatively, you could ask to meet with them after the Review.

Finally, if you are still not happy about how you have been treated, I do think it would be a good idea to send an e-mail or letter, expressing your concerns, and you could then consider making a formal complaint.

You will further find information in parental responsibility.

If you wish to speak to an advisor, you can speak to our advice line on 0808 801 0366 between Monday to Friday 09.30 am to 03.30 pm.

Best Wishes


Suzie

fishwillow
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:35 pm

Re: LAC Reviews

Post by fishwillow » Wed Feb 22, 2012 8:08 am

We asked the Social worker again about writting a report and she told us again she does not do reports for LAC reviews she just updates the IRO. When we said to her that she is required to qrite one she said no the rules for that have changed, but when we asked her where we could get that new information from she would not say and just waffled round the question. We then asked her for the infomation that she passed on about us (we have also asked for it in an email) only to be told by her that if we want any information we have to apply for it and she is going to send us info on how to do that, as she is not in control of giving us any infomation. We have another LAC review coming up very soon can we speak to the IRO about getting a report from the Social worker.

ruthmarie
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Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:20 pm

Re: LAC Reviews

Post by ruthmarie » Wed Feb 22, 2012 2:01 pm

I can tell you the social worker should write a report for the IRO and probably has but has withheld it from you. As a foster carer I have 6 monthly reviews and also you have every right to meeting tneIRO, each professional body and yourself should be given a copy of this review report which should be a summary of what has happened and what is planned to happen since the previous review
You should also receive a copy of the review meeting after it has taken place from the IRO. I have had many problems with review reports but dont be fobbed off.

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

Re: LAC Reviews

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Wed Feb 22, 2012 2:39 pm

Hi Fishwillow,

You should be receiving a report and yes you can ask the IRO about this – you can also complain about IRO if you feel they are not doing their job properly either. I would echo what my colleague said in our last post though and think that you should make a complaint at this stage. It is not acceptable that the social worker is not sharing information with you or giving you a direct answer to the questions you have asked. There is a link to our complaints advice sheet in our last post. It might also be useful for you to read our advice sheet about the duties of the LA when children are in the care system.

Best wishes

Suzie

cheekipixi
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Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2011 10:51 am

Re: LAC Reviews

Post by cheekipixi » Sun Aug 19, 2012 3:07 pm

Hi Fishwillow,

Reading your post has made me cringe.

I have a disabled son now 12 yrs old, I asked for help from SS when he was 2 yrs old, it has been a 10 yr fight for me with SS, to try and access services my son needed, the only thing that happened was my children being placed on the 'at risk' register twice.

After a few yrs of saying my we as a family need respite, my disabled son needing it more than any of us, we got 1 weekend a month with a respite carer. 6 months later I had to attend a LAC review, I asked questions after questions for yrs and finally was warned not to ask any more questiones, so, after receiving the minutes of the review and being totally horrified with the contents, I went through the minutes with a highlighter pen and put a line through everything that was incorrect and added a comment at the side of it. At the end of the minutes I added,in capital letters, underlined and highlighted.................'I DO NOT KNOW WHY MY SON IS CLASSED AS A LAC, I HAVE NOT AGREED OR SIGNED FOR THIS TO HAPPEN, I ONLY SIGNED FOR RESPITE'. I addressed it to 'The Manager', LAC department, etc etc and posted it. In the next review meeting, I saw the chair before the meeting started as I always did, and he mentioned me not signing anything, and said he would go into it further when all were there. In the LAC meeting, he explained about a LAC review, what a LAC was etc and then turned to me and asked me if I had ever signed for my child to be a looked after child by the County with my consent, I said I hadnt signed anything like that, only for respite. With that he turned to SS and asked them if they had anything from me to say I agree with this, they said 'no' and with that he stated, this child is a LAC unlawfully and they need to contact their legal department. A week later I received a letter from SS stating, your child has now been de-laced the file is now closed.

Now they wont even speak to me, my concern is though when he reaches 18yrs old will I have another horrible fight trying to get him services in his own right, which he needs and deserves.

They are horrible people and over the yrs have destroyed my family and I, how these proffessionals can lie and get away with what they do is beyond me.

Like someone said before, they have to give in their report to the Chair, it all has to be logged and put in your file and it is 1 of the things of a review, to see the chair before the meeting. I would definately put in a complaint, and if they are lying about you not wanting to see the chair before hand, that they do not do reports, what else are they lying about. SS are all about reports, reports and more reports, pity they cant put the truth in them.

Good luck
-x-

fishwillow
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Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:35 pm

Re: LAC Reviews

Post by fishwillow » Wed Aug 22, 2012 9:20 am

Thanks for your reply Chikipixi, I'm so sorry about the trouble you have had over the years with SS, it makes me so made. We have written a letter of complaint and gone through the correct procedure for this only to get a reply to say that the SW, her manager and the LAC chairperson all appologise and that some of the problems are due to computer malfunction. We could take this further but feel worn out with it all. I thought the job of these people were to help, support and be caring, but they are not. How is it possible for them to get away with this they have totally destroyed us.

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

Re: LAC Reviews

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Wed Aug 22, 2012 11:31 am

Hi Fishwillow

Thanks for your post. It is always useful to get feedback about a success story. In your case, the social worker, team manager and Independent Reviewing Officer provided you with a collective apology for any wrongdoing. Were they clear with you, what steps they will each take to try to ensure the same thing does not happen again in future?

Hopefully, your post may encourage other people to believe the complaint's procedure, can be a mechanism to get their views heard, and so that other people do not have to go through the same experience.

Best Wishes


Suzie

cheekipixi
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2011 10:51 am

Re: LAC Reviews

Post by cheekipixi » Thu Aug 23, 2012 9:29 pm

Hi,
Well done for getting an apology.
It is so hard emotionaly to write a letter of complaint about the people that you are involved with and that are involoved with your child. How many people wouldn't complain, about 90% of them wouldnt complain.
These people are abusing their given authority, these 'proffessionals', you have caught out lying to another proffessional, lying to you, these people are looking after your child with you basically, and they're lying.
It is very scary and wrong that you have to complain about these people, because as you say, they are supposed to be there to help you, not to play about with peoples lives, get found out, and all you get is an apology, that probably meant nothing and that will happen again and again or as in your case hopefully not.
I found it all very emotionaly draining to complain over and over again but I felt to make a difference and hopefully change things and help others, I would have to make a bigger and wider noise, so i went onto the second stage of complaints. This stage also made no difference, the investigators might have been independant but they still have to work with SS and 1 of them worked on the protection side of things as well. They read only what SS let them read, and this information was wrong, so even at this stage I knew nothing would change. I wanted to go further as by this time I had put in about 20 complaints in 6 years, all I thought major complaints such as wrong information, reports not finished, reccommendations to SS that had not been concluded or enforced but forgotten, breach of confidentiality, being totaly disrespected and humilated, lied about, and mental abuse by SS to my children, refusal of services to my son which were despespearately needed, I even had a recording of a SW trying to get my son to lie. Unfortunately my son was admitted to a psychiatric unit at Alderheys childrens hospital for a full assessment or 3 mths and I didnt have the time to take this further. I wish I had seen it through, as this would have made a difference im sure.
If, god forbid they came at me again, I would go all the way and I would not stop, until they paid highly for the treament my family and I had to endure for 10yrs at the hands of SS.

-x-

SK64
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Mar 18, 2018 10:27 am

Re: LAC Reviews

Post by SK64 » Mon Apr 09, 2018 8:36 am

Please could you let me know my rights as mother with parental responsibility my daughter has her first LAC Review under Good practice of social workers do i have the right to see the report 5 days before LAC Review and should i have been given a consultation form so i can as parent contribute to the review can i ask for this meeting to be stepped down as i havent recieved report or consultation form i have had no meeting with social worker for LAC REVIEW We are also in PLO they have cancelled Are next PLO saying nothing to discuss. Yet my son whos living with his father has been moved to s different city and no one informed me.

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