Parental Assesment
Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 5:19 pm
Hi, My children are under a child protection plan, and I am shortly due to start a parental assessment. The child protection plan was put in place after a social services investigation that was triggered by the arrest and conviction for ABH of my wife in January 2014. Since this event, my eldest son (12 years old) has reported to me and the social worker (on 3 different occasions) incidents of violence or threats of violence against him, when I was not at home. In addition to this she has been assessed to have 'traits of emotionally unstable behavior' (diagnosed by the community mental health team) but refuses to get any treatment for it.
I have made the decision that I need to split from my wife, but I am not eligible for legal aid because I work, and unfortunately, all our savings are with my wife. I have therefore asked social services for assistance, either by way of being rehoused with my children or financial assistance in getting a non-molestation order against her. Social services are of the opinion that both parents can look after and safeguard the children on their own despite her mental health issues or her criminal conviction, or the fact that my son has reported violence against him.
They have put both parents forward for a parental assessment, which she refused. They even offered to pay for her taxi fare to attend a pre assessment meeting. They have said that they will make further attempts to get her to engage with the assessment process by getting me to provide my version of events, and put that to her, so that they can provide her version; and as its likely to be different, she may then choose to engage and cooperate with professionals.
I might be biased here, but I feel they are treating my case very unfairly and with a lot of prejudice. In addition to the above after their initial investigation, they put got me to do a 17 weeks caring dads program ( a course for perpetrators of domestic violence), and they asked her to engage in a program called positive change ( a program for victims of domestic violence). As with everything else she ignored their advise and did not participate in the program.
I am planning to co-operate with the parental assessment, but to me its obvious that despite all the above they see me as the perpetrator of domestic violence (based on my wife's say so), and the outcome of the assessment will not be fair. after all the social workers carrying out the assessment work for the council.
I'm sorry that question isn't very clear, I'm just trying to cram in as much information as possible so that you can provide an informed response.
I guess the main question is: Are they supposed to disclose what I say to them, and say words to the effect 'oh look he's saying this about you, or about this situation what do you say'.
Also in regards to her mental health, she has been asked to visit a psychiatrist, but refuses to do so. I have put it to them, that if she refuses to attend the matter needs to be escalated to the point that if she continues to refuse, than she has to be sectioned, but they are ignoring this. Can anything be done about this too?
Thank you for any assistance and advise.
I have made the decision that I need to split from my wife, but I am not eligible for legal aid because I work, and unfortunately, all our savings are with my wife. I have therefore asked social services for assistance, either by way of being rehoused with my children or financial assistance in getting a non-molestation order against her. Social services are of the opinion that both parents can look after and safeguard the children on their own despite her mental health issues or her criminal conviction, or the fact that my son has reported violence against him.
They have put both parents forward for a parental assessment, which she refused. They even offered to pay for her taxi fare to attend a pre assessment meeting. They have said that they will make further attempts to get her to engage with the assessment process by getting me to provide my version of events, and put that to her, so that they can provide her version; and as its likely to be different, she may then choose to engage and cooperate with professionals.
I might be biased here, but I feel they are treating my case very unfairly and with a lot of prejudice. In addition to the above after their initial investigation, they put got me to do a 17 weeks caring dads program ( a course for perpetrators of domestic violence), and they asked her to engage in a program called positive change ( a program for victims of domestic violence). As with everything else she ignored their advise and did not participate in the program.
I am planning to co-operate with the parental assessment, but to me its obvious that despite all the above they see me as the perpetrator of domestic violence (based on my wife's say so), and the outcome of the assessment will not be fair. after all the social workers carrying out the assessment work for the council.
I'm sorry that question isn't very clear, I'm just trying to cram in as much information as possible so that you can provide an informed response.
I guess the main question is: Are they supposed to disclose what I say to them, and say words to the effect 'oh look he's saying this about you, or about this situation what do you say'.
Also in regards to her mental health, she has been asked to visit a psychiatrist, but refuses to do so. I have put it to them, that if she refuses to attend the matter needs to be escalated to the point that if she continues to refuse, than she has to be sectioned, but they are ignoring this. Can anything be done about this too?
Thank you for any assistance and advise.