Pre birth assessment

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Outcharles
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2018 9:44 am

Pre birth assessment

Post by Outcharles » Sat Jan 26, 2019 10:20 am

My partner has a charge of neglect on her record for not seeking medical attention for an injury she wasn’t aware, as a result her 2 children where taken off her and custody was given to the father.

We are expecting a baby in July and have recently had contact from social workers regarding a pre birth assessment, which we where aware would happen. I am very worried that if the assessment ends negatively I will lose my child even though I have no charges or criminal record.

If it transpires that the baby could be taken away from us would I be able to take custody of the baby on my own. It’s not something I’d ideally like to do but the alternative is not really an option for me.

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

Re: Pre birth assessment

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Wed Feb 13, 2019 4:20 pm

Dear Outcharles

Thank you for posting on the parents’ discussion forum again.

I am sorry that your post did not receive an earlier response due to a high volume of work.

You and your partner have been informed that there will be a pre-birth assessment and you are worried about how the outcome of this assessment and what this might mean for you and your partner. It is important for you to understand that whilst your partner’s history will be taken into account children’s services will also be looking at where she is now and what changes might have taken place since her conviction.
I think you should remember that failing to notice that a child is injured can itself be of concern.

The position for you and your partner now is that children’s services will want to assess you both to see if there has been sufficient change in your partner and that you have a clear understanding of their concerns. In a previous post you were advised not the take a position that your partner was wrongly convicted. If you were to do so then, there would be concerns about your ability to be a protective parent in the relationship.

Part of the assessment will be to plan what happens before and when the baby is born. It is possible that your child may be placed on a child protection plan before birth. This will depend on the outcome of the assessment.

If your partner has not made sufficient changes or the assessment concludes that she remains a risk then it may be that you will be seen as the protective parent and it may be suggested that you would be the primary carer for the child whilst you are both together.
In the alternative, and in answer to your question about having custody of your child, you could be assessed by children’s services as sole carer for your child. This would involve a parenting assessment but will depend on other factors as well.

The outcome of the pre-birth assessment will inform what children’s services decide to do going forward. My suggestion is that both you and your partner engage positively with the assessment as failure to engage could result in a situation where it is decided that you do not work well with professionals and this could lead to a negative outcome with the assessment.

You have already been referred to our advice sheets 4 and 9 and I suggest that you read these as they will give you a better understanding of the process you are involved in at the moment. Advice sheet 4 relates to family support and 9 to child protection procedures.

Should you wish to speak to an adviser, please telephone our advice line on 0808 801 0366. The advice line is open from 9.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes

Suzie

Outcharles
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2018 9:44 am

Re: Pre birth assessment

Post by Outcharles » Wed Feb 13, 2019 4:38 pm

Hi Suzie
Thanks for your reply, it has eased some of the anxiety surrounding this. You state in you reply that I have been referred to advice sheets 4 and 9 where do I find these as I’m new to the site and I’m unsure.

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

Re: Pre birth assessment

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Thu Feb 14, 2019 10:36 am

Dear Outcharles

I am glad that my reply has been helpful. All of our advice sheets and FAQs are located in the need help or advice section of the website. Here are our advice sheets on family support and child protection.

With best wishes

Suzie

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