Advice relating to wording of reports.

[roughjustice76]

Hello,

I'm new to the forum.

My fiancee's children are in care due to allegations of abuse against her former partner. I have contact with the children and attend all meetings so am named in Local Authority documentation.

In documentation from LAC meetings - Several reports - the Local Authority, due to incompetence, named me as the partner and linked me with the allegations of abuse. These reports were seen by the children's carers and staff at the schools.

Naturally, I have complained to the local authority who have issued an apology and reworded the documents. I don't feel this addresses the issue though as it happened multiple times and reports were authorised by managers.

LA dismissed my complaint about the SW's conduct in publishing and failing to spot or correct the obvious mistake claiming that as I am not the natural parent I cannot ask for their removal.

The LA has dismissed complaints from my partner about the SW's conduct. Both of her children have said they don't like her but managers claim that there is no documentary evidence confirming they have said that.

I would be grateful for some advice with this.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear roughjustice76

Welcome to Family Rights Group’s parents’ discussion board and thank you for your posts. My name is Suzie, FRG’s online adviser. I am sorry we were not able to respond to you sooner.

You are understandably upset that your details were wrongly linked to your fiancée’s ex-partner about whom there are allegations of abuse. You have made a complaint and children’s services have responded to this; they apologised and reworded the reports. You don’t feel that their response is adequate and they have not upheld your complaint about the social worker’s conduct. They point out that you are not the children’s parent (and presumably do not have parental responsibility for them) so cannot ask for their removal.

You don’t say which stage your complaint reached but unless you have reached the Stage 3 review state you would have the option of asking to progress to the next stage. Please see this advice sheet on complaints for further information. This also explains more about further challenges you can make if you have exhausted this process e.g. complaining to the local government ombudsman . You could also consider contacting the Information Commissioner as you are concerned about how children’s services handled your information and that it was wrong.

Your partner, who is the children’s mother and has parental responsibility, has also raised complaints. If she is asking for her children’s social worker to be changed because she believes the children don’t like her children’s services can consider this but are not obliged to allocate a new social worker. She can, of course, follow the complaints procedure as above. If their mother thinks that the children would benefit from having an advocate to help them whilst they are in care she could ask their Independent Reviewing Officer to recommend this.

It is unclear from your post whether this is a temporary arrangement or whether a court has made a care order. However, as the children are in foster care – and so will have social work involvement as long as they are - it is important that your partner and you try to find a way of working constructively with children’s services (and that they work openly and fairly with you too) so that you are working together to support the children. Perhaps, if it has not happened already, your partner could ask for a meeting with the key people; social worker, team manager, Independent Reviewing Officer, to try to move forward.

You might find these tips for working with your social worker helpful. We also have a charter of mutual expectations which sets out ideas for how social workers and families can work in partnership together.

I hope this is helpful.

With best wishes

Suzie