Risk

[Lifegoeson]

Del

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Lifegoeson,

Welcome to the Parents Forum.

I can see why you are so worried about your exe having contact with your youngest child. He is clearly very dangerous to you, your children and the public.

You have been given contradictory advice, no wonder you are confused.

These are the possible reasons why children services will want to carry out an assessment:

1. Children services are clear that you cannot be in a relationship with him while you have children living with you. He is too dangerous to you and them.
But because you had originally stated that you still wanted to be with him, children services may want to assess you fully, in case you change your mind.
As part of the assessment, children services should be considering what support you and your children need to be safe from your exe.

For example, is it safe to stay in your own home? Can it be protected with an alarm to the police station, bars on the windows, security cameras and other security measures? Or will you be expected to move out of the area to a confidential address?

Do you have an advocate from a domestic violence organisation
or
Victims Support to help you?

2. A court has stated that he can have supervised contact –Is there a contact order in favour of dad?
Dad may want contact with his daughter when he is out of prison. If so, he may have told probation about this who would have advised children services. That in itself would have triggered a children services assessment-given how dangerous he appears to be.

3. However, given the very serious criminal offences that dad has been convicted of, I am sure that there will be a Multi- Agency Public Protection Arrangements assessment (MAPPA) of him prior to him returning to the community.
As he has a child, this would involve children services assessing his risk to you and also to your children.

Here is information about MAPPA assessments.


I think the social worker is not being clear with you. I suggest you:
• Let him know your worries about your exe and ask him what support can you have in case he comes to your home?
• Tell him that your children come first
• Cooperate with the social worker assessment
• Ask him to explain everything to you
• Ask for an advocate to support you and advise you.

In case children services decide that there should be a child protection investigation, here is some information about child protection .

If you have any questions, please post back or call our advice line on 0808 801 0366.

If you are under 30 years old, we have a Young Parents Advocacy Project and we can help you communicate with your social worker. Here is a referral form.


Best wishes,

Suzie

[Lifegoeson]

Del

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear lifegoeson,

Thank you for posting back and clarifying the situation. Sorry- I certainly had misread your post!

I would like to add the following:

• I can see why you were so worried about the social worker contacting the father. This might place have placed your children at risk of suffering significant harm. The social worker should give careful consideration about the risks to your children, before contacting dad. If your children were to be placed at risk of harm, then he should not be contacted.

• The social worker says there will be trouble if you decide to be in a relationship with your exe. You could ask him to put this in writing, for example in a contract of expectations explaining why this is and what action children services would take.

If you have any questions please post back or call our advice line on 0808 801 0366.

Best wishes,

Suzie