Any info please

[ConsUK]

Hi, I'm a father of a 2 years old son and now I am under police investigation for possession of iioc with precharge bail with conditions. My bail was extended with an application to court to 6 months but as well I need to answer to bail in few days even that my bail was just extended to December, somebody knows what that could mean ? ( I sent as well to court that form to appeal to bail extension).
The children services were also involved from the first day of the police intervention (June) with almost 0 communication with me and a very non clear communication with my wife. Now they sent a letter to my wife in which they are saying that they have close the case adding some conditions, they are considering that there's no need for the my son to be a "child in need" as my wife can protect him and because she have got universal credit they dont need any financial help.
What does it mean this "case closed" , they will not interfere in my son and my wife life anymore but they will stay on my life ? Those conditions they will be permanent? In the case that they will be breach they will come back ? In my bail is saying: NOT TO HAVE ANY UNSUPERVISED CONTACT OF ANY KIND WITH ANY CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF 18. ANY CONTACT MUST BE SUPERVISED BY A PARENT/GUARDIAN WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE INVESTIGATION AND THESE CONDITIONS AND UNDER DIRECTION OF SOCIAL SERVICES. But in that letter from social services they saying that I'm not allowed to have contact in our house, just outside on community and until 7pm. And even if the police will not charge me my wife should think if to receive me home or not.
Thank you, please any info would be helpful.

[ConsUK]

Any advice please?

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear ConsUK

Welcome to the parents’ discussion forum and thank you for posting.

My name is Suzie, online adviser at Family Rights Group.

I see from your post that you are currently on bail as the policing are investigating you for having indecent images of children. Children’s services has been involved from the beginning as the police would have made a referral to them because of your son.

Children’s services has now decided to close the case relating to your children but there are conditions. It may be that as you are not in the home and there are bail conditions in place that children’s services have decided that your wife is able to safeguard the children of the family.

You wish to know what ‘case closed’ means. From children’s services point of view they are not going to be actively involved with your wife and child. The allocated social worker will not be having meetings with your wife or seeing the children. It is very important that your wife adheres to the conditions that children’s services as set out as part of their safety plan. Failure on her part to do so, could lead to children’s services deciding that she is not able to protect the child and they could decide to become more involved, possibly carrying out child protection investigations.

If the police decide that you will not be charged and your wife decides that she wishes to have you back home and continue her relationship with you, children’s services is likely to become involved as they are likely to consider it necessary to carry out a risk assessment of you. It is important to that you understand that even if the police does not charge you, children’s services concerns in respect of safeguarding are unlikely to end. This is why they would want to do a risk assessment.

Children’s services and the police are looking at different things. The police is looking for evidence which would support a successful prosecution the test for a criminal offence is beyond reasonable doubt. Children’s services have a safeguarding role and the fact that there is insufficient evidence for a criminal charge does not mean they will have no further concerns. The test in civil cases is on the balance of probabilities, that means that something is more likely to have happened than not.

It is important that your wife is open with children’s services about the plans you both have for you future rather than simply having you back in the home. Your wife can ask the social worker about how long the safety plan will be in place as it would not be unreasonable to have an end date.

You may find it helpful to contact the Lucy Faithfull Foundation on 0808 100 0900 for advice about you current circumstances as they offer advice in respect of sexual offences.

Our advice sheets An introductory guide to Children’s Services, Family support and Child protection procedures should help you to understand more about children’s services procedures as well as child in need and child protection.

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

[ConsUK]

Hi Suzie, thank you for your reply but is still unclear for me with the conditions because ss have imposed extra conditions beside the one that was imposed by the police , there is one example above , so who should I listen to?

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear ConsUK

I understand your concern about the conditions that Children’s Services have set which are different from those the police have set out. As we mentioned earlier the police and Children’s Services work to different outcomes, simply put (or generally speaking) one of the roles of police work to is to detect crime and assist in bringing a prosecution for a crime that may have been committed by an individual – we may say ‘not guilty or guilty’. Children’s Services work to a ‘balance of possibilities’ which in every day terms may say that ‘even though the police have not found enough evidence to suggest that the matter go to court (yet or in the future) the fact that something warranting their attention was alleged/or an act was committed is enough to say that ‘it is likely’ that the individual was involved or instigated an act which may pose a risk to a child or children.

My suggestion as before is that you listen to both ‘agencies’ but ask each of them for clarity around their guidelines and if possible in the case of Children’s Services you (or your wife) ask for written confirmation of the conditions they are setting or have set including any changes they may foresee in the future.

I hope this clarifies further. Do look at Lucy Faithfull as their website may be useful to you.

Best wishes

Suzie

[ConsUK]

Thank you again for reply , I have asked but looks like a dead end trying to get an answer from both side , last time police said to get more info from ss but from then (few weeks ago) nobody answer to phone or emails on both sides. Ss said to my wife last time "we closed the case , we can't help you anymore" . We can't get in touch with nobody from September, looks like ss they passed the case to another agency something call family protection ( Wales)