Family Rights Group | Parents’ Forum

My brother found out that his ex partner (previous to this there were issues of neglect) is living with a sex offender ( sex assault on an adult) who has a history of violence( battered 2 previous partners), he removed his children from the house ( due to several issues, including said sex offender shoving the 8 year olds face into a full plate of dinner and saying it was a joke) and now social services are involved. Advice please. My brothers aim is to have full custody, his ex won't separate from the sex offender. The children are currently with my brother, their father.

Never a good thing to read about situations like this. Fortunately the children are in a significantly safer situation than they were in.

From the limited information that is available in what you've said it still seems pretty much clear what's likely to happen.

Children's Services will not let the children back into the house with the sex offender, and as the ex is not going to separate she could have children taken from her. From what I'm aware children normally stay within the same family environment so Childrens Services or yourselves could look at Child Arrangement Orders or Special Guardianship Orders. Information on them can be found on the Advice Sheets numbers 18 and 19.

Hope this helps.

TP

Thank you x

Dear Niccied

Welcome to the Parents’ Discussion Forum. My name is Suzie online adviser at Family Rights Group.

It must have been difficult for your brother to learn about the treatment his children were being subjected to by their mother’s partner.

As he was concerned about the risk that the mother’s partner could pose to the children, he took the best step to ensure that they were not exposed to risk of harm. The partner's actions towards the 8 year old would be considered wholly inappropriate.

With children services (new name for social services) involved, they have a duty to ensure that the children are safeguarded and live in an environment in which they are safe and not liable to suffer harm. Once children services receives a referral about the care children are receiving they have specific duties as to what action they will take. Please see our advice sheet regarding their duties here
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If the children’s mother is unwilling to separate from her current partner, which it is possible children services may ask her to do, then she will not be considered a protective factor for the children. They will have to assess the mother’s ability to parent the children and if she requests it, carry out a risk assessment of her partner, taking account of his background, to see the level of risk he poses to the children. You may find our advice sheet about child protection procedures helpful.

Children Services could encourage your brother to apply to the court for a child arrangement order for the children to remain in his care if they decide the children should not return to their mother. Please contact this organisation for more information about making an application for a child arrangement order. You have also been given some helpful suggestions from TonyP in response to your post as well as links to our do-it-yourself advice sheets.

Should you or your brother wish to speak to an adviser about children services involvement, please telephone our free, confidential advice line on 0808 801 0366. The advice line is open Monday to Friday from 9.30 a.m to 3.00 p.m.

I hope you will find this information helpful.

Best wishes

Suzie