Dear Mumtobe2024Mumtobe2024 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 15, 2024 11:17 am I’m also going through hell thanks to social services. I’ve been with my husband for 7 years. He texted a girl under 16 inciting sex when he was 19, he is now 36 and no crimes have been committed since. They never even made assessments of us before issuing a PLO letter, when we have been compliant all along and only wanted to work with them regarding our unborn baby.
The letter says to avoid going to court, I must only allow him supervised contact. I’m really hoping that I can act as ‘supervision’ as we can live together like a normal family.
Welcome to Family Rights Group parents’ discussion forum and thank you for posting.
My name is Suzie, online adviser at Family Rights Group and will respond to your post. I am sorry that you feel that you are ‘going through hell’ due to children’s ser-vices (the new name for social services) involvement with you and your husband.
You mention that your husband of 7 years committed a crime at 19 which involved inciting sex with a child under 16. However, it is not mentioned whether he was convicted or placed on the sex offenders’ register at the time.
It is surprising that children’s services issued a PLO (public law outline) letter with-out carrying out any kind of assessment. Is it the case that, although you state that you have been compliant and wanted to work with children’s services that they have taken the view that you are not able to work with professionals. Do you have any other children living with you about whom children’s services may have concerns and suggest supervised contact? Sometimes children’s services will require this whilst they carry out an assessment.
Unfortunately, you do not say what you and your husband has been asked to do or how far into your pregnancy you are now. Was there a safety plan or agreement and did anything happen to cause concern.
From the thread you have posted on it seems that you had a child protection conference and it likely to be failure to work with the plan that children' services have issued a PLO letter.
Normally, when children’s services receive a referral, a decision will be made regarding the way the case will be dealt that is, what assessment will be done. As you are pregnant a pre-birth assessment would be done, and unborn baby placed on a child in need or child protection plan. If it is considered that the expectant parents are not engaging or cooperating with the process, children’s services might decision to go down the PLO (pre proceedings) route. As you have been given a PLO letter, I suggest you and your husband to find different solicitors to attend the meeting with you. The letter you received from children’s services may have provided a list of solicitors but if you prefer to choose your solicitor you could ask family or friends to recommend one or you can visit the Law Society’s website, find a solicitor to do so.
If you wish to be considered as able to safely supervise contact, then you will need to illustrate to children’s services that you are a protective parent. You may find it helpful to contact the Lucy Faithfull Foundation on 0808 100 0900 as they offer advice to both the offending and non-offending person where there has been sexual offending. You can also read information on the website parents protect .
Whether or not you and your husband continue to live together will depend on the outcome of any risk assessment that children’s services carry out.
I hope you find this helpful but should you wish to speak to an adviser you can telephone our free confidential advice line on 0808 802 0366. The advice line is open from 9.30am to 3.00pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays)
Best wishes
Suzie