Forced Contact with Parental Family

[KatKat10]

I have raised serious safeguarding concerns with the SW and Childrens Guardian, which only now appears to be taken seriously. SW is pushing for parental family contact. I don't want to go into to many details, as this risks my identity.

I have asked for the background of a particular family member to be looked into by the SW. It is quite clear that no checks have been made with that persons LA as to their background and a PNC check has not been done. Basically they have taken that persons word for it. I am convinced further investigation will un earth serious concerns, as there are a number of red flags. My children would be at risk if unsupervised contact was granted to this individual.

Can I contact the LA of where the person lives to raise my concerns that my LA is trying to force contact. Essentially if there was a safeguarding risk, the LA of where my children would have contact should be notified. Worst case scenario, if anything were to happen to my children while in another LA, what are the consequences of both LA's. Would both be liable or would it just be my LA?

I informed Children's Services of a piece of information they were not previously aware of, relating to this individual and are asking me questions about it. A quick Google search would bring up this information, so it is clear they haven't even bothered with Google. They continue to question and doubt information I provide them.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear KatKat10

Thank you for your further post.

You are very worried about proposed contact between your children and their extended family. I think your concern is about paternal family? You have proactively shared your concerns with children’s services but are unhappy with their response. You have asked for checks, including police checks, to be made into someone’s background and believe that this would flag up serious concerns.

I understand that there is an interim supervision order in place for your children so there should be opportunities to meet with children’s services and the other professionals involved to discuss your concerns and to query their response.

In addition, as there is an ongoing court case I would recommend that you ensure your solicitor is aware of these concerns and that you think children’s services are not responding robustly enough to them. Your solicitor can also make sure that the court has this information and represent your views to court. You stated that the Guardian is already aware of the information you have shared so will also consider it and the implications for any recommended contact.

If need be, you can also discuss with your solicitor whether you want to make a complaint to children’s services about this particular issue if you think that that children’s services are not acting properly on the information you have given them and that you are worried that your children could potentially be put at risk by this. I know that you are thinking about making a complaint about other issues but this seems to be a separate, specific matter.

The area where your children live is the responsible local authority for your children so if they had serious concerns for your children’s welfare in another area they should inform them directly. You could formally ask if they have done so or intend to do so. There is nothing to stop you getting in touch with the other local authority, but as the children do not live there they will not become actively involved as your local authority is the responsible service . The other local authority will not be involved in making the decisions about contact. They would however have to respond to any incident that happened in their area which required an urgent children’s services response.

It is important that you continue to share any relevant information with children’s services and that you ensure that they are clear with you about their response to this and what action they are going to or not going to take and why.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes

Suzie

[KatKat10]

Thank you Suzie for your reply.

CS are now being forced to do these checks, if they had been done in the first place when I raised these concerns, then they wouldn't have to be chasing their tails now. I find it bizarre that they have spent so much time poking around into my business trying to find other concerns. But when I point out the safeguarding concerns relating to an individual that they are trying to force through, they don't take it seriously.

All concerns I have raised can be factually checked via police, the LA and other sources. If they submit a false report to the courts without checking details, it will be the LA that will held to account if they force through contact and something happens to my child.

[KatKat10]

So quick update from me. So checks have been done and some very interesting information has come to light on the concerns I have raised. I won't go into too many details. It appears there was a gang related incident late last year involving a teenager who resides at the address, which does not look like it has been followed up by the relevant LA. Drug related incidents at the home etc, including admittance of cannabis use, which was denied before. The SW is taking that persons word for it, that they will stop smoking it. Despite all this the SW is pushing for contact and the recommendations made are that the SW sees no risk. It looks like the failings of the other LA to follow up the incident have now impacted the risk assessment the SW has down on the paternal family, concluding there is not a risk. If you saw this document, you would wonder why the SW is supporting the paternal family and not me and my children. It is almost like they have formed a friendship! Apparently the criminal record is as clean as a whistle, but I have yet to see that document, as surprise surprise it has not been filed. Something stinks!