Child in need but reports from neighbours may trigger Child protection.

[Silvecloud111]

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[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Silvecloud111

Welcome back to the parents’ discussion board and thank you for your post.

Your children have a child in need plan at present. This is voluntary and must be agreed with you. The social worker has received new information from a neighbour making allegations against you. You disagree with many of the allegations raised and can provide explanations. You explained that there are also errors in the child in need report including details of two children who are not yours. I would recommend that you send an email to the social worker to:

• Acknowledge that your children’s welfare is your main concern and that you understand that their social worker must look into the allegations raised.
• Respond briefly to the allegations made.
• Provide your explanation for the concerns you can account for.
• Provide context e.g. that your baby was teething.
• Your sister allegedly being drunk at your home is only a serious concern if it was stated how her behaviour harmed or frightened your children or if you were unable to manage her behaviour to keep your children safe.

If the social worker were concerned enough about the allegations then your children’s case could have escalated to a new child protection investigation. However, from what you say it has remained at a child in need level.

In relation to the assessment report, you should:

• Set out any factual errors in the report and request that it is amended to show the correct information.
• Highlight the data protection issue of children’s details being wrongly included in your children’s report.
• Ask for children’s services to respond to you about this and let you have a copy of any amendments agreed.

The concern about you disregarding the allegation about your partner may be more serious though. As the allegation is about your partner, children’s services will look to you to be protective and to accept a possibility of risk. We discussed this issue in previous posts so have a look back at my responses to them.

You are worried about the possibility that your baby could be adopted. This must be distressing for you. However, your case is classed as child in need and so this is not likely unless there were further much more serious concerns. Only the court can agree to a child being adopted and even then it is always a last resort. The law is clear that children are best cared for by their parent/s, or in their family network, as long as this is safe and in their best interests. So the best thing to do is to focus on cooperating with the current child in need plan, working towards this coming to an end when the identified work is completed or the right support is put in place.

I hope this helps.

Please post again or call the freephone advice line if you have any further queries. The advice line is open from 9.30 am to 3.00 pm, Mon to Fri (except bank holidays) on freephone 0808 8010366.

Best wishes

Suzie