Visit by social worker to ex's home

[1980LibraG]

My 9yr old lives with my ex and their other older kids. I raised some safeguarding concerns with my childs school via a receptionist waiting for a call from teacher and they reported back to my ex without contacting me to discuss my child.
My ex has told me they are having a social worker doing spot checks at home already but i have never been notified about this. Granted Ive not lived there for over 16 months but they are still my child so why have I not been notified of this. is this right? Should I not be informed if there is an issue at my childs home?
Also are the school within their rights to report my issues about safeguarding back to my ex instead of discussing this with me?

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear 1980LibraG

Welcome to the parents’ discussion board. Thank you for your post. My name is Suzie and I am Family Rights Group’s online adviser.

I am sorry to hear that you have recently had safeguarding concerns about your 9 year old child who lives with their other parent. As you were worried, you raised your concerns with the school receptionist. You were expecting to be contacted by a teacher but instead the school contacted your ex-partner. You want to know if the school had the right to do this.

You have since been told by your ex-partner that children’s services are already involved. They told you that a social worker has been doing unannounced home visits. You were not aware of this and understandably are questioning why children’s services did not tell you that they were involved with your child.

I am assuming that you are a parent with parental responsibility for your child. You don’t say whether there is a Child Arrangement Order in place for your child to live with their other parent, or whether this is by agreement between both parents.

Either way, as you were worried about your child, you did the right thing by letting their school know. I think that it would have been better if the school had told you what action they were going to take before they got in touch with the parent the child lives with. You have not said that the safeguarding concern was. I cannot comment on whether the school acted appropriately or not. We do not advise on school issues. However, this has caused you some distress and concern. I would suggest that you contact the safeguarding lead at your child’s school to ask for a copy of their policy and also to ask them to let you know why they took the decision they did. You might want to ask for a meeting to discuss this or you may prefer to ask in writing. If you would like more advice about working with your child’s school or if you are considering making a complaint you can contact Child Law Advice Education by calling 0300 330 5485, Mon to Fri, 10 am to 4 pm, by email, or by webchat.

Children’s services are required to work in partnership with parents when assessing children’s needs or where there is a plan in place to support them. So, they would be expected to let a parent know that they are involved and to include them in any assessment or support plan, if they have their contact details, unless there was an exceptional reason not to. Also as you mention that the social worker is conducting ‘spot checks’ this suggests that there may be a child protection enquiries or process taking place.

My advice is that you contact children’s services directly, provide your contact details, confirm that you are the child’s parent and ask that they provide you with information about the length and nature of their current involvement and how you can be fully included in the process, as a concerned parent. You can ask children’s services to clarify why you were not informed that they were working with your child.

I am enclosing a link to how children’s services work and also to our parents’ pages too to assist you.

If you need any further advice about children’s services then you can contact the advice service in one of the following ways:
• Post again on this forum
• Call our freephone advice line on 0808 8010366, Mon to Fri, 9.30 am to 3.00 pm (except bank holidays)
• Send an advice enquiry
• Use our webchat facility

I hope that your child is safe and well and that you are properly updated about their situation so that you can support them.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes

Suzie

[1980LibraG]

Thank you.
We do not have a formal arrangement but I am involved in my childs care and they stay with me weekends.
Safegauarding issue is with drink issues with other parent and drugs in the home from other older children and visitors to the home and issues with the various different people that collect my child from school.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear 1980LibraG,

Thank you for your further post in which you have explained that your arrangements with your ex-partner around your child are informal.
I hope that the information in the previous reply was of use.

Should you wish to seek a formal arrangement around care of your child at any point in the future you can
find information on the Child Law Advice website on Child Arrangements Orders here

Please follow this link for details of ways to seek further advice
Further ways to seek advice from Family Rights Group

Best wishes,
Suzie