Connected persons assessment

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Devotedgrandma
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Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2016 5:53 pm

Connected persons assessment

Post by Devotedgrandma » Wed Apr 27, 2016 9:56 pm

Hi, I'm new to the board.,
My husband and I have been recommended by SS to care for grandchild who is currently in care. We had him previously living with us the first time he was in care before returning to parent.
Can anyone explain process, we passed viability assessment even though failed it before, also do they take into account what child parent says about us (this changes from positive to negative however they are 100% behind child coming to us. There have been issues with child's parent growing up however they always turn to us for help. Is this positive that SS recommend us

Devotedgrandma
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2016 5:53 pm

Re: Connected persons assessment

Post by Devotedgrandma » Thu Apr 28, 2016 6:58 am

Thanks for your reply, I hope your right, because I'm bp stepparent I'm concerned they will think that behaviour and issues we had with bp that they will happen again with grandchild however we have never had problems with my biological child even thou I think of stepchild as mine. Even thou SS know of all issues they still recommend us so is that positive, really worried what to say at assessment as grandchild is so very very important to us and vice versa

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Suzie, FRG Adviser
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Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:25 pm

Re: Connected persons assessment

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Fri Apr 29, 2016 3:27 pm

Dear Devotedgrandma

Welcome to the Family and Friends Carers’ discussion forum.

My name is Suzie online adviser at Family Rights Group.

You are clearly hoping that you will be able to care for your grandson rather than him remaining in local authority care. It is not clear from your post whether there are ongoing care proceedings in respect of your grandson but it is really good that you have had a positive viability assessment now. This means that Children Services (new name for Social Services) will now carry out a more in depth assessment which you might find intrusive as they will be looking into your background; health, and parenting of your own child (ren).

If you are being assessed for a special guardianship order a copy of our advice sheet is here for your further information. This advice sheet explains the assessment process and what must be looked at for the assessment report (see page 54). You might also like to read our frequently asked questions about caring for someone else’s child.

Once the social worker carrying out the assessment has completed the report a recommendation will be made as to whether you are able to be long term carers for your grandson. Whilst the social worker is carrying out the assessment you should also be assessed for a support package with the special guardianship order. As your grandson is a looked after child whether in care voluntarily or under a court order, Children Services should look at the child’s needs and your ability to provide for these. The support package can include things like support he might need in the future e.g. therapy, a financial payment (special guardianship allowance).
If it is the intention that you will be foster carers, then children services will have the responsibility to provide for your grandson’s needs. You will receive a fostering allowance.

I have included our advice sheets relating to support when someone is looking after someone else’s child and becoming a foster carer.

You have received very good advice from ied53 which is based on her own experience as a grandparent in similar circumstances and I am sure you will find this helpful.

Should you wish to speak to an adviser, please do telephone our free confidential advice line on 0808 801 0366. The advice line is open from 9.30 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. Monday to Friday.

I hope you will find this helpful.

Best wishes,

Suzie

Devotedgrandma
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Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2016 5:53 pm

Re: Connected persons assessment

Post by Devotedgrandma » Tue May 03, 2016 5:01 pm

Hi, thanks for all replies. Can anyone explain process of connected person assesment and is it normal for unsupervised contact to go back to being unsupervised (there a have never been issues with contact), also we always had copies of contact reports when it was supervised before but I have asked for copies of new contact visits bit been told we can't as could be used in court. Help one very very nervous grandma

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Suzie, FRG Adviser
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Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:25 pm

Re: Connected persons assessment

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Wed May 04, 2016 12:07 pm

Dear devotedgrandma,

Thank you for posting back on the forum.

Fostering assessment-what it involves

Here is our advice sheet about friends and family fostering assessments (“connected” assessments).

I am glad that you have now passed the viability assessment. Do you know why you didn’t pass it first of all? It might give insight into something that you might be able to change or improve. But as Irene says passing it now is a positive step.

The advice sheet is really good in telling you all about stage 2 of the assessment. Look at page 6 onwards.
In particular page 9 and 10 have a useful table of what the assessing social worker will concentrate on-so read this and plan ahead.

So for example, how old is your grandson? If he is a toddler:
• is your home made safe for this age?
• Do you know about all the groups that you can take him to in your community? Your local authority may have a list on their website or your local children’s centre or school could advise you about nursery/school places.
• Do you know whether he has any particular health needs? If so, do you know where your local health centre is? What about the health visitor? Did you take him there regularly? Do you know what treatment he might need for a health need?

One of the most important things is being able to protect the child from the parents. So if mum or dad turned up to see the child outside the agreed contact what would you do? Would you report this to children services?

Do you know what the risk of the parent is? You have already shown to put your grandson before mum.

If you have had a health need such as depression, for example, show how you cooperated with treatment and support.
What about family and friends support? Make a list of people who are around to help.
Remember your own experiences of bringing up children. .How did you do this?

Do not be surprised that the social worker might ask you about previous marriages or long term relationships. Why did they break down? They may want to interview your exe partner as well.

Look at page 10 “how to approach the assessment”. It give you tips such as being open and honest –you may need support to help you care for the child. It is important that you can ask for this now to avoid any possible breakdown of a placement later on.

If you pass stage 2, the social worker will then take it to the fostering panel. See page 12 which explains what happens here.

If there are court (care) proceedings you could also go along to the court hearings.

As a connected person you will not automatically be a “party “to the proceedings. But a lot of discussions take place and decisions are made outside the actual court room.

If at any point it looks like you will not be successfully assessed, I would advise you seek legal advice from a solicitor who specialises in children law. You should consider applying to be joined as party to the court proceedings to ask for a re assessment by an independent social worker and to apply for a child arrangements order.


Contact records

If there are court proceedings, then the contact records will be filed in the court proceedings and you can only see them if you are a party to the proceedings or if you were to get the permission of the court.
However, you could make a note in a diary after each contact detailing the date and times, how it went.

If you have any questions, please post back again or call our advice line.

Best wishes,

Suzie

Devotedgrandma
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2016 5:53 pm

Re: Connected persons assessment

Post by Devotedgrandma » Mon May 09, 2016 6:19 pm

Hi can anyone help,update on our situation, SS have contacted my employed and 2 other referees for reference, we are booked in for medical and on 3 courses, is this first or second stage as we still not seen anyone?, also child's mum went to court today for date when assessment on grandchild (medical behavior needs) need to be completed however apparently the court said that if our assessment is wrong we can appeal it, is this normal to be said at court or does that mean that they think it will be fail to foster. I am a worrier.

Devotedgrandma
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2016 5:53 pm

Re: Connected persons assessment

Post by Devotedgrandma » Tue May 10, 2016 6:48 am

Thank you, is this still the first stage as we not met assessor

Nursegear1
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Joined: Fri Jun 04, 2021 10:49 pm

Re: Connected persons assessment

Post by Nursegear1 » Fri Jun 11, 2021 3:04 pm

Need help quickly I have my nephews now for 8 months I passed a short term assessment but want them for a long term ..the ss and guardian both agree in my failed assessment that iam too close to my sister to have them long term iam up in front of the foster panel next week I have spoken to the guardian today and she agrees with ss I have written to the judge in a e mail explaining that I don't agree with assessment..and I need to get a c2 form filled out to attend court but can not afford legal aid everything I said in my assessment was true as both my sister lost a sister in 2018 and become closer but I am willing to move away with her boys for them to stay with us but they want to put my 6 year old nephew for foster care and 16months nephew for adoption the family are devastated my mum tried for assessment but because of her ill health had to pull out no one has tried to help my sister ss lie about a lot of things we are a close family but saying we should of known about her situation both my mum and myself worked at the time and I did not see a lot of her but went to my mums everyday when she was in work I need to know what to do I have such a bond now with my nephews and they want to take them from us

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Suzie, FRG Adviser
Posts: 950
Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:25 pm

Re: Connected persons assessment

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Tue Jul 13, 2021 11:27 am

Dear Nursegear

Welcome to the kinship carers’ discussion board and thank you for your post.

I am very sorry that you did not receive a response to your query sooner as I can see that you were due to go to Fostering Panel back at the end of June. What was the outcome of the panel meeting?

You have done the right thing by letting the court know that you disagree with the outcome of the connected persons’ assessment which I think may have been an assessment of you for foster carer and Special Guardianship? You could ask the court to consider agreeing to a fresh assessment by an independent social worker. You have identified further action that you would take (e.g. moving away) if need be and this could be considered in a new or updated assessment.

Your sister, as the boys’ mother, will have a solicitor representing her and can also ask their advice on how to support you being further assessed as a potential carer for the boys to prevent them being possibly separated and the younger child possibly adopted.

Have you contacted a specialist children law accredited solicitor in connection to the negative assessment?

As some time has passed your situation will have already moved on by now so perhaps you can post an update so that we can give more accurate advice or phone the freephone advice line on 0808 8010366, Mon to Fri, 9.30 am to 3.00 pm.

With best wishes

Suzie

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