Help please Failed negative viability assessment

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Mac11
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2021 7:13 pm

Help please Failed negative viability assessment

Post by Mac11 » Thu Mar 18, 2021 8:55 pm

Can anyone help

I have failed my viability assessment to care for my grandson

How do I challenge this

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Suzie, FRG Adviser
Posts: 948
Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:25 pm

Re: Help please Failed negative viability assessment

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Wed Mar 31, 2021 2:25 pm

Dear Mac1,
Welcome to the Friends and Family Discussion board. I am Suzie, FRG’s online adviser. I am sorry to hear that you failed the viability assessment. This must be very distressing for you.
You can challenge the negative assessment and request a fresh assessment. The best way to do this is by writing an email or letter to the social worker and send a copy to the team manager.

In the letter set out the reasons why you think the assessment was not carried out properly. Also set out any factual inaccuracies in the report.
Please see the template letter I have linked below.

Here is a list of things that should have been considered by the social worker when she was assessing you:
• Your ability to care for the child, including what support you might need from the local authority to help you care. So, look at all your grandchild’s needs (for example, educational and health) and how you will meet them.
• Your relationship with the child’s parents. (Can you put your grandchild before mum or dad?)
• Your relationship to your grandchild.
• Your motivation (why you want to ) to care for the child.
• Your parenting/caring experience and ability.
• Your knowledge of the child's specific needs, including whether you were given enough time to consider any information about the child that was given to you at the time of the assessment. (You might have been in shock and denial when you were told about the risks to your grandchild as the parents may have kept these from you)
• Do you understand the local authority’s concerns? Sometimes relatives as it can be a shock.
• How you will be able to safeguard and protect your grandchild from harm in the future.
• Your attitude to and ability to manage contact with parents, both now and in the future.
• Your own previous or current involvement with children’s services and ability to manage the identified risks the parent(s) pose to the child in light of this.
Here is information about challenging a negative assessment which links off to a template letter you can use.

If there are court (care) proceedings, then there may not be much time. You could ensure that the parent’s solicitors and CAFCASS guardian solicitors has a cpy of your letter as well. You may also have to consider making an application for a Special Guardianship order or a Child Arrangements order within the care proceedings.
You can get legal advice from a solicitor who specialises in children’s law. Please see the Law Society find a solicitor website. You may also be able to get legal aid. Please see our information about legal aid.

Here are some DIY guides (2F an 2C).
I know that I have given a lot of information to you. I strongly advise that you call our advice line on 0808 801 0366 for further advice and support or post again with further information about your situation, so I can give more specific advice.
Kind regards,
Suzie

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