Hi all,
Long story short my niece was places in foster care and is still there we have a family and friends assessment to have her but come back negative…! We have sent back disagreements to fine out why with still no response 4 weeks later …?!? I was very lucky that I would allow to see her and take her to a joint volunteering club that well both do weekly. 4 weeks ago I was ask by her foster care if I would have her for some days over Christmas.! Of course I said yes …! She said she would feedback to Sw and get her to ring me …!! 2 weeks later she phone to ask me again i said yes so was going to sort out time and date with foster carer and a contact of expectation. Roll on a week and on Tuesday she phone and says that my niece is moving over an hour away …! And didn’t want to stay with me over Christmas …! When I asked me niece she said she wasn’t ask …! They Wanted her to settle and would get back to me about Christmas contact but it would still happen …! So today I get a phone call in which she tell me that my niece has said that she doesn’t want to come for Christmas contact tomorrow …!!!
I ask my niece and she told me that the sw was sorting it out …! So I ask her is she said she didn’t want to come and she told me she did she was looking forward to see us all ….!! We tried to phone the sw back and her phone it off …!
Sorry for the rant but this isn’t the first time we have been lie to by the sw. My brother currently has a complaint in with the complaint team but any help for me and my partner would be great I just don’t know what to do from here.
ccosyuk
Failed assessment and lieing social worker
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0604ccosyuk
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2021 3:33 pm
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Suzie, FRG Adviser
- Posts: 953
- Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:25 pm
Re: Failed assessment and lieing social worker
Dear 0604ccosyuk
Welcome to the kinship carers discussion forum and thank you for posting.
My name is Suzie, online adviser at Family Rights Group. I see from your post that you are having difficulty with contact to your niece who is currently in foster care. Also, I note that you have challenged the negative outcome of an assessment for your niece to be in your care. You may find it helpful to read information here about challenging a negative assessment. Template letter number 3 maybe the most appropriate in your situation depending on the type of assessment which was negative.
I am assuming that there are ongoing proceedings since you are challenging the assessment. It is not clear from your post if your niece in under an interim care order or a final care order. You mention that you were told your niece would be moving an hour away and, as such, this is because children’s services share parental responsibility under a court order and can make decisions about where your niece lives. It is also possible for your niece to be in foster care without an order if there is a voluntary agreement (under what is known as s.20) in place with her parent(s)
Regarding the arrangements for contact over the Christmas period, I am sorry that this may not have happened which, from the timeline in your post suggests there would not be enough time to decide if she has moved. If she is still with the same foster carers means she would not need time to settle with new people. It is usually the case that if a child moves into a new placement, children’s services would suggest that they settle in first before contact with family resumes. This does not seem to be the case for your niece.
Children’s services have certain duties when a child is in their care and one of them is to promote contact between the child, parents, and other family members with whom they have a relationship. As you have been having contact this suggests that it is in your niece’s interest to have contact. I suggest you get in touch with the social worker’s team manager as well as the independent reviewing officer (IRO) to arrange a meeting to discuss the difficulties with contact over the Christmas period and going forward. It would be best to put your concerns in writing for clarity.
I have included a link to our website for more information about the duties children’s services have when children are in their care. Please see here
If the case is still ongoing the information here will also be helpful
You do not say how old your niece is but it may be helpful for her, dependent on her age of course, to have an advocate if she thinks her views are not taken into account. This organisation offers advocacy service to children in care.
Should you wish to speak with one of our advisers, please telephone our free confidential advice line on 0808 801 0366. The advice line is open from 9.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays).
I hope you find this helpful.
Best wishes
Suzie
https://frg.org.uk/get-help-and-advice/ ... r-families
https://coramvoice.org.uk/
https://frg.org.uk/get-help-and-advice/ ... oceedings/
https://frg.org.uk/get-help-and-advice/ ... urt-order/
https://frg.org.uk/get-help-and-advice/ ... en-in-care
Welcome to the kinship carers discussion forum and thank you for posting.
My name is Suzie, online adviser at Family Rights Group. I see from your post that you are having difficulty with contact to your niece who is currently in foster care. Also, I note that you have challenged the negative outcome of an assessment for your niece to be in your care. You may find it helpful to read information here about challenging a negative assessment. Template letter number 3 maybe the most appropriate in your situation depending on the type of assessment which was negative.
I am assuming that there are ongoing proceedings since you are challenging the assessment. It is not clear from your post if your niece in under an interim care order or a final care order. You mention that you were told your niece would be moving an hour away and, as such, this is because children’s services share parental responsibility under a court order and can make decisions about where your niece lives. It is also possible for your niece to be in foster care without an order if there is a voluntary agreement (under what is known as s.20) in place with her parent(s)
Regarding the arrangements for contact over the Christmas period, I am sorry that this may not have happened which, from the timeline in your post suggests there would not be enough time to decide if she has moved. If she is still with the same foster carers means she would not need time to settle with new people. It is usually the case that if a child moves into a new placement, children’s services would suggest that they settle in first before contact with family resumes. This does not seem to be the case for your niece.
Children’s services have certain duties when a child is in their care and one of them is to promote contact between the child, parents, and other family members with whom they have a relationship. As you have been having contact this suggests that it is in your niece’s interest to have contact. I suggest you get in touch with the social worker’s team manager as well as the independent reviewing officer (IRO) to arrange a meeting to discuss the difficulties with contact over the Christmas period and going forward. It would be best to put your concerns in writing for clarity.
I have included a link to our website for more information about the duties children’s services have when children are in their care. Please see here
If the case is still ongoing the information here will also be helpful
You do not say how old your niece is but it may be helpful for her, dependent on her age of course, to have an advocate if she thinks her views are not taken into account. This organisation offers advocacy service to children in care.
Should you wish to speak with one of our advisers, please telephone our free confidential advice line on 0808 801 0366. The advice line is open from 9.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays).
I hope you find this helpful.
Best wishes
Suzie
https://frg.org.uk/get-help-and-advice/ ... r-families
https://coramvoice.org.uk/
https://frg.org.uk/get-help-and-advice/ ... oceedings/
https://frg.org.uk/get-help-and-advice/ ... urt-order/
https://frg.org.uk/get-help-and-advice/ ... en-in-care
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