Negative Special Guardianship Assessment
Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2021 1:02 pm
Hello:
My husband and I have received both negative Viability and Special Guardianship assessments. Our granddaughter has been in foster care for the last 5 months. Last month she was moved to a foster to adopt home. We, maternal grandparents have been prevented from having contact with the baby from the age of 10 days. Childrens Social Services have been relentlessly biased and discriminating towards us from the word go.
They have lied and made false unsubstantiated allegations about us in every court hearing which we have been excluded from. The result of the SGA was negative in the Independent Social Worker's opinion because we are old (69 & 68 years old); I have arthritis (well under control), my husband who runs his own business has COPD (again well under control); and very importantly we do not have a "young" local support network that could lend a hand if needed at short notice. They way she is portraying us in her report is we are old, decrepit hermits.
We have sent letters and emails to local councillors, head of social services and even contact our local MP expressing our dissatisfaction at the way the whole case has been handled. We have been threatened with contempt of court and possibility of imprisonment if we make our case public. The appalling record of Childrens Social Services in our area has been featured in the local press and TV news.
We are now told that if we want to challenge this report, we have to write to the court, the local authority explaining the facts we are disputing by 4th October by 4:00pm. They urge we get a solicitor to represent us. We contacted one after the negative viability assessment who after charging £160 for 1hour conversation told us "we have no legal rights" and we should contact our daughter's solicitor who should work along with us. We did but she would not do so. Two months or so ago, she up and left the firm without notifying our daughter. We have made enquiries again and not only we don't qualify for Legal Aid but have to pay before even being considered on top of extra £12 per person so that a third party company carry out a people search.
Can you advise us as to whether we can represent ourselves and challenge without having a solicitor ?
My husband and I have received both negative Viability and Special Guardianship assessments. Our granddaughter has been in foster care for the last 5 months. Last month she was moved to a foster to adopt home. We, maternal grandparents have been prevented from having contact with the baby from the age of 10 days. Childrens Social Services have been relentlessly biased and discriminating towards us from the word go.
They have lied and made false unsubstantiated allegations about us in every court hearing which we have been excluded from. The result of the SGA was negative in the Independent Social Worker's opinion because we are old (69 & 68 years old); I have arthritis (well under control), my husband who runs his own business has COPD (again well under control); and very importantly we do not have a "young" local support network that could lend a hand if needed at short notice. They way she is portraying us in her report is we are old, decrepit hermits.
We have sent letters and emails to local councillors, head of social services and even contact our local MP expressing our dissatisfaction at the way the whole case has been handled. We have been threatened with contempt of court and possibility of imprisonment if we make our case public. The appalling record of Childrens Social Services in our area has been featured in the local press and TV news.
We are now told that if we want to challenge this report, we have to write to the court, the local authority explaining the facts we are disputing by 4th October by 4:00pm. They urge we get a solicitor to represent us. We contacted one after the negative viability assessment who after charging £160 for 1hour conversation told us "we have no legal rights" and we should contact our daughter's solicitor who should work along with us. We did but she would not do so. Two months or so ago, she up and left the firm without notifying our daughter. We have made enquiries again and not only we don't qualify for Legal Aid but have to pay before even being considered on top of extra £12 per person so that a third party company carry out a people search.
Can you advise us as to whether we can represent ourselves and challenge without having a solicitor ?