Sgo assessment being inconclusive

[Strugglingnan]

Good afternoon every one we are trying to get custody of our grandson we have completed an sgo assessment and we still haven't seen the report and court I Monday now la are going to push for him to be put into foster care.

He's only 10 months old and we are bonded with him but are not part of the court proceedings is there anything we can do to have our voice listened to at court

[Robin D]

Hi Strugglingnan, and welcome. I am sure you are beside yourself with worry. To be clear I am not an advisor working for FRG, but the web site is not normally monitored over the weekend, and if I read your post correctly, when you say your grandson is bonded with you, I am assuming that you have him placed with you. If 10 months old, and he has been with you for any amount of time, then the risk of breaking that bond is very high for the wellbeing of the child. The advice I offer below is based on the assumption that you have the little lad and that has been for a significant proportion of his young life. I also assume you have only recently been advised of the SW plans. Time is of the essence so if I give poor advice I apologise now.

I am further assuming that they are not proposing yourselves as the foster parents but stranger foster parents? You need to be clear on this point.

My primary thinking is that you need to be party to the proceedings as a significant person in the child's life. I understand the court hearing in Monday giving no time for you to seek legal advice. I suggest you need to find a way to be at the court when it opens Monday. Ask for the court office and get them to help you complete an application to be joined as a party to the proceedings. There is a fee for this but it's not a huge amount of money. Generally, the staff are very helpful. You could also ask that the planned hearing is adjourned such that you, as a prospective party, and as a significant person in the child's life can seek proper legal advice. Unfortunately, the latter will cost more, but may well be an investment you are prepared to make. You need to push the fact that you have a bond with the child and that it is proven fact that breaking early attachments causes trauma to the child that is likely to last into adulthood. You cannot overstate this. I am assuming the poor little mite either never bonded with either parent, of if that bond was there, it was broken. Look up attachment disorder, but it's a complex subject.

To find a solicitor see https://frg.org.uk/get-help-and-advice/ ... solicitor/. Ensure you read the bit about children's law accreditation. That page also takes you to the search for solicitor page. You might want to take details with you Monday so you could ring from the court. Also ask the court if a solicitor has been appointed for the child? This is like to be done through CAFCASS if they are involved.

Once you are party, you get to see everything that is given to the court. You do not need to be legally represented although it may be helpful if things really become contested.

My suspicion is that the local authority are looking for adoption as a 10 month-old is easily placed and helps against the adoption targets set down by the government. Plenty of examples here where that 'parallel plan' has been overturned by friends and family.

You may also want to ring the advice line - open Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 3pm (excluding Bank Holidays) on 0808 801 0366. If you do, please refer the advisor to this tread. I suggest you take the number with you to the court along with the possible solicitor numbers. If you can, I suggest not taking the child. You need to leave them with someone you trust implicitly.

Please use the weekend to do some homework and write down some notes. You may find reading https://frg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2 ... edings.pdf useful.

Hopefully this is of some help but please find time for the child this weekend hopefully without him picking up under the stress you feel under.

Good luck ... Robin

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Good afternoon every one we are trying to get custody of our grandson we have completed an sgo assessment and we still haven't seen the report and court I Monday now la are going to push for him to be put into foster care.

He's only 10 months old and we are bonded with him but are not part of the court proceedings is there anything we can do to have our voice listened to at court

Dear Strugglingnan

Thank you for your post and welcome to the Board.

I am sorry to read that children’s services in your grandson’s area have made an application to court for an order, from what you describe they may have applied for an interim care order. If this is the case, please read our webpages about care and related proceedings, you can find them here.

You have said that an assessment was being done with the view of a special guardianship order being given to you, but you are yet to see the assessment. Here is our good practice guide , it may give you an idea of what might happen next. Here too is a link to our advice sheets about special guardianship orders and our webpages for Kinship Carers.

From what you have said about the assessment children’s services have not ruled you out and (I imagine) that you have the support of the parents who may want their child to live with you if he is not able to stay in their care throughout the court process.

May I ask if your family have been offered a family group conference? It may be helpful to ask your grandson’s parents about this.

I hope this information will be helpful.

Best wishes

Suzie