Access to own children if on register

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PerfectlySafeDad
Posts: 171
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2016 2:57 am

Access to own children if on register

Post by PerfectlySafeDad » Tue Aug 23, 2016 11:38 pm

Hello, I'm set to be charged with indecent images possession, probably get a community service order or suspended sentence. I'll be on the sex offender's register for 5, 7 or 10 years. 2 and a half if by some miracle I only get cautioned.
I've been told that, regardless or whether the images were anonymous and all girls, and that I am NOT a contact offender and have done nothing whatsoever wrong with my own children (boys) - it is a matter of course that being on the register means I will simply not be allowed to have any unsupervised access to them, including simple things such as going into town with one of them. They are 9 and 11 (the 11 is severely disabled and cannot walk or talk, making him even more vulnerable in the eyes of the CS no doubt). Is this true? No chance of me being allowed unsupervised access to them, despite them wanting this and my wife being willing to allow it?

Mirage
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2016 6:27 am

Re: Access to own children if on register

Post by Mirage » Fri Sep 09, 2016 7:29 am

I'm in a similar situation, my partner was on the register. but came off before our daughter was born. Social services are involved anyway. He is not allowed to be alone with her. And can't do any personal care. They give us a little leeway, he can be alone with her as long as I can hear them. And he still can live with us. But that could change and yes it is very scary.

My only advice is to be honest with them. Work with them. Ask them lot's of questions, for example how you can make this work. What help is available to you and your family. If you seek to help yourself then that is a good thing in their eyes.

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Suzie, FRG Adviser
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Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:57 pm

Re: Access to own children if on register

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Mon Sep 12, 2016 2:12 pm

Dear englishalpinist

Welcome to the Family Rights Group Parents’ Discussion Forum.

My name is Suzie, online adviser, at Family Rights Group. I am sorry that you did not receive a response to your post sooner.

From your post, you appear to be concerned about how your pending case regarding possession of indecent images, is likely to affect contact with your children. This must be a worrying time for you. As there are ongoing criminal proceedings, children services (new name for social services) may want to wait on the outcome of this to inform their decision about contact.

It might be helpful for you to ask your local children services for a copy of their policy relating to sex offenders. I suggest that you request this in writing and keep a copy of your letter.

I am assuming that at the moment children services are carrying child protection enquiries in respect of your children. Are the children on child protection plans at present, or is there an agreement of expectation regarding your contact with the children and what is expected of their mother to safeguard them.

Whether or not you will be able to have unsupervised contact in the future is likely to depend on the outcome of the risk assessment that children services should do as part of their decision making process. Has any risk assessment commenced or is children services waiting for the outcome of your trial to do this? If this has not been discussed, you can ask children services to do a risk assessment.

Your wife at the moment is seen as the protective factor for your children and, as such, she will be expected to cooperate with children services. Is it the case that you and your wife intend, if possible, to reside together with your children? If so, it is even more important that you both ask for the risk assessment to be carried out.

I think it will be really helpful for you, and also your wife. to contact the Lucy Faithfull Foundation here . As this is their area of expertise and they will I am sure be able to give you more information about the situation relation to sex offenders and children services.

Children services’ duty is to ensure that children are brought up in a safe environments. If there is any risk of likely harm then it is possible that direct unsupervised contact could be ruled out. This will depend on what is considered to be in the best interest of the child or children. Their concern is a possibility of harm and their decision making is on this basis.

It is difficult for me to say if you will get unsupervised contact as children services will have to decide after their assessment the level of risk and whether this can be managed.

I am including a copy of our advice sheet about child protection procedures for your information.

Should you wish to speak to an adviser, please 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 this is helpful.

Best wishes

Suzie

Wingingit
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Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2016 9:27 pm

Re: Access to own children if on register

Post by Wingingit » Sat Oct 15, 2016 11:32 pm

Hi
I was just wondering if there was an update on the original post? My husband is due in court this week for a similar offence and I am concerned about the involvement of social services when he is charged.

Thanks.

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Suzie, FRG Adviser
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Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:57 pm

Re: Access to own children if on register

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Mon Oct 17, 2016 2:21 pm

Dear Wingingit

Welcome to the Parents’ Discussion Forum.

My name is Suzie, online adviser, at Family Rights Group.

I see from your two posts on different threads, that you have concerns regarding an offence or offences relating to downloading images. You have made two posts on threads relating to similar situations.

You say your partner is due in court this week and you are concerned about the involvement of children services (new name for social services). If your partner is in court, this means he has already been charged with an offence. Normally, children services would be involved at the beginning of the process since the police would make a referral if there was any children in the family or with whom the accused had regular direct contact. I do not know why children services are not involved at the moment. However, if they do become involved it will be in respect of the risk posed by your partner to any children in the family.

As you have not given very much information, it is difficult to give you detailed advice. You may wish to read our advice sheet which explains the process if children services receive a referral.

Due to the nature of the offence, you could contact the Lucy Faithfull Foundation for more advice regarding sex offending.

You may wish to post again with more information should you require any additional advice. Alternatively, if you wish to speak to an adviser, please do telephone our free, confidential advice line on 0808 801 0366. The advice line is open Monday to Friday from 9.30 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.

I hope this is helpful.

Best wishes

Suzie

PerfectlySafeDad
Posts: 171
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2016 2:57 am

Re: Access to own children if on register

Post by PerfectlySafeDad » Thu Mar 30, 2017 12:06 am

Update:
I got a 3 year community order, 5 years on the register together with an SHPO that allows me unsupervised contact with my wife's consent. Good news - except of course in steps the CS to prohibit it (advise is the word they use to my wife). She will not go against their advice.
Currently, 4 months into my order I can see my children once a fortnight supervised by my wife and other adult, no phone calls allowed to my sons.
The savagery in the name of child protection is quite unbelievable. There is patently no history of abuse of any kind in my family, no contact O with ANY child, I have 2 patently affectionate and happy sons (at least until losing their loss of relationship with their dad inexorably makes its mark on their psyche).
I know my only hope is to cooperate with what may be a nightmarish and protracted series of hoop-jumping to cover their backs, whilst clinging to the hope they will be enlightened and intelligent enough to understand my offences or thought processes simply did not overlap at all to my sons.
I'm not holding my breath, but just comforting myself with the fact in 6 years my elder son will be 16 by which time they cannot stop him. I'd love to see them try even when he's 13.

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Suzie, FRG Adviser
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Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:57 pm

Re: Access to own children if on register

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Tue Apr 04, 2017 4:27 pm

Dear Englishalpinist

Thank you for the updating post following your conviction.

I understand that you may well be frustrated by the fact that children services consider you to be a risk because of the offence you committed and your subsequent sentence. However, children services have a duty to ensure that children are safeguarded and, as such, their main concern is to ensure that children are not put at risk.

I do not know if children's services have completed a risk assessment of you in respect of the contact you able to have with your children or still in the process of doing so. The fact that a sexual harm prevention order was made means there is a possible risk. Below is an extract from the Sentencing Council Guide

In order to make a SHPO, the court must be satisfied that the offender presents a risk of sexual harm to the public (or particular members of the public) and that an order is necessary to protect against this risk. The details of the offence are likely to be a key factor in the court’s decision, together with the offender’s previous convictions and the assessment of risk presented by the national probation service in any pre-sentence report. The court may take into consideration the range of other options available to it in respect of protecting the public. …“

Children’s services have a duty to children to safeguard them and ensure they are protected from risks whether emotional, physical or otherwise and sometimes the processes that have to be gone through can be frustrating to parents. You clearly feel that your actions had nothing to do with your children and, as such, there is no reason for there to be any concern about you harming your children. However, children’s services have to look at the wider picture and have to assess risks, you see this as ‘hoop jumping’ and back covering on their part.

Children’s services' main concern is the child or children and they will do what is necessary to ensure they are safeguarded. You can of course make a complaint if they are not professional in dealing with you professionally or act in a way that you consider to be inappropriate. Children's services are involved with your family because you downloaded images and have a conviction for this. They are looking at safeguarding from that standpoint although I understand your views that your offence did not involve boys or contact, they do have to satisfy themselves in respect of any risk posed.

I do hope that you will be able to continue engaging and cooperating with children’s services and that the outcome of their assessment will a good one for your children and you. I would also suggest that you make contact with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, the organisation that provides advice and support to sex offenders and their families. Their website is here .

I hope you will find this helpful and should you wish to speak to an adviser regarding children’s services, please telephone our advice line on 0808 801 0366. The advice line is open from 9.30 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays).

Best wishes

Suzie

Keepgoing
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:13 pm

Re: Access to own children if on register

Post by Keepgoing » Fri Jun 14, 2019 8:10 pm

Just waiting on cps to make a decision on my husband breaches of his registry as it’s only just come to light I have not known he is on it. I’m scared my family won’t be together again and he won’t be able to come home ( we are recently married too I have a daughter with him and two children from a previous relationship,
Any one have any advice ? I have seen by the sw who have said my child are and have bin not harmed and I have taken the safeguarding parent and the kids still want to see him and the sw has given me all ok with the well-being of my children as my husband is no longer in the family home but I have other people shouting at me telling me not to stay with my husband.that itswrong and I feel prosecuted myself by family Has anyone come out the other side or simpler getting my husband home ? I’m at the start of all of the next process safety plans and conference till cps make a decision that’s all sw can do

Please help family are just not thinking about bigger picture where I am and my kids are safe and doing well as they where to start with

Nothinghelps
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2021 1:39 pm

Re: Access to own children if on register

Post by Nothinghelps » Mon Mar 15, 2021 11:38 am

Hi keepgoing. I don't know if your still around or not.
But what out come did your husband get? Iv got myself into a very bad situation.1st and only time that's for sure. Not going to go in to much detail. But I really need to try and help my family and esp my partner. As I'm guessing I'm going to be out of work after my case goes through next Monday. My family lawyers have been no real use really they said wait and see what the outcome of the case is. But I want to be proactive in this. Iv never been away from my children this long. And its affecting both me and my children. Any advise on what you have gone through I'd be grateful for. As I really need that solo access to them so my other half can go to work if/when I lose my job.
I'm not sure what kinda plea we can put in to try and get access or what else we could do. As if I dont get that kinda access it would rely on family members being around but as we all know it doesn't always happen. This may cause us to have to move house as well ect. I hope you got a good outcome and that you are both still In your childrens live as now more than ever I know what it means. I hope you stayed strong for them all.

Kitty 33
Posts: 132
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2020 8:48 am

Re: Access to own children if on register

Post by Kitty 33 » Mon Mar 15, 2021 6:44 pm

Hi there my bf is on the register for an offence he cited when he was 18 we are naw both 31 we had our firts baby taken away from us we are naw going though court to have the sopo removed so we can hopefully have this baby together we have had no involvement this time whit ss till the court as made there choices the police have said they don't see eany reasons y it will not be removed he as changed is life around we are both working full time done everything he as ment to do never been bk to prison or been introubel whit the police since is crim we just want to have that chance and hopefully we will get it it been 15 years since he as been out

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