Coming off a care order

[CFJ222]

Hi all i would be greatful of some insight to what could happen.

My child is on a care order due to the potential risk i could pose for something i did decades ago.

The mother of my child and myself are seperated and no longer in contact though prior to this was on friendly terms and she wasnt against me seeing my child. The LA dont want me in contact with the mother as there concern was that we may rekindle our relationship. My child whilst on a care order remained at home with mother. My contact has been at a contact centre only.

The reasons why my child was on a care order no longer a concern and as such the LA themselves are removing the care order.

However the La want to move to a 6 month supervission order and contact remain supervised until i complete therapy. (i think the LA are very optimistic that this will be done in 6 months which: may never happen or due to the cost, that it takes 3 months to complete, that a provider has not been found, that reassessement would need to be done. ).

I was told by the previous SW that once off the care order that contact would have to move away from the contact centre.
they made it clear they could not remove the care order till they made alternative contact arrangements or they was happy that contact did not need to be supervised. Their plan was then to look at family members to take over the contact until a new and current SW seems to be proposing something different. (6 month supervission order and contact remain in contact centre)

What i am wanting to know if the care order is removed does contact also stop at the contact centre like my previous SW was saying?
If the care order is removed can they still force contact to be supervised if it only the LA asking for this?

From my understanding a supervission order can last a maximum of 3 years. Or is this incorect?
With the La only asking for 6months there option would either to remove this or to extend up to worse case scenario of the 3 years.
What would/could happen to contact after the supervission order?

So overall with the LA asking for removal of care order and only a 6 month supervission order it now just seems like a tick box excersize that i do therapy and everything back to normal or i dont do therapy and worst case extend the order. i really dont think the LA have the best interests of the child and merely going through their tick boxes.

I have tried to comunicate with the LA with my questions but this new SW seems vague and tries to avoid giving straight answer often says "i need to discuss things with my manager"

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear CFJ222,

It is really good news that children services want to move forward and ask the court to place your child under a short supervision order instead of a care order. Your child would be supported by a cafcass guardian and by a solicitor during the proceedings who will be acting in the best interests of your child.
Yes, you are right to say a supervision order can last up to 3 years. It means that if children services want to extend the supervision order they can go back to court for this but would not need to prove new threshold criteria of significant harm-so can rely on the original threshold criteria.
Here is information about supervision orders.

The previous social worker had said that if there is a supervision order, there could no longer be contact in a contact centre. This is not strictly the case. A contact centre is often used even when there are no children services involvement.
I can see though why children services would want to bring contact outside the centre to see how it goes, while they are still involved-either under a supervision order or a care order. This is to see whether any extra support might be needed to help contact progress. however, it could be a condition of the supervision order-contact being supervised in a centre.
You should let the social worker know about your reservations and that you are concerned this way forward may not be in your child’s best interests. Are you worried that the therapy might not happen once children services are no longer involved and because of the cost? If so, speak to the social worker about this. This could be something children services could help with.

I suggest you email your questions and worries to the social worker as she is not really answering when you speak to her.
I hope this advice helps. If you need further advice, please post again.
Best wishes,
Suzie