Complaining/ Challenging Social Care

[Smilingsnakes]

I am posting to encourage those who have been wronged by Social Care to follow the complaints process and get your voice heard.
After a very very long wait ( 10 months) I finally have an apology following an appalling C&F Assessment.
Social Care are not above the law and should be held to account when they do not follow process or treat family with respect.
It may seem intimidating to take on Social Care but there are people out there willing to help if you need help writing your complaint down.
It is never OK for incorrect information to be held on file about you. You have rights!!!

[Fizz]

How?? My son was removed from my care on the 21st July. I have very limited contact. I've gone from being his soul carer to a nobody.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Fizz,

Welcome to the parents' board and thank you for your post. If you are able to provide me with some more details and what advice you are looking for, I will be able to provide you with a more thorough response.

Best wishes,

Suzie.

[Fizz]

I don't know where to start.

In June 2021 my partner drank too much and became aggressive. I had to call the police to get him removed. He only kicked me in the thigh. But he felt he must be punished and refused to leave without the police. The police arrested him and took him away.

I was told I had 28 days to decide how to proceed.

Social was automatically involved cause my son was asleep upstairs.

Me and my partner got back together after 28 days. Someone reported us to social. Social rang to arrange a meeting with us. I had arranged for my partner to pick my son up that day. But apparently he wasn't allowed unsupervised contact, which I didn't know.

We met and agreed that my partner would not have unsupervised contact.

They rang on the 13th July to say my partner could have no contact with my son.

We arranged a meeting with the social worker, me and my partner for the Friday. She called in sick.

My birthday was on the 19th and I wanted to spend the day with my family. We had a picnic down the river and went fishing.

Social rang on the 21st July I told them I had seen my partner. We arranged a meeting for that day. I assumed that my partner had to be there.

The police turned up and arrested him. While social sat in their car. Then they came in and removed my son.

I have had very limited contact with my son since then.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Fizz,

You say in your post that your June 2021, your rang the police, after you partner had drank too much, became aggressive and physically assaulting you. The police arrested him and a referral was made to children's services as your son was asleep upstairs. After 28 days, you and your partner resumed your relationship and this was reported to children's services. Around this time, you arranged for your partner to pick your son up from school, and were then told by the social worker that he should not have unsupervised contact, which you agreed to. In July 2021, you were then told that your partner should have no contact with your son. A meeting was arranged to discuss this, but the social worker was unwell. Following this, you spent your birthday with your partner and your son, which you later told the social worker about. A meeting was arranged, which you attended with your partner, and he was subsequently arrested by the police. You say children's services were present and that your son was removed. Since then, you have had limited contact with your son.

Following the referral to children's services, can you confirm that an assessment was conducted by the social worker, and clarify what the outcome of this assessment was? Is your son on a child in need or child protection plan? It appears from your post that children's services had concerns about the risk that your partner posed to you son following the incident in which the police were called to your home. The social worker should have explained to you why they were concerned and why they recommended that your son have no contact with your partner. Again, it is unclear from your post as to whether your partner is your son's father - could you please clarify?

It appears that following the social worker's request that your partner have no contact with your son, this was not followed as you all spent time together on your birthday. Whilst the social worker does not have the legal power to say who can and cannot be around your son, they do have a legal duty to safeguard him, and it sounds as though they believed your son to be at risk around your partner. This may be due to the risk of aggression and violence towards him or you. You mention that your partner was arrested by the police - can you tell me what he was arrested for? I am also assuming that your son was removed under police protection. Police protection powers allow the police to remove a child for up to 72 hours if they think the child is at risk of significant harm. Often they will ask children's services to arrange somewhere for the child to stay.

You say you have had limited contact with your son since then. As I said, children's services cannot keep your son from you past 72 hours of police protection unless you have consented to this or they have an order from the court. Can you let me know whether this is the case and where your son is living?

In any case, I am concerned to hear that you have had limited contact. If you have consented to your son living elsewhere, or the local authority have a court order, your son is known as looked after child. This means that children's services have certain duties towards him, including the duty to allow contact with you. Can you let me know why contact has been limited and what steps you have taken to raise this? If you are able to provide me with more information, I can advise you more effectively.

Best wishes,

Suzie.