Sorry help again!

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

I’m so sorry! Actually I should’ve asked this first not sure if you know much about this!

My social worker told me today that my partner has struggle understanding the process of social services (he does he has ADHD) and struggles with reading, writing and understanding complex information so with the PLO for his daughter and now this with my son he’s obviously a bit confused as it’s a lot of big words for him which he doesn’t understand! She said he would benefit from an advocate but to make sure it’s an independent one, I’ve never heard of this my social are the first to tell us anything about this.. if I did get him an independent advocate this won’t be used against him or his parenting will it due to his lack of understanding?

Thanks!

Dear Mummyof1x

Thank you for your further posts. This is Suzie, again, Family Rights Group’s online adviser.

I will reply to all your posts in this one response.

I provided links to all relevant child protection advice materials in your other thread ‘first time and worried’ so please revisit that advice if you need to find the links again.

It is good to hear that you are cooperating with the child protection enquiries that are taking place in relation to your son due to concerns about your partner’s history. You say that your partner is in a Public Law Outline process for his daughter in another children’s services’ area. This is a very serious process which could (but does not always) lead to care proceedings for his daughter.

So, as your partner is now in a relationship with you, the mother of a young son, they are carrying out an investigation as there are concerns that your son may be at risk of harm. It is an assessment and therefore a process so no decisions have been made yet whether your son is at risk or would benefit from extra support. The checks you mention are routine and help the social worker gain an overview of how your son is doing. It is positive that your partner has been in touch with relevant services and that he is already engaging.

There can be different outcomes to child protection investigations depending on the information gathered and the social worker’s assessment of risk. You may find it helpful to look at the flow chart (5) on page 104 in government guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 which you can find here. This shows what happens depending on whether the concerns are substantiated and whether the child is deemed to be suffering or likely to suffer significant harm.

As your partner has ADHD and struggles with literacy and understanding complex information, he would benefit from an advocate. Children’s services cannot discriminate against a parent because they have a disability or a learning need, they must follow good practice guidelines and work with the Equalities Act. Your partner has a solicitor assisting him with the PLO process for his daughter so he can ask his solicitor to liaise with that children’s services to provide him with an independent advocate. Or he can use our template letter (1) here to formally request advocacy support from children’ services. You/your partner may also find it useful to look at our guide to working with an advocate which provides links to advocacy services. Please also see our links to disability support services here. It can be hard to find professional independent advocates so using the template letter above formalises a request for children’s services to help find an advocate for a parent with disabilities involved in child protection or legal processes about their child.

I hope this helps.

If you have any new queries please do contact the advice service again. You can find details of our Christmas/New Year opening times here.

Best wishes

Suzie

[Mummyof1x]

Hello,

I’ve got an update on my situation and I’ve been crying ever since! They’re taking it to child protection conference.. she said she’s taking it over her ‘own personal concerns and worries’ she said it doesn’t mean he will go on one but I feel like it’s what they all say.. I don’t even know what to expect..

[Winter25]

I know how upsetting that call must have been, especially when it feels like it’s suddenly escalated out of nowhere. Please take a breath for a moment, because what you’ve been told does not automatically mean your child will be put on a Child Protection Plan.

A Child Protection Conference is essentially a multi-agency meeting where professionals share information and decide whether a child meets the threshold for a plan. It is not a finding, not a judgment, and not a punishment. Many conferences end with no plan, or with a Child in Need plan instead, especially where there is no evidence of actual harm.

What’s important, and I want to be really clear here, is that a social worker’s “personal concerns and worries” are not evidence. They are opinions. For a Child Protection Plan to be made, the conference has to agree that there is a current risk of significant harm, based on facts, not fears. Remember that CPC is not court nor is it a legal test of any type

From everything you’ve shared so far:

There is no allegation of harm to your son

There is no allegation involving a child

Your partner is engaging with support voluntarily

Professionals have observed your son as happy and well cared for

No restrictions have been placed on contact or living arrangements

That matters. A lot.

It’s also very common for social workers to say “it doesn’t mean a plan will be made” because that’s actually true. Conferences are meant to test concerns, not rubber-stamp them. Sometimes social workers take cases to conference defensively, especially where there’s historic or third-party information, so the decision is shared rather than sitting with one person.

What you should expect next:

You should receive written confirmation of the conference and the reasons for it

You are entitled to see all reports that will be shared, before the conference

You have the right to challenge inaccuracies, add your views, and bring a supporter or advocate

You can submit your own written statement to be included

Right now, the most important thing you can do is not assume the worst. A conference does not mean they’ve decided anything. It means they are required to justify their concerns in front of other professionals, and that often works in parents’ favour when there is no real risk.

You are not failing. You haven’t done anything wrong by asking questions, setting boundaries, or protecting your child. Crying right now is completely understandable, this process is brutal emotionally, but please don’t let fear convince you that an outcome has already been decided. I shed many back in days this happened to me now i can see hem for what they are

You are allowed to feel scared and still be strong. One doesn’t cancel out the other.

You are not alone in this, even though it feels like it right now.
-------------
(For transparency: I’m a parent, not an official adviser, sharing guidance based on lived experience and knowledge of the process.)

[Mummyof1x]

Thank you for taking your time to respond I really appreciate it, you’re helping me get through this a lot!

I’ve got a bit more information. She expressed she’s taking it because of ‘personal worries’ and because my partners child is on a CPP too. I don’t understand why they keep bringing this up as I’m unsure as to what it has to do with my child, I know you’ve probably answered this but is there any way this can be related to my child and a reason to put towards going on a CPP?

After there further enquiries they expressed my child’s father and childminder has both had no concerns and said nothing but positive about my partner. But still isn’t enough and still want to take it further.

They wasn’t going to invite the childminder to the CPC.. I had to fight for this to happen and get her invited, I would’ve thought she should’ve been invited anyway? She’s with my son 15 hours a week and has been since Sept 2024.. I have no idea why they wouldn’t want her there or involved.

She said she will either hand deliver the report once it’s completed or she may email it depends if she can get out to me, will I get this before the CPC? I don’t want to go without knowing her points..

I know I have so many questions and I can only apologise but one last one, she said there will be an independent person.. not sure what she said but someone who kind of looks over the whole thing? Is this definitely someone who won’t work with social and totally none biased so will hear both sides?

Thank you again!

[Winter25]

You honestly don’t need to apologise at all, these arethe right questions to be asking, and it’s completely understandable you’re feeling shaken by this. Ask as many as you want

I’ll go through each point one by one, because once it’s broken down, it becomes a lot less scary than it feels right now.

First, about them repeatedly mentioning that your partner’s child is on a CPP.
This is context for them, not evidence against your child. A CPP is child-specific, not parent-wide. It does not automatically transfer risk to other children, especially those living in a different household, with a different parent, different professionals, and no concerns identified.

For it to be relevant to your child, they would need to show the following

1 a direct link between whatever risks were identified there and

2 a current, evidenced impact on your son.

So far, they haven’t done that. In fact, their own enquiries (your son’s father and the childminder) have been positive. That actually weakens the case for a CPP, not strengthens it. Repeating it doesn’t magically turn it into a reason, and conference is exactly where that gets tested.

Second, about the childminder not being invited initially, you’re right to question that.
A childminder who sees your son regularly, over a long period, is a key professional. The fact you had to push for her inclusion says more about the social worker’s focus than about risk. You did absolutely the right thing insisting on this, and it’s a positive for you that the childminder’s views are supportive.

Third, about the report, yes, you are entitled to see it before the conference.
You should receive it in advance with enough time to read it properly. Hand-delivered or emailed makes no difference to your rights. If it hasn’t been shared with you before the CPC, you can (and should) say at the start of the meeting that you haven’t had sufficient time to read or respond to it. Conferences can be paused or adjourned for this reason.

Fourth, the “independent person” she mentioned is the Independent Chair person
They are not your social worker and they are not part of the case team. Their role is to:

1 chair the meeting fairly

2 ensure all voices are heard

3 challenge where concerns aren’t supported by evidence

4 make sure the threshold for a plan is actually met

They don’t just “rubber-stamp” the social worker’s view. In fact, many conferences don’t result in a plan because the concerns don’t meet the threshold once everything is laid out.
If you feel the Chair is not being impartial then we can deal with that after but they are intended to be so

And lastly, and this is important, the fact that there are no risks have been identified about your son, no professional caring for him has raised concerns, your partner is engaging with support and you are cooperative and protective. This all matters far more than a social worker saying they have “personal worries”.

Conferences are about evidence.

You are not being unreasonable, difficult, or naïve. You are advocating for your child, and you are doing it calmly, thoughtfully, and appropriately. This is the best way to deal with Local Authorities
And no, asking questions like this does not count against you.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Mummyof1x

Welcome back to the parents’ discussion board. Thank you for 2 your recent posts. I am Suzie, Family Rights Group’s online adviser. I will reply to both your posts here.

I understand that you are worried about the forthcoming initial child protection conference for your son. I will provide you with advice about the child protection conference process and how to prepare for the conference which I hope will help you to be better prepared for the meeting and to understand what the possible outcome could be.

I can see that you have already advocated successfully for your son’s childminder to be invited to the conference. Well done for doing so. Childminders are not routinely invited but your argument that she knows your son well and is a key carer for him is a valid one; her contribution may be helpful to the group. It will be helpful that she is involved and aware of your son’s plan whichever plan is made. It is important to clarify that a plan will be made at the conference but as previously discussed this will either be:

• A statutory child protection plan if the conference decides your son is suffering/likely to suffer significant harm, or
• A child in need plan if the conference decides that your son is not risk of harm but would benefit from extra help and support. Your consent is needed to a child in need plan.

The social worker’s assessment and recommendation that a conference is held is based on their professional views, as they act on behalf of the local authority.

You should receive a copy of the social worker’s report in advance of the conference although government guidance only states that you should have ‘information’ in advance. Your local children’s services department will have a policy which sets out their local timescale for this. It would be a good idea to email the social worker asking for a copy of their policy and asking them to confirm that they will provide you with a copy of their report two days in advance of the meeting (this would be good practice but is not a requirement).

The social worker’s report for the conference is the most crucial document for you as this sets out their full assessment of your son’s needs, the reason for their involvement, their concerns, and their recommendations for what type of plan they believe to be necessary. The report should answer your questions about why children’s services are worried about your son, what their concerns area about your partner/your relationship with your partner and what they recommend you should do. It is best to focus on what is written in the report (which you can challenge if it is factually inaccurate or you disagree with what has been written).

You should receive an invitation to the conference with details of where and when it will take place and who has been invited but the report is where the social worker provides an analysis of your son and your family’s situation and where they recommend how to keep your son safe and well cared for.

However, the decision about whether to make a child protection plan or offer a child in need plan is not made by an individual social worker alone but by the professionals present at the conference and the Chair. You queried how independent they are. The Chair will be an experienced registered senior social worker, who works for children’s services. They are independent of the management of the social worker who works with the child and family. Their role is to manage the child protection conference and to confirm the decision that is made, based on all the available evidence. The conference should make clear the type of information being looked at and considered. This means they should take care to explain and record whether a piece of information is fact, observation, or allegation. This should help ensure that what is discussed and recorded is accurate and that decisions reached are fair.

Other professionals participating in the conference may also provide written reports which will be discussed at the meeting. These reports may be shared with you before the conference if this has been agreed with the Chair (and where necessary the police).

You should be able to talk to or meet with the Chair before the conference. If you email the social worker about their report, you can also ask for confirmation of when/how you will speak to or meet the Chair.

We have compiled tips to help parents prepare for a child protection conference. You can find them here. Please look at them if you can as they are designed to help you prepare and participate as fully as possible, they also suggest how you can present your views in writing to the conference if you wish and what you may want to include in your written notes. They also include advice about how to manage emotionally and to consider bringing someone with you for moral support, or an advocate, if possible.

It is positive that you are proactive and that you are seeking advice to help you understand processes and prepare.

I hope that this has helped. Please post back if you need further advice or information. If you would find it helpful, please call the freephone advice line on 0808 8010366 to discuss the forthcoming conference. The lines are open from 9.30 am to 3.00pm, Mon to Fri (except bank holidays).

With best wishes

Suzie