What to Expect When Social Services Are Involved (Real Advice)

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

I'm current in court process and have been for over 20 months with daughters father. He has made so many false allegations against me. Has kept not returned my daughter on 2 occasions despite a court order being in place, and had failed 6 out of 7 drug and alcohol tests. Due to his extensive lies a section 37 report was carried out. And I was closed to social services last may. Social worker did not attend final hearing as she was sick. Final hearing is the end of this month. Court asked for addendum s37 report ready for final hearing. New social worker has met with myself and daughter and her father and is now making recommendations we agree to a child in need plan.
Now her recommendations are that my daughter sounds everyone weekend with her father who lives 3 hrs away from us, he has access to her school when we have been safeguarded due to DV. And he is given more contact over a 4 month trail period.
My daughter does not want to go to fathers house and I feel this new worker has not took any of his drug and alcohol results into consideration when making these stupid recommendations. There are no safe guarding concerns my side, all her needs are met and they are recommendations that my daughter resides with me.
I feel this lady has not known us our case or past to make such recommendations and I am refusing any socail care involvement. And I will fight for what my daughter wants.

May I also add, its states my daughternis scared to go to her fathers. What is this world coming to.

Dear Cocopops8826

Welcome to the parents’ discussion board. Thank you for your posts. My name is Suzie. I am Family Rights Group’s online adviser. I will respond to all your posts, here.

I am sorry to hear about your difficult family situation. I can see that you have had a lot to deal with over the last few years.

You explain that you and your daughter’s father have been involved in private law Child Arrangements Order proceedings to decide arrangements for who your daughter should live with and spend time with. You describe a history of domestic abuse and that your daughter’s father has been drug and alcohol tested as part of the court process, failing 6 out of 7 of the tests. He also did not return your daughter to you on two occasions and made allegations against you.

This led to the court directing that children’s services complete a section 37 report. As you know, this is when the court considers that a child may be at risk of significant harm so asks children’s services to investigate the child’s situation and to consider whether to:

• Apply for a care or supervision order
• provide services or assistance for the child or their family; or
• take any other action with respect to the child.

In your situation, the social worker has recommended a child in need plan for your daughter to support the arrangements for contact. They are recommending that your daughter continues to live with you but sees her father every second weekend, that he has access to school and that contact between father and daughter is increased over a trial 4-month period. The social worker is completing an addendum to the section 37 report for the final hearing due at the end of February.

You are worried about the social worker’s recommendations, for the reasons you have explained, and as the report states that your daughter is scared to go to her father’s. In their report for the court, the social worker should explore the reasons for this.

At the moment, you are refusing children’s services’ involvement.

You don’t say if you are legally represented in the court case but if you are then the most important thing for you to do is to get legal advice from your solicitor as you disagree with the recommendations and to discuss if and how you want to challenge in court. You should also ensure they are aware of your concerns about your daughter’s father knowing your daughter’s home and school address in view of the history of domestic abuse you describe. The court is the forum where, as you know, decisions will be made for your daughter so you must raise any concerns and put forward your proposals in that arena.

If you are not legally represented, then I would suggest that you access urgent legal advice from one of the services listed here . If you are a litigant in person there is guidance to support you with this; please see gov.uk and Advice Now guides.

The child in need plan recommended by the social worker is voluntary; it is classed as family support. However, it was recommended following a court-directed investigation into your daughter’s circumstances due to concerns that she may be at risk of significant harm. The purpose of a child in need plan is to provide extra support to a child and her family, where needed. The aim in your daughter’s case is to facilitate and review proposed contact arrangements. It would be a good idea to discuss this also with your solicitor if you are still reluctant to agree. The benefit of agreeing to this plan is that you, your daughter, and her father will be supported with this difficult situation, on a family support basis. If you decide not to consent to the plan, children’s services will need to consider whether they need to take any other action; this might include escalating to a child protection plan if the threshold is met. The court will take account of parents’ willingness to work with children’s services to support the contact arrangements it makes when deciding on what order/s to make at the final hearing.

I know there is a lot for you to think about. I hope this has been helpful. If you would like further advice about the proposed child in need plan or children’s services involvement, please contact the advice service again and seek legal advice from your solicitor or a specialist legal advice service about the forthcoming court hearing.

Best wishes

Suzie