Noone is listening to my Son asking for more contact
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Mumofone6yearold
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2022 5:01 pm
Noone is listening to my Son asking for more contact
My son was removed april 2020 due to concerns around domestic abuse, possible physical harm and neglect. My partner and I had suffered an ectopic which took over my mental health. Ive adapted and accepted help with this as well as done everything asked by social services. They did a psychological assessment on my son when he was 5, 8months after removal and the result says emotionally traumatised,- Should this have been done within a specific timeframe after removal? Court proceedings exceeded 26weeks I think we went to week 50. Hes currently in athe residential has been since Jan 2021 after his 3rd placement breakdown in 8months. The psychological report doesnt recommend residential and if needed should be there for no longer than 6months due to it causing more damage than benefit for him. Theyve refused to listen when ive raised concerns around autism and ADHD but are now doing a referral- if he is autistic I was told I have no insight when I clearly did for raising it to get the right support in place. They want to reduce my contact from once a month to during half term only they believe its my contact causing changes in his behaviour when I have an email stating its more school and home. What are my rights? How can I make them listen? Theyre damaging my child more, hes asking for contact with other family has been for over a year and only now they will explore it but they have said they probably wont allow it. I need some advice. Im abit stuck.. so much is going on but ive no idea where to go or who to talk to. Speaking on the phone gets me confused and frustrated causing my anxiety to heighten but I need some guidance please!
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Suzie, FRG Adviser
- Posts: 4256
- Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:57 pm
Re: Noone is listening to my Son asking for more contact
Dear Mumofone6yearold
Welcome to the parents’ discussion and thank you for your post.
My name is Suzie, online adviser at Family Rights Group and I will be responding to your post from which I can see that you are very concerned about your son who is in the care of the local authority.
It appears that although the care proceedings relating to your son lasted significantly longer than usual the outcome was not the one you wanted. A final care order was made for him to continue to be in the local authority’s care.
Although your son is under a final care order, you still have parental responsibility for him although the parental responsibility obtained by the local authority under the care order gives them the right to make decisions about your son which is not dependent on your agreement. They should, however, keep you informed about their decisions. They are also required to promote contact with parents and other significant family members with whom child has a relationship provided it is in the child’s interest for that contact to happen.
You mention that a psychological assessment of your son found him to be emotionally traumatised and this, may in part, be responsible for him being unable to settle in foster placements. This has led the local authority, recently to place him in a residential placement. Understandably, you are not happy about this place and believe it is not the best thing for your son. You also mention that the psychologist’s report stated that residential was not the best for your son and if needed, should be for a limited period. I suggest that you ask the local authority to give you an indication of the timescale for your son to remain in the residential placement, you can also ask whether it is a therapeutic environment which will meet his needs taking account of the psychological assessment.
In response to your specific question regarding the timescale in which the psychological assessment was carried out. It appears that this assessment was done in the care proceedings. There is no specific timescale in which such an assessment should be done after removal.
Your son is going to be referred for an assessment relating to autism. In your view, this was not considered when you raised it in the past. You say this shows that you have insight. I am not able to say whether this was the only concern about your insight overall. Once your son is assessed, it will mean that he will receive the best help and support for his diagnosis.
Regarding contact, it is suggested that contact is affecting your son adversely and, as such, it may be that once he is more settled contact could be increased again. Children's services should keep contact under review. Ask that you are given written reasons for the reduction. As you disagree with this, I advise that you speak to or ask for a meeting with the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) to discuss your concerns about your son’s contact with you and other family members. If this does not help, then it is possible for you to make an application to the court for contact to a child in care.
I am including links to our website which I think will assist you in understanding the duties children’s services have when a child is in care under a court order.
Contact
There is information here about contact
Concerns about where child is living
You can read more about where your child lives here
Children’s services duties
Here you can read more about children's services duties [/b]
Role of the Independent Reviewing Officer
There is information here about the reviewing officer
I hope you will find the information helpful. You said in your post that you find it difficult to use the telephone. Please post again if you need more advice. When you feel able to, you can also telephone our advice line on 0808 801 0366 which is open from 9.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday.
Best wishes
Suzie
Welcome to the parents’ discussion and thank you for your post.
My name is Suzie, online adviser at Family Rights Group and I will be responding to your post from which I can see that you are very concerned about your son who is in the care of the local authority.
It appears that although the care proceedings relating to your son lasted significantly longer than usual the outcome was not the one you wanted. A final care order was made for him to continue to be in the local authority’s care.
Although your son is under a final care order, you still have parental responsibility for him although the parental responsibility obtained by the local authority under the care order gives them the right to make decisions about your son which is not dependent on your agreement. They should, however, keep you informed about their decisions. They are also required to promote contact with parents and other significant family members with whom child has a relationship provided it is in the child’s interest for that contact to happen.
You mention that a psychological assessment of your son found him to be emotionally traumatised and this, may in part, be responsible for him being unable to settle in foster placements. This has led the local authority, recently to place him in a residential placement. Understandably, you are not happy about this place and believe it is not the best thing for your son. You also mention that the psychologist’s report stated that residential was not the best for your son and if needed, should be for a limited period. I suggest that you ask the local authority to give you an indication of the timescale for your son to remain in the residential placement, you can also ask whether it is a therapeutic environment which will meet his needs taking account of the psychological assessment.
In response to your specific question regarding the timescale in which the psychological assessment was carried out. It appears that this assessment was done in the care proceedings. There is no specific timescale in which such an assessment should be done after removal.
Your son is going to be referred for an assessment relating to autism. In your view, this was not considered when you raised it in the past. You say this shows that you have insight. I am not able to say whether this was the only concern about your insight overall. Once your son is assessed, it will mean that he will receive the best help and support for his diagnosis.
Regarding contact, it is suggested that contact is affecting your son adversely and, as such, it may be that once he is more settled contact could be increased again. Children's services should keep contact under review. Ask that you are given written reasons for the reduction. As you disagree with this, I advise that you speak to or ask for a meeting with the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) to discuss your concerns about your son’s contact with you and other family members. If this does not help, then it is possible for you to make an application to the court for contact to a child in care.
I am including links to our website which I think will assist you in understanding the duties children’s services have when a child is in care under a court order.
Contact
There is information here about contact
Concerns about where child is living
You can read more about where your child lives here
Children’s services duties
Here you can read more about children's services duties [/b]
Role of the Independent Reviewing Officer
There is information here about the reviewing officer
I hope you will find the information helpful. You said in your post that you find it difficult to use the telephone. Please post again if you need more advice. When you feel able to, you can also telephone our advice line on 0808 801 0366 which is open from 9.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday.
Best wishes
Suzie
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