Child protection case
Child protection case
So my children have been put on a child protection plan. Due to an DV incident which happened between me and dad when they weren’t around. Dad has a previous criminal history and a Dv history, which happened over 5 years ago. The first SW who assessed me and kids, was horrid no communication just a bully, I was not told it was a s47 case, she didn’t send me a interim plan until 10 days after her seeing me (which I didn’t sign as I wasn’t asked to) so since the 10th jan children haven’t been able to see dad. At meeting they said a risk assessment needs to be carried out, but now is not even allowed supervised contact?? But allowed to see his other children by a previous partner? There is no communication between current SW and him and hardly any between SW and me. Even tho I am chasing constantly. Core group has have been pushed back twice, which should of been held 10 days after the meeting. I didn’t receive plan until a week after meeting. Me and dad are wanting to get back together but feel it’s super tough as they aren’t helping with what we need to do. I have sorted the DV course they want me to do, but they are struggling to get dad onto a perpetrator corse, because they aren’t getting back to them. So what are we supposed to do as we are trying to work with them but they aren’t working with us
- Suzie, FRG Adviser
- Posts: 4230
- Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:57 pm
Re: Child protection case
Dear Lht98
Thank you for posting and welcome to the parents’ discussion form.
My name is Suzie, online adviser at Family Rights Group. I will be responding to your pot from which I see that you are feeling frustrated by the process you are currently involved in with children’s services.
Your children are on a child protection plan because of the domestic violence in your relationship with your partner, the father of your children. You state that the social worker did not inform you that s.47 child protection investigation would be carried out. I am sorry that you were not told as the social worker should have been open and transparent in explaining the steps that would be taken by children’s services following the referral to them.
I am not sure what interim plan you are referring to which was sent to you. I assume that may be a safety agreement about what should happen whilst the s.47 investigation was being carried out. Please read the information here about child protection procedures.
As your children are now on a child protection plan, it is important that both you and their father follow the plan and do what is asked of you. I say this because failure to do so may lead to the case being escalated further. Your children's father is to be risked assessed so, until this is done, his contact is likely to remain suspended. I see you say he is seeing his other children but that may be because he was risked assessed to do so and/or arrangements made to ensure contact happens safely.
In circumstances where domestic violence is an issue, there is an expectation that the parent who is not the perpetrator of the domestic violence will be the protective person for the children. It may be that children’s services consider that you minimise or try to justify your partner’s behaviour and, if that is the case, it might be thought you cannot protect your children. The fact that the children were not around for the incident does not mean it is not a concern bearing in mind their father’s history of domestic violence. Please read the information for mothers where domestic violence is an issue.
It is for your partner to proactively engage with children’s services regarding the risk assessment and any other work he needs to do, rather than you having to on his behalf. He might find it helpful to read the information h here
Your partner may wish to make contact with Respect on 0808 802 4040 and/or Everyman 0208 642 8850 for some advice. Also, as you managed to get yourself on a course, perhaps you partner can actively try to do so for himself as well.
I am sorry you did not receive a copy of the child protection plan and the core group meeting has been rescheduled twice. You do not say why this was necessary but there may have been good reasons for this to happen and you should have been told.
Should you wish to speak to an adviser, you can telephone our free confidential advice line on 0808 801 0366. The advice line is open from 9.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays).
I hope this helps.
Best wishes
Suzie
Thank you for posting and welcome to the parents’ discussion form.
My name is Suzie, online adviser at Family Rights Group. I will be responding to your pot from which I see that you are feeling frustrated by the process you are currently involved in with children’s services.
Your children are on a child protection plan because of the domestic violence in your relationship with your partner, the father of your children. You state that the social worker did not inform you that s.47 child protection investigation would be carried out. I am sorry that you were not told as the social worker should have been open and transparent in explaining the steps that would be taken by children’s services following the referral to them.
I am not sure what interim plan you are referring to which was sent to you. I assume that may be a safety agreement about what should happen whilst the s.47 investigation was being carried out. Please read the information here about child protection procedures.
As your children are now on a child protection plan, it is important that both you and their father follow the plan and do what is asked of you. I say this because failure to do so may lead to the case being escalated further. Your children's father is to be risked assessed so, until this is done, his contact is likely to remain suspended. I see you say he is seeing his other children but that may be because he was risked assessed to do so and/or arrangements made to ensure contact happens safely.
In circumstances where domestic violence is an issue, there is an expectation that the parent who is not the perpetrator of the domestic violence will be the protective person for the children. It may be that children’s services consider that you minimise or try to justify your partner’s behaviour and, if that is the case, it might be thought you cannot protect your children. The fact that the children were not around for the incident does not mean it is not a concern bearing in mind their father’s history of domestic violence. Please read the information for mothers where domestic violence is an issue.
It is for your partner to proactively engage with children’s services regarding the risk assessment and any other work he needs to do, rather than you having to on his behalf. He might find it helpful to read the information h here
Your partner may wish to make contact with Respect on 0808 802 4040 and/or Everyman 0208 642 8850 for some advice. Also, as you managed to get yourself on a course, perhaps you partner can actively try to do so for himself as well.
I am sorry you did not receive a copy of the child protection plan and the core group meeting has been rescheduled twice. You do not say why this was necessary but there may have been good reasons for this to happen and you should have been told.
Should you wish to speak to an adviser, you can telephone our free confidential advice line on 0808 801 0366. The advice line is open from 9.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays).
I hope this helps.
Best wishes
Suzie
Re: Child protection case
Thanks suzie
Yes they have said I have minimised the situation but with regarding to the situation, I have stated that this is about the kids and I and then kids and dad. Not me and him. I have expressed my daughters heart ache and her emotions are running high as she is very confused and wants to see him. I sent an email explaining this and she phoned me and I made it clear that I would not be there it’s for the kids and dad and it would be supervised for a couple of hours only. I just feel I’m in a constant battle with them. From the first day when they assessed I was told supervised is fine and then 10 days later i had the interim safety plan through that said no contact. The chair couldn’t understand why and now my current SW can’t either. I am concerned for my daughters emotional welfare. If I thought he was a danger to my kids I wouldn’t bother. They put the case as emotional abuse, but this situation feels as tho it’s emotional abuse. Dad is doing what he needs to as am I, yet we don’t feel we are getting anywhere as every time we ask a question it takes over a week or just being straight ignored. At the end of the day this is about the health and safety of the children and I don’t feel they are doing this. This to me is a punishment to the children
Yes they have said I have minimised the situation but with regarding to the situation, I have stated that this is about the kids and I and then kids and dad. Not me and him. I have expressed my daughters heart ache and her emotions are running high as she is very confused and wants to see him. I sent an email explaining this and she phoned me and I made it clear that I would not be there it’s for the kids and dad and it would be supervised for a couple of hours only. I just feel I’m in a constant battle with them. From the first day when they assessed I was told supervised is fine and then 10 days later i had the interim safety plan through that said no contact. The chair couldn’t understand why and now my current SW can’t either. I am concerned for my daughters emotional welfare. If I thought he was a danger to my kids I wouldn’t bother. They put the case as emotional abuse, but this situation feels as tho it’s emotional abuse. Dad is doing what he needs to as am I, yet we don’t feel we are getting anywhere as every time we ask a question it takes over a week or just being straight ignored. At the end of the day this is about the health and safety of the children and I don’t feel they are doing this. This to me is a punishment to the children
- Suzie, FRG Adviser
- Posts: 4230
- Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:57 pm
Re: Child protection case
Dear Lht98,
The child protection plan agreed at the initial child protection conference states that your partner should not have contact with the children until he has been risk-assessed. Contact must always be in a child's best interests. In this case, the professionals involved in your children's lives think that your partner has to be risk-assessed before a decision can be made as to whether contact is safe, and how that contact should happen.
If you and your partner do not follow the recommendation of the child protection plan and continue to try and arrange contact without a risk-assessment having taken place, the social worker may become concerned that you are not acting in their best interests and that you are not protecting them sufficiently.
I am sorry to hear that your daughter is finding the situation distressing. I would advise that you speak to the social worker about how you can best manage this and what may be an age-appropriate way to communicate to her why contact is not currently taking place.
I would also advise that your partner ask the social worker for a timeframe for the risk-assessment so that he has a clearer idea as to when this will take place. If you are concerned that the social worker if not communicating with either of you or that things are being unreasonably delayed, you may want to speak to the team manager or the child protection chair.
Best wishes,
Suzie.
The child protection plan agreed at the initial child protection conference states that your partner should not have contact with the children until he has been risk-assessed. Contact must always be in a child's best interests. In this case, the professionals involved in your children's lives think that your partner has to be risk-assessed before a decision can be made as to whether contact is safe, and how that contact should happen.
If you and your partner do not follow the recommendation of the child protection plan and continue to try and arrange contact without a risk-assessment having taken place, the social worker may become concerned that you are not acting in their best interests and that you are not protecting them sufficiently.
I am sorry to hear that your daughter is finding the situation distressing. I would advise that you speak to the social worker about how you can best manage this and what may be an age-appropriate way to communicate to her why contact is not currently taking place.
I would also advise that your partner ask the social worker for a timeframe for the risk-assessment so that he has a clearer idea as to when this will take place. If you are concerned that the social worker if not communicating with either of you or that things are being unreasonably delayed, you may want to speak to the team manager or the child protection chair.
Best wishes,
Suzie.
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