Parenting Assessment

[MummyBear1993]

Hi everyone I’m hoping someone can offer some advice. So back story I have 5 children 1 with disabilities who can become very aggressive no one listened to me at all until the Local Authority removed all the children from my care he the kicked a carer down the stairs so now they believe me but are now saying due to my health I can parent them. The SW completed a parenting assessment but it was filed 4 weeks late however it was completed on time so what was being done with it for 4weeks? The SW has a conversation with me on the phone and indicated a positive result. So fast forward we went to family court on 27th June the SW manager didn’t show just our SW now we went into the judge the SW legal said it was a negative outcome and denied that the SW gave me a positive indication. They didn’t have any of the things they needed and judge told them off and sent us out for them to get sorted. We go back in and then the SW admitted he lied and the assessment was positive but his manager and IRO told him they weren’t happy and didn’t agree so it was changed 7 times in total. The judge now knows it was a positive outcome and the kids are coming home now but my question is can the SW manager and IRO change the family SW report results? As they aren’t the ones that spent time with us and done the assessment. To me the manager and IRO didn’t want a positive outcome and changed it to suit then so I didn’t stand a chance from the start! I just don’t understand how they can change assessments and opinions that they didn’t do.
Thanks

[KatKat10]

Hi Mummybear

It is interesting how you mention the SW manager as changing things, as I am facing the same things in meetings, where the SW deflects and says it is the manager making decisions.

KK10

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Hi everyone I’m hoping someone can offer some advice. So back story I have 5 children 1 with disabilities who can become very aggressive no one listened to me at all until the Local Authority removed all the children from my care he the kicked a carer down the stairs so now they believe me but are now saying due to my health I can parent them. The SW completed a parenting assessment but it was filed 4 weeks late however it was completed on time so what was being done with it for 4weeks? The SW has a conversation with me on the phone and indicated a positive result. So fast forward we went to family court on 27th June the SW manager didn’t show just our SW now we went into the judge the SW legal said it was a negative outcome and denied that the SW gave me a positive indication. They didn’t have any of the things they needed and judge told them off and sent us out for them to get sorted. We go back in and then the SW admitted he lied and the assessment was positive but his manager and IRO told him they weren’t happy and didn’t agree so it was changed 7 times in total. The judge now knows it was a positive outcome and the kids are coming home now but my question is can the SW manager and IRO change the family SW report results? As they aren’t the ones that spent time with us and done the assessment. To me the manager and IRO didn’t want a positive outcome and changed it to suit then so I didn’t stand a chance from the start! I just don’t understand how they can change assessments and opinions that they didn’t do.
Thanks

Dear MummyBear1993,

Welcome to the forum and thankyou for your post. I am sorry to hear about the difficult time you have been going through and I hope that the following advice is helpful.

It is good to hear that the children are coming back into your care but I understand that you have concerns that the parenting assessment was altered after the social worker told you verbally that it was a positive outcome. Although the social worker is the person who writes the report it is usual for a manager to have oversight of the assessment and to raise any concerns they have about it with the social worker. If there is anything that they disagree with or anything that has not been covered then they should raise this with the social worker. In your case it sounds as if the social worker, the manager and the IRO had very different views about whether the children should return to your care or not. I am glad to hear that the judge was given all the information eventually and has made a decision based on this. It may be worth discussing further with your solicitor as they will be able to advise you as to whether you should make a complaint once the court proceedings have fully ended.

I hope that this is helpful. If you have any further queries then please post again or call our free confidential helpline on 0808 801 0366 (Monday to Friday, 9:30am – 3pm) to speak with an adviser.

Best wishes,
Suzie