Section 47 visit with police officer

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Minster
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2022 10:30 am

Section 47 visit with police officer

Post by Minster » Wed Aug 10, 2022 7:31 am

Good morning, it's my first time posting so please bear with me.
Daughter just turned 16 she has complex issues from being diagnosed with ADHD at 4yrs old to more recently with Borderline Personality Disorder with other things which all stem from original diagnosis of ADHD as it's severe.
Her behaviours over the past few months have been quite erratic which include missing episodes (basically spending time with mates doing things which they shouldn't be doing, like getting drunk, smoking weed, and unfortunately sometimes other elicit drugs) which I do not condone. So me being me I rang early help up for some extra support as the missing episodes were getting a bit to much and we had a visit from one of these episodes from the missing persons team which work alongside MaC Making a change team which said they would work with daughter but they can only do this if I consented to social services which at the time I said yes to, and now I find it's spiralled out of control. Because they've had a strategic meeting and all agreed that she needs a child protection order even though their is nothing to suggest that she is of significant harm within my care at home, I feel we are being bombarded left right and centre. My daughter has refused point blank to work with them, they showed up on my doorstep on Monday a section 47 sw and police officer and it was only a social worker who worked with us 2yrs ago and I actually put in a complaint against her because she did nothing but lie saying she had referred us to Barnardo's when in actual fact she didn't and I have the emails to prove it! I was shocked to see her stood there so I turned them away as I said I'm not having her and it hadn't been arranged.
So they came yesterday with different SW but daughter will not speak to them she told them no whilst shouting it because she was laid in bed with no clothes on so they went up stairs and was looking through a big hole in her door what she has previously done and repeatedly told them she is not speaking with them.
I believe that we do need help otherwise I wouldn't of rang them and trust me it took a lot for me to do that, but I don't think she needs to be placed on a section 47, child in need yes, I believe if they do it will make things a hell of a lot worse and cause further damage which is not necessary. I think she is just been very rebellious teenager with past trauma who's trying to deal with it in her own way because trust me when I say it isn't for the lack of trying to help. I would like to know our rights on this situation please if anyone has any at all, as they said yesterday they will probably keep coming out to try and speak with her??

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Suzie, FRG Adviser
Posts: 4210
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:57 pm

Re: Section 47 visit with police officer

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Tue Aug 16, 2022 1:59 pm

Dear Minster,

Welcome to the parents’ forum and thank you for your post. I am sorry to hear of the difficulties that you have been experiencing lately and I hope that the following advice is helpful.

You say that a strategy meeting has been held and that a section 47 investigation is now taking place due to the concerns about your daughter that you explain. Children’s services have a duty to investigate and assess when there is a concern that a child may be at risk of significant harm. Although you say there is nothing to suggest that she is at risk of significant harm whilst she is in your care at home, it sounds as if the concerns are that she is at risk of harm whilst she is out in the community and missing. You are unable to protect her as you don’t know where she is and who she is with.

Children’s services have 45 working days in which to complete their assessment and by the end of this time period they must make a decision as to whether your daughter should be placed on a child protection plan, a child in need plan or whether no further social work involvement is needed. During this time they have a duty to meet with the child to get their views. For this reason the social worker is likely to continue in their attempts to speak with your daughter. I would suggest that you encourage your daughter to give the social worker a chance (although I do appreciate that you cannot force her to meet with the social worker if she doesn’t want to).

If the social worker feels that a child protection plan is necessary then they will request that an initial child protection conference is held. All professionals involved in your daughters life will be invited, alongside yourself, anyone else who has parental responsibility and, as she is 16, your daughter should also be invited. This conference will go ahead even if you and your daughter do not consent to this, so I would encourage you to attend so that you can put your views across. There will be a chairperson present who will make the final decision about whether a child protection plan or child in need plan is necessary. The purpose of the conference would be to put together a plan to try and keep your daughter safer, and to decide whether this needs to be under the child protection framework or the child in need framework. Children’s services do not need your consent to put a child protection plan in place as it is not voluntary in the same way that a child in need plan is.

Your daughter may wish to request an advocate. Their role is to support your daughter through the process and to help her voice her views and opinions. They are completely independent of children’s services. You can request this through the social worker or you (or your daughter) could contact Coram Voice on 0808 800 5792 and they will be able to help organise this.

We have further information on our website here about the child protection process. It may be useful for you to have a look at this.

I hope that this is of some help. Please do post back again if you have any further queries, or it may be helpful for you to call our helpline on 0808 801 0366 and speak with an adviser. The helpline is open Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 3pm.

Best wishes,
Suzie

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