Going on holiday when on a Child Protection Plan
Going on holiday when on a Child Protection Plan
Just looking for some urgent advice if possible please.. My son is 3 and is on a child protection plan for emotional neglect as he witnessed a couple of domestic abuse incidents towards me from his dad. I’m still with his dad and things are much better now but the social services think we’re not together and that he doesn’t have any contact with my son as he was a crack cocaine user and hasn’t engaged with social services at all. My partner has now booked a 2 week family holiday for the 3 of us to X leaving on Sunday but I’m worried what will happen if / when the children’s services find out or if I should speak to them before . Any answers much appreciated x
-
Suzie, FRG Adviser
- Posts: 4256
- Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:57 pm
Re: Going on holiday when on a Child Protection Plan
Dear Jellyfish
Welcome to the parents’ discussion board and thank you for your post. My name is Suzie and I am Family Rights Group’s online adviser.
You have explained that you are due to go abroad on Sunday with your 3 year old son who is on a child protection plan due to domestic abuse. Your partner who has arranged this trip abroad has been violent to you in the past and was a cocaine-user. Children’s services believe that you are not together with your child’s father and that your child is not having any contact with his dad. However, it seems that the reality is different. You have posted that you are now having a relationship with your child’s father and you are considering that you all spend time together on holiday, which will inevitably involve your child’s father having unsupervised contact with his son. This is likely to be in breach of your son’s child protection plan.
As there is a child protection plan in place, your son’s social worker needs to be aware of where he is and who he is with. Taking your son out of the country without their knowledge would be a very worrying action to take. As part of your son’s child protection plan his social worker may need to visit him at least once every 2 weeks to be satisfied as to his welfare. If he is abroad they will not be able to do this and may ask the authorities in the country you visit to check on your son’s welfare.
I am very concerned that you are considering taking your child on holiday with his father, without children’s services knowledge or agreement. I can see that you are worried too. Children’s services are likely to be very concerned if you and your son go abroad with your son’s father given that he is a on a child protection plan due to your partner’s domestic abuse.
There could be a risk that once abroad your son’s father may not allow him to return to the UK. In this situation, returning your son to the UK could be very difficult.
On returning to the UK there is a serious possibility that children’s services will apply to the family court for a court order to remove him from your care as they may believe that he had been placed at risk of significant harm. Or they could ask the police to take him into police protection initially. Please see this information here about the actions children’s services may take if they are very worried about a child’s safety.
I can see that you are in a difficult situation and that the decision or actions you take may affect you in different ways. The consequences of travelling abroad in this way may be very serious for both you and your son given children’s services concerns. However, if you do not go this may have implications for you in terms of your son’s father’s response.
You were considering contacting children’s service to let them know. You should do this. As it is now Friday evening you may not get through to your child’s social worker and may need to contact their Out of Hours (also known as Emergency Duty Team). You should be able to find their number online on your council’s website, or it may be written on your son’s child protection plan. You should explain the situation fully and listen to their recommendations.
If have any concerns for your or your son’s safety then please do contact the police.
Are you in touch with a domestic violence service who can offer you any additional support? Please see this link to services that can offer you this help. You may also wish to discuss your situation and options, including any worries about your or your son’s safety with the 24 hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 run by Refuge.
Our freephone advice line 0808 8010366 is open from Mon to Fri, from 9.30 am to 3.00 pm so please do call if you would like to speak with an adviser. Or you are welcome to post again on this forum if you prefer.
Best wishes
Suzie
Welcome to the parents’ discussion board and thank you for your post. My name is Suzie and I am Family Rights Group’s online adviser.
You have explained that you are due to go abroad on Sunday with your 3 year old son who is on a child protection plan due to domestic abuse. Your partner who has arranged this trip abroad has been violent to you in the past and was a cocaine-user. Children’s services believe that you are not together with your child’s father and that your child is not having any contact with his dad. However, it seems that the reality is different. You have posted that you are now having a relationship with your child’s father and you are considering that you all spend time together on holiday, which will inevitably involve your child’s father having unsupervised contact with his son. This is likely to be in breach of your son’s child protection plan.
As there is a child protection plan in place, your son’s social worker needs to be aware of where he is and who he is with. Taking your son out of the country without their knowledge would be a very worrying action to take. As part of your son’s child protection plan his social worker may need to visit him at least once every 2 weeks to be satisfied as to his welfare. If he is abroad they will not be able to do this and may ask the authorities in the country you visit to check on your son’s welfare.
I am very concerned that you are considering taking your child on holiday with his father, without children’s services knowledge or agreement. I can see that you are worried too. Children’s services are likely to be very concerned if you and your son go abroad with your son’s father given that he is a on a child protection plan due to your partner’s domestic abuse.
There could be a risk that once abroad your son’s father may not allow him to return to the UK. In this situation, returning your son to the UK could be very difficult.
On returning to the UK there is a serious possibility that children’s services will apply to the family court for a court order to remove him from your care as they may believe that he had been placed at risk of significant harm. Or they could ask the police to take him into police protection initially. Please see this information here about the actions children’s services may take if they are very worried about a child’s safety.
I can see that you are in a difficult situation and that the decision or actions you take may affect you in different ways. The consequences of travelling abroad in this way may be very serious for both you and your son given children’s services concerns. However, if you do not go this may have implications for you in terms of your son’s father’s response.
You were considering contacting children’s service to let them know. You should do this. As it is now Friday evening you may not get through to your child’s social worker and may need to contact their Out of Hours (also known as Emergency Duty Team). You should be able to find their number online on your council’s website, or it may be written on your son’s child protection plan. You should explain the situation fully and listen to their recommendations.
If have any concerns for your or your son’s safety then please do contact the police.
Are you in touch with a domestic violence service who can offer you any additional support? Please see this link to services that can offer you this help. You may also wish to discuss your situation and options, including any worries about your or your son’s safety with the 24 hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 run by Refuge.
Our freephone advice line 0808 8010366 is open from Mon to Fri, from 9.30 am to 3.00 pm so please do call if you would like to speak with an adviser. Or you are welcome to post again on this forum if you prefer.
Best wishes
Suzie
Re: Going on holiday when on a Child Protection Plan
Thank you so much for your advice, what you have said is exactly what I’ve been worrying what would happen if we were to go. I’ve explained this to his dad now and have said we would not be going as I’m not willing to take the risk , he’s still going to to go on his own I think. Thank you for your reply!
Re: Going on holiday when on a Child Protection Plan
Hi Jellyfish
You need to put your children first and be upfront with children's services. If you hide information from them they will find out. Very sensible not to go on the holiday. If you do go on holiday, inform CS and make sure you book it in your name etc so you have a papertrail, avoid social media posts as well. Just make sure everything is above board, that way you are not hiding anything.
You need to put your children first and be upfront with children's services. If you hide information from them they will find out. Very sensible not to go on the holiday. If you do go on holiday, inform CS and make sure you book it in your name etc so you have a papertrail, avoid social media posts as well. Just make sure everything is above board, that way you are not hiding anything.
Who is online
In total there are 2 users online :: 1 registered, 0 hidden and 1 guest (based on users active over the past 5 minutes)
Most users ever online was 318 on Fri May 28, 2021 9:04 pm