Dear Pinkstar
Thank you for your further posts. I will respond to your 3 posts here. It may be a good idea for you to post any further queries on the same thread as this will ensure that you get consistent advice.
You should ask the social worker to confirm to you what type of assessment is being undertaken. It is very important that you know this. From the information you have provided it appears that they may be doing a
section 47 investigation as you state that the social worker described your ex-partner as high risk, they mentioned a meeting with other people which may have been a
strategy meeting and as two police officers also attended the interview with your daughter at school. It is likely that it was decided at a strategy meeting that this was necessary. Police and social workers can do joint visits if necessary to assess children’s circumstances and to keep them safe. Police also have legal powers that social workers do not have. It is not the norm though so there will be a reason why that happened.
You should contact the social worker to ask her to confirm :
Has there been a strategy meeting?
Are they completing a section 47 investigation?
Are there any concerns arising from the meeting with your daughter at school?
Why did police attend the meeting?
Is there any other relevant information that you should be made aware of?
You should ask the social worker to keep you fully informed and updated about the assessment and any expectations they have of you or recommendations for what they would like you to do. As a minimum, I would expect that you are being asked not to allow your ex-partner to attend your home or have any contact with your children, for their protection.
It is an important part of the social worker’s role to speak with your daughter (and any other children in the family) to understand their lived experiences and to assess her welfare. The social worker needs to have this understanding in order to make recommendations about what will help your daughter. She is not trying to be your daughter’s friend, that is not her role but she does need to try to establish a professional relationship with her so that she has an accurate view of your daughter’s needs. The social worker should ask your permission to speak to your daughter as you are her mum and have parental responsibility. However, there can be situations where a social worker is allowed to speak to a child without their parent’s consent but only if only if they think that asking permission would put a child at further risk (see can children’s services speak to a child without a parent’s permission?
here.
This advice on
child in need and
child protection may be helpful in explaining more about these processes.
The tips on working with a social worker in
this guide may help.
Are you accessing support from a specialist domestic violence service? If you are not, then it may be a good idea to do so. Please see our specialist
domestic abuse FAQs for mothers and this
link to useful services.
If you would like to speak with an adviser please call freephone 0808 8010366, Mon to Fri, 9.30 am to 3.00 pm (except bank holidays) or post back here if you have a new query.
I hope this helps.
Best wishes
Suzie