Advice Needed

[Renault1234]

Hello.
Looking for some advice if anybody can help.
I have received a written caution for sexual communication with a child and been placed on the sex offenders register for 2 years. I have two teenage son.
While under investigation I have been seeing them regularly supervised.
The investigation is over and I have a police officer I deal with. They say they only want to see me on odd occasion.
Children’s services are involved and the social worker is saying that she recommends that I only see the children supervised for the next 2 years while on the register.

Myself, the children’s mother and my 2 kids are all keen for unsupervised access and have told the social worker this. But social services are being hardwork. I’m not saying I expect to be able to have them full weekends or overnight but we’d just like some normality like going out for tea, to the cinema etc.

Has anybody here been in a similar position and manage to get unsupervised access granted? Is there anyways in which I can get social worker to understand our point of view?

[Toughlife]

Hi
I can share with you my own experience if you want. I can send you a private message. Let me know if that is okay.

[Renault1234]

Sure. That's fine, thank you

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Renault1234

Welcome to the parents’ discussion forum and thank you for posting.

My name is Suzie, online adviser at Family Rights Group. I see that another poster has offered to contact you via private message to share their own experience.

You do not mention whether your children are on child protection or child in need plans. The social worker has suggested that your contact remain supervised for the next two years and, as a family, you disagree with this. Has the social worker given any written reasons for the decision to keep contact supervised. I understand that you have a written caution and have been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for two years. It seems that the two years mentioned by the social worker coincides with this two-year period.

It seems to me that it would be more helpful if children’s services carry out a risk assessment to determine the level of risk you may pose and base their decision about contact on the result of that risk assessment. There could be a safety plan in place to ensure that, for example, you do not stay in the family home because contact is unsupervised. Any restrictions placed on you under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order would also be relevant

Children’s services can make recommendations about contact but are not able to force parents with parental responsibility to accept their recommendations. It is however, possible for them to escalate a case where they believe a child is being placed at risk of significant harm. The social worker may take the view that your wife is minimising your offence and not able to safeguard the children. This could mean section 47 child protection investigation which could result in child being placed on a child protection plan.

Please see information HERE about child protection procedures.

You do not mention your children’s ages but as teenagers, the social worker should give due weight to their wishes and feelings. If the children have any additional needs this may not be the case.

I suggest that you and your wife consider contacting the Lucy Faithfull Foundation on 0808 100 0900. They offer advice to both offending and non-offending parent.

You could ask to have a meeting with the social worker and his or her team manag-er to discuss your concerns regarding contact.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes

Suzie

[Starwars90]

I will send you a private message.