Family Rights Group | Parents’ Forum

Hello all.

Please bare with me as I really don't understand any of social services procedures myself, so explaining it even more difficult.

Social services made a s47 report a while back on my autistic and learning disabled child. This was made because my mother, who I was staying temporarily with, doesn't believe in autism or disabilities of any kind and wanted to take my child to a spiritualist church to have my child exorcised. I refused, and told her that she would never see me or my child again if she continued to talk about my child's disabilities in such a horrific way.
She retaliated by contacting social services and making false allegations about me. The whole thing lasted a couple of days with medical investigations and police involvement. I left my mother's house and returned to my house in a different county a couple of days later with the help of the same social worker, who two days before had been incredibly hostile towards me. Nothing was explained to me. And once I was back home there was no social services involvement at all. The same social worker also told me that I should seriously consider whether I really wanted my child around my mother. I have been estranged from my mother since then and my only regret is not having done it sooner.

However, it was only a while later that I found out about this s47 report and when I requested a copy, I was shocked with the information on the report. It doesn't reflect anything about me. It had a drugs and alcohol marker, but I don't take drugs of any kind and rarely drink. I was not offered a drugs test or an opportunity to deny this because I was only aware of this a lot later.

My question is, what can I do to make sure this information is either corrected or added to in order to explain that I didn't have an opportunity to disprove any of the false allegations?

Because I have this s47 for life, I now worry about asking social services for any support in case they try to take me down the safeguarding route. Also, my child was hit in the head by someone on the school bus and I had to complain to school transport as the school bus assistant denied anything happening even though my child said so in front of her. I had to complain to keep my child safe on the school bus, but now frightened that this s47 will be used against me because I've had to complain. I'm getting to a point where if anything happens to my child, I fear reporting it because I fear retaliation and these false allegations being used against me.

Has anyone ever successfully corrected inaccurate information on a s47? How did you go on about it and how did you know if it was actually done?

All advice and suggestions are most welcome and gratefully received.

Hi Moonlight Sonata,

I am so sorry you went through this. It sounds absolutely terrifying to be accused of things like drug use simply because you protected your autistic child from an "exorcism." You did the right thing by leaving that environment and cutting contact with your mother.

You are rightfully worried about the "Paper Trail." In the world of Social Services, what is written on a file often becomes "truth" to the next professional who reads it, unless you challenge it.

Here is how to handle the inaccuracies and your fear of asking for help.

1. Can you delete the Section 47?
Generally, you cannot "delete" a Section 47 record. The law requires Social Services to keep a record of all investigations, even unfounded ones, for a long time (often 35-75 years depending on the outcome).

The Good News IS You can force them to amend the record so that anyone reading it in the future sees your side immediately.

2. How to "Correct" the Record (The GDPR Route)
You need to use your data rights. You have the right to request "Rectification" of inaccurate data under the UK GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).

Step 1: The Formal Request You need to write to the Data Protection Officer of the Local Authority (Council) that did the investigation (the one in your mother's county).

Draft Email/Letter:
=========
Subject: Request for Rectification of Data - [Your Name] - [Child's Name]

To the Data Protection Officer,

I am writing to request the rectification of inaccurate personal data held within my Social Services file (Section 47 Enquiry dated [Month/Year]).

The Inaccuracy: The report contains a "Drugs and Alcohol Marker." This is factually incorrect. I do not use drugs and was never asked to take a drug test to disprove this allegation. This marker appears to be based solely on a malicious referral from my estranged mother, which was not substantiated by any evidence.

The Context: The referral was made maliciously after I refused to allow my mother to take my autistic child to a spiritualist church for an "exorcism." I subsequently left the area with the support of the Social Worker to protect my child.

My Request: While I understand the investigation record cannot be deleted, I request that a "Statement of Correction" be permanently attached to the front of this file. This statement must confirm that:

The drug allegations were unsubstantiated.

No evidence of drug use was found.

The case was closed with no further action.

Please confirm within one calendar month that this has been done.

Regards

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Step 2: What happens next? They will usually refuse to delete the words "suspected drug use" (because it is a historical record of what was suspected at the time), but they must add a clear note stating it was unfounded. This "neutralises" the risk for any future Social Worker reading it.

3. Your Fear of "Retaliation"
You mentioned you are scared to complain about the school bus because they might use the S47 against you.

You are currently in a "Fear Trap."

The Fact: A closed, unfounded S47 from years ago involving a malicious grandmother is not evidence that you are a bad mother. In fact, the notes likely show that you left the dangerous situation (your mother's house) to protect your child. That is a "Protective Factor."

Do not be afraid to advocate for your child on the school bus. If anyone checks the file, they will see a closed case where you acted protectively.

So what you need to do now:

Send the Rectification Letter. Get that "Drugs Marker" clarified so you can sleep better.

Stay Protective. You protected your child from your mother; you can protect them from the bus incident. You are a good advocate, don't let a dusty file stop you.

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For full transparency, I am not an official adviser. I am a parent with lived experience of the family court system, offering strategic guidance. Always consult with a solicitor regarding ongoing court proceedings.

@WInter25 Thank you so much for taking the time to reply and with such detail. I'm sincerely grateful and sincerely appreciate your kind words. I feel relieved to know that at least I can add to the record. Many thanks for also adding a template for an email - this is most helpful as right now, trying to think of the right words to say, isn't easy.
You've made my day and your kindness will be remembered.