Family Rights Group | Parents’ Forum

moomoomeadows wrote: Sat Feb 07, 2026 8:27 pm Hi, me and my partner are currently expecting our first baby together in April.
He is on the SOR since 2023 for a total of 10 years.
He has a Sexual Harm prevention order until July 2028, where his conditions state he is not allowed to live in the same place as a person under 18 unless express permission is provided by social services.
We have been very open and honest with the midwives, police child services, health visitors and more since finding out i was pregnant, and have tried our best to cooperate with anything they request.
We recently underwent a Child protection planning conference, where it was deemed my baby needed to be placed on a child protection plan until both him and i could undergo risk assessments to deem he is not a risk or a very low risk, and i am able to protect my baby significantly.
Unfortunately, without these assessments being complete he has been refused to live with us upon my babies arrival, which we both expected.
However, if i am unable to prove that i can protect my baby in his presence, threats have been made for him to be unable to see her unless there is another person who undergoes the same protective assessment.
We dont live close to family, and it is a lot of pressure to put on my friends. If this something they are allowed to enforce?
The only other requirement on his SHPO is that if contact is to be made with a person under 18, their legal carer/guardian must have full knowledge of his offences, and provide a written statement to the council they reside stating full consent is given. Why is it the case i may not be allowed to supervise my baby in his presence if i fail the assessment?

Is there any advice you can give on how to prove to SS i am able to protect my baby?
What is it they are looking for in order to deem me responsible enough to safeguard her?

And with regards to his living arrangements, they have already stated they will not help with housing, so what are the things we need to consider when hegoes for his assessment so he can be allowed to live with us?

Furthermore, if we are still being monitored by SS when his SHPO expires, and he has still not been given permission to live with us, are they still able to enforce this? His SHPO is only in place for a total of 5 years, so will expire July 2028.

Any help would much be appreciated, because the whole situation is really stressing us out. My baby deserves her dad, and im under the impression that he may not ever be able to see her in just my presence if i fail my protective assessment.

Thanks

Winter25 wrote: Mon Feb 09, 2026 3:23 pm Hi moomoomeadows,

I’m really sorry you’re dealing with all of this while pregnant. It’s a lot to carry, especially when what should be an exciting time is dominated by meetings, assessments and uncertainty. The stress you’re feeling is completely understandable.

I want to try to strip this back a bit, because a lot of fear comes from things being said in ways that sound final or threatening, when in reality they’re part of a process rather than a judgement on you or your baby.

Right now, this is pre-birth safeguarding, not punishment. Because your partner is on the SOR and has a SHPO, professionals are legally required to assess risk before the baby is born. That’s why everything feels intense and front-loaded. It does not mean they have decided to remove your baby, or that you are already seen as unsafe, or that your partner will never be involved.

Children’s Services can carry out assessments, put a child protection plan in place while those assessments are ongoing, and require your partner not to live with you until permission is given. That aligns with his SHPO. They can also look at whether you can safely protect your baby and, if needed, suggest supervised contact for a period.

What they cannot do is important too. They can’t permanently stop a parent seeing their child without court involvement. They can’t remove a baby purely because of “association” if there is no evidence of harm. They can’t enforce criminal restrictions forever once orders expire. And they can’t lawfully punish you just for loving someone if you are open, risk-aware and prioritising your child.

A lot of what you’re hearing at the moment will be framed as “if you fail this, then that will happen”. That doesn’t mean those outcomes are inevitable. It means they are testing whether you understand risk and can put your baby first under pressure.

The protective parent assessment isn’t about whether you love your child or your partner. It’s about insight, boundaries and priorities. They’re looking to see that you understand what his offences were, that you don’t minimise them, that you follow safety rules consistently, and that if you were ever faced with a choice, your baby would come first. That doesn’t mean you’re expected to abandon your relationship now, it means you’re expected to show you can act protectively if needed.

On supervision, it’s very common at the start of cases like this for Children’s Services to ask for third-party supervision. That’s usually a temporary measure, not a life sentence. As trust builds and assessments are completed, arrangements often step down. What they can’t do is insist on indefinite supervision unless there is ongoing evidence that risk can’t be safely managed.

Housing is frustrating, and you’re right that they don’t have to help with it. What they are looking for is clarity and stability. Separate accommodation for your partner while assessments are ongoing, clear boundaries, and no “grey areas” all help reduce perceived risk rather than increase it.

About the SHPO ending in 2028: once it expires, criminal restrictions end. Children’s Services don’t get to enforce criminal conditions forever. However, they can still raise safeguarding concerns if they believe there is ongoing risk. That’s why compliance, time, and a lack of incidents really matter, risk narratives weaken when nothing happens.

The most important thing to hold onto is this: you are not powerless in any of this, and this is not decided yet. You are being assessed, and assessments can be passed.

If at any point things feel implied rather than clearly explained, you are allowed to ask for clarity in writing. Sometimes that alone helps calm things down. If it helps, a short, neutral email could be along these lines:

-----
Subject: Clarification of Protective Parent Assessment and Interim Arrangements

Dear [Social Worker’s name],

I hope you are well.

I am writing to ensure I clearly understand what is expected of me while assessments are ongoing, and to confirm how decisions are being approached in relation to my baby’s safety and care.

I am committed to cooperating fully with Children’s Services and to safeguarding my baby. I want to make sure I am meeting expectations appropriately and not making assumptions during this process.

Please could you clarify the following:

What specific factors are being considered within my protective parent assessment

What Children’s Services are looking for in order to demonstrate that I am able to safeguard my baby

Whether the current supervision and living arrangements are intended to be temporary while assessments are completed

What steps or evidence would support progression or review of these arrangements

I appreciate that assessments take time, and I want to work constructively and transparently throughout. Any clarification you can provide in writing would be very helpful in allowing me to engage confidently and appropriately.

Thank you for your time and support.

Kind regards,

--------

That keeps things calm, cooperative and focused on your baby.

You’ve done the right things so far: you’ve been honest which is what is needed, you haven’t hidden anything, and you’re asking questions instead of reacting in panic. None of that points to a parent who can’t protect their child.
========
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.

Suzie, FRG Adviser wrote: Thu Feb 12, 2026 4:21 pm

moomoomeadows wrote: Sat Feb 07, 2026 8:27 pm Hi, me and my partner are currently expecting our first baby together in April.
He is on the SOR since 2023 for a total of 10 years.
He has a Sexual Harm prevention order until July 2028, where his conditions state he is not allowed to live in the same place as a person under 18 unless express permission is provided by social services.
We have been very open and honest with the midwives, police child services, health visitors and more since finding out i was pregnant, and have tried our best to cooperate with anything they request.
We recently underwent a Child protection planning conference, where it was deemed my baby needed to be placed on a child protection plan until both him and i could undergo risk assessments to deem he is not a risk or a very low risk, and i am able to protect my baby significantly.
Unfortunately, without these assessments being complete he has been refused to live with us upon my babies arrival, which we both expected.
However, if i am unable to prove that i can protect my baby in his presence, threats have been made for him to be unable to see her unless there is another person who undergoes the same protective assessment.
We dont live close to family, and it is a lot of pressure to put on my friends. If this something they are allowed to enforce?
The only other requirement on his SHPO is that if contact is to be made with a person under 18, their legal carer/guardian must have full knowledge of his offences, and provide a written statement to the council they reside stating full consent is given. Why is it the case i may not be allowed to supervise my baby in his presence if i fail the assessment?

Is there any advice you can give on how to prove to SS i am able to protect my baby?
What is it they are looking for in order to deem me responsible enough to safeguard her?

And with regards to his living arrangements, they have already stated they will not help with housing, so what are the things we need to consider when hegoes for his assessment so he can be allowed to live with us?

Furthermore, if we are still being monitored by SS when his SHPO expires, and he has still not been given permission to live with us, are they still able to enforce this? His SHPO is only in place for a total of 5 years, so will expire July 2028.

Any help would much be appreciated, because the whole situation is really stressing us out. My baby deserves her dad, and im under the impression that he may not ever be able to see her in just my presence if i fail my protective assessment.

Thanks

Dear Moomoomeadows,

Thank you for your post. I am Suzie, an online adviser for Family Rights Group responding to you today.

Congratulations on your pregnancy. I am sorry to read about your stressful circumstances and hope I can guide you to useful information.
You are seeking advice as to how children’s services will assess your ability to protect your child and hope that you will be judged capable of supervising the contact in the future.

As has already been said in your reply from another forum user, children’s services will want to find out if you understand the offences and the impact on the victims; that you do not seek to deny or minimise your partner’s actions and that you are aware of the possible risks to your child that his offender profile presents.

You could ask the social worker to recommend relevant parent education and resources to help you work out how you can protect and manage risk.
Lucy Faithfull Foundation have ample information on their website about keeping children safe and ways to prevent sexual abuse. There is a family and friends’ forum where you can communicate with others affected by issues stemming from sexual offending, and also a helpline. You can link to the website here.
You can read more about child protection procedures and plans here.

You explain that you do not live close to family, and you are worried about putting too much pressure on friends. It could help to bring the network around your baby together to discuss ways that you can be supported to implement a safety plan. The whole situation is putting massive pressure on you, and it would be wise to accept support from people who are prepared to offer it. Family group conference is a way for the network (friends and family) around a child to meet, with the help of a professional chair to plan ways they can help. You can read more about family group conference here. If you feel this could be helpful to you – you could ask the social worker to make a referral.

I hope that this information was useful. Please feel free to post again here or contact us in another way for advice.

You can call our free, confidential adviceline on 0808 801 0366 (Monday to Friday, 9:30am – 3pm) to speak in person with an adviser. We also have a webchat which is currently open on Monday and Thursday afternoons, and an advice enquiry form.
Best wishes,
Suzie