Permission for UK Holiday

[Ummof5]

Hello,

Background story. LO was handed over by a social worker to her maternal uncle. She lived with him for 2 years. Uncle couldn't raise her to 18 so I non biological Aunt offered to care for her.

Since then, I have been approved as a connected person's foster carer. LO was officially placed with me beginning of June on an intrim care order. Middle of June the court granted a full care order.

Now, Uncle wants to take LO on holiday for 7 day, within the UK. I want to take LO on a 3 day holiday within UK. Social services have denied the requests. Is there ANYTHING I can do to get/force them to change the decision. BM will give written consent if needed.

It would be horrible to leave her out and I refuse to send her to another foster carer while we go as she has trauma for being handed over to a social worker and not seeing her mom, home or anything she new since then.

[Robin D]

While accepting that the situation is much more complex than you can put in a public post, I can understand to a degree, the refusal for the Uncle, but cannot get my head around it for you. You are the foster parent, and part of that is that the child has to be treated as part of the family. On one occasion I recollect we were flying to Jersey and suddenly had placed two extra children only a few days before. Mad panic to get the extra flights but the social worker worked with us and, apart from 13 days rain in 14, it was a good holiday. I know technically you have to seek permission, but all we have ever done is to advise the social worker the dates we will be away from home, and where and how we can be contacted. Going abroad is more difficult as you are removing the child from jurisdiction but there are still plenty of foster parents that do including us. Potentially I can see an issue with jurisdiction if you live in England or Wales and want to go to Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Again, assuming you have asked the social worker for the reasoning and had an unsatisfactory response, I think the only recourse you have is to start the complaints process. Details of how best to do this are at https://frg.org.uk/get-help-and-advice/what/complaints/. Assuming that the child is in the care of the local authority where you live, you can also contact your local councillor for help and support. They can make enquiries that will sometimes unblock the apparently immovable, but may also come back with information that explains why the authority is taking the line it is. You can find out who your local councillor and how to contact them on the council web-site or by calling the main switchboard.

I suspect there is more to this than is obvious to you and it's easy to think it's just someone being difficult, (that I think is highly unlikely) in the absence of any logical explanation. Calmly (although you probably feel anything but calm!) keep pushing and hopefully you can get it resolved.

Good luck ... Robin

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Hello,

Background story. LO was handed over by a social worker to her maternal uncle. She lived with him for 2 years. Uncle couldn't raise her to 18 so I non biological Aunt offered to care for her.

Since then, I have been approved as a connected person's foster carer. LO was officially placed with me beginning of June on an intrim care order. Middle of June the court granted a full care order.

Now, Uncle wants to take LO on holiday for 7 day, within the UK. I want to take LO on a 3 day holiday within UK. Social services have denied the requests. Is there ANYTHING I can do to get/force them to change the decision. BM will give written consent if needed.

It would be horrible to leave her out and I refuse to send her to another foster carer while we go as she has trauma for being handed over to a social worker and not seeing her mom, home or anything she new since then.

Dear Ummof5

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

My name is Suzie, online adviser at Family Rights Group. I see from your post that both you and the uncle of the child for whom you are caring as a foster carer wish to take her on holiday within the UK. Children’s services (the new name for social services) have refused the request, and you wish to know what you can do.

I understand that you would not wish to leave her behind and, since she lives with you it is unusual for children’s services to reach the decision they have. You do not mention in your post the reason given for their refusal and, it seems to me that you have a strong argument that she is part of your family and need to be treated as such. As I do not know her full background or the reason(s) why children’s services consider that a holiday with either you or the maternal uncle would not be in her best interests. Do they have concerns about unsupervised contact taking place? Children's services would be considering the child's best interests so to refuse contact for you and the uncle suggests there are issues that they have to be mindful of when making decisions about the child.

Here is information about when a child is in care under a court order and children's services duties which you may find helpful.

I think uncle should make his own enquiries of children's services about his request being refused.

Whilst the mother could give her written consent as a parent with parental responsibility, children’s services’ parental responsibility for the child is exercised over and above the mother’s. Children’s services have a care order in their favour and, such, they make decisions about the child. Her mother could make representations to children’s services regarding their decision about the child going on holiday. As a foster carer, you do not have parental responsibility, children’s services make decision about the child.

You may find it helpful to read more about kinship foster care HERE.

The independent reviewing officer (IRO) is responsible for oversight of the child’s care plan and the child’s welfare and you can raise any issue you have with the IRO. This is usually the person who chairs looked after child meetings. You can read more here HERE about their role.

If you have not already done so, I suggest you ask for a meeting with the team manager and the independent reviewing officer, for an explanation about the decision not to allow the child to go on holiday with you for such a short period of time within the UK. I think it is also important for children’s services to explain your role as a foster carer if you are not able to take a child living with you on holiday. As I have stated previously, the child’s background and specific needs are unknown but it seems to me that children’s services may have concerns regarding the child and what might happen if she goes on holiday.

You need to be clear to them that the message to the child about her position in your family would not be a good one as she is likely to feel excluded and different. It is important that you know their reasons and how future holidays are likely to be affected.

I hope you find the information in the links helpful.

Best wishes

Suzie