viability screening

[F4321111]

Hi everyone, I’m hoping for some guidance and support regarding XXX Children’s Services.

We are trying to be considered as kinship carers, and today is an incredibly emotional day because the baby is being born. Despite this, we have had no contact at all from XXX Children’s Services since Tuesday. We have emailed, called, and sent messages, but everything has been ignored. It’s extremely distressing to be left in silence at such a critical moment.

Our viability assessment was done very quickly over the phone, and we were not asked any of the questions relating to the concerns they later used to reject us. We feel the decision was rushed, unfair, and based on incomplete information. We are trying to challenge this, but it’s impossible when nobody will speak to us or even acknowledge our messages.

We have formally requested:

a Senior Team Manager review of the viability decision

confirmation that we are recorded as potential kinship carers

information about court dates or legal proceedings

a Subject Access Request for the recording and notes from the assessment

But we are being ignored, and with the baby arriving today, the lack of communication is heartbreaking. We feel shut out of a process that should be transparent and centred around the child’s best interests.

If anyone has experience with XXX Children’s Services or has been through something similar, I would really appreciate any advice on how to get them to respond or take a challenge seriously. This situation is incredibly stressful, and we just want to make sure the baby is safe and that family options are properly considered.

When my stepson was around 10 years old, his cousin (my niece) made an allegation against him. At the time, both children were very young, and the matter was handled formally. He was spoken to by the police with a solicitor present, and he fully cooperated throughout. No police action was taken, no charges were brought, and Children’s Services were never involved. The allegation was not substantiated, and professionals did not find evidence to support it.

As he grew older, my stepson experienced some mental health difficulties during high school, which we actively sought support for. These issues were related to adolescence and school pressures, and he received help at the time.

He is now 21 years old and has lived a stable, responsible, and positive life. There have been no further incidents, no concerns raised, and no history of inappropriate behaviour. He has healthy relationships within the family and wider community. He also works part‑time as a manager at B&M, demonstrating reliability, maturity, and trustworthiness.

It feels incredibly unfair on the baby to be placed into foster care for 6 weeks when there are willing, safe, and prepared family members available. Being moved between professionals, temporary carers, and different environments at such a vulnerable stage is not in her best interests. She deserves stability, familiarity, and the chance to bond with family from the very beginning.

Under Regulation 24, connected persons can be granted temporary approval so the baby can stay with family while assessments continue. We believe this should be considered, rather than placing her into foster care unnecessarily. The current plan means she will be passed between multiple people during her first weeks of life, which is distressing for us and potentially unsettling for her.

We are ready and able to provide immediate care, and we feel strongly that keeping her within her family from birth would offer her the security and consistency she needs. Watching her be moved around like this, when a family placement is available, feels deeply unfair and emotionally painful

Despite this, the historic allegation was recently raised during our kinship fostering assessment. We were not asked any questions about it during the viability screening, nor given the opportunity to explain the full context. The decision appears to have been based on incomplete information, and we are challenging it on that basis.

Thank you for reading.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear F4321111

Suzie (FRG Adviser) here, thank you for your update under the heading Viability Screening.

We appreciate that this is a very difficult time for your family and you have outlined the distress that it is causing you. In relation to your post about viability screening can I refer you to our response to you which included information about challenging the assessment

On the 31st August, you also posted (what seems to be your response to the local authority) under the heading First Assessment. If you have not already sent your message to them, may I suggest you reconstruct it to use ‘softer’ or less demanding language or use our template letter and our guide (again see our previous response) to request the response you ‘request/ ask for’.

At this stage the local authority is unable to make any definitive decisions: the child is newborn and the mother (and father) will need to consent to any decision, or the local authority will need an interim order.

Best wishes
Suzie
Family Rights Group Adviser