I feel powerless against the system of social services

[winmau]

Hi everyone,

I’m feeling completely powerless at the moment and could really use some advice or support. A while ago, I was arrested based on false allegations, and the police issued a No Further Action (NFA) decision. Despite this, social services are still involved. The case has now moved from a Section 47 investigation to a Section 17, and I’m currently not living at the property because the safety plan requires meetings to be in public places.

My main concern is that social services appear to be telling my partner one thing and me another. She’s expressed that she is terrified the children could be taken from her. She has been told that if I were to move back into the property, due to “my behaviour and risk of future conflict,” the situation could escalate to a child protection order.

I am struggling to understand what evidence or basis they are using to make these claims. I feel like I am being judged or restricted despite there being no police action against me, and it’s really affecting both me and my family.

Has anyone else experienced something similar? How did you handle it, and what steps can I take to clarify the evidence they are relying on?

Thank you in advance for any guidance or support.

[Winter25]

Hi winmau,

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Yes i have experience this and lot worse, it went to court i beat them with the law, so ill share this info with you.

The powerlessness you’re describing is real , and it’s not an accident. When the police issue a “No Further Action” (NFA) and social services continue to act as though you’re a danger, it can feel like the rules no longer apply. What you’re facing isn’t fairness, it’s a system protecting its narrative instead of following the evidence.

What’s Really Going On

By telling you and your partner different things, they create fear and confusion. This keeps you compliant and your partner isolated. It’s a common way to maintain control without ever proving a risk exists.

The Downgrade Tells You Everything, Your case being stepped down from Section 47 (child protection) to Section 17 (child in need) means they no longer believe there’s evidence of significant harm. That should have ended the restrictions, instead, they’re using voluntary measures (like a “safety plan”) as a way to keep you out without legal grounds.

The “Future Risk” Line Is Smoke and Mirrors, and Has Been Ruled Unlawful by the Courts already. I do not expect all social workers to know these laws or some ignore it if they do. Remember Social services are not the LAW, they are meant to work inline with rulings, legislation and rights.

The High Courts have made clear that decisions based purely on speculative future risk are unlawful.
Just for your information the case law for this is this:
In Re H and R (Child Sexual Abuse: Standard of Proof) [1996] AC 563, the House of Lords confirmed that social services must rely on current, evidenced facts, not assumptions about what might happen.
Similarly, in Re B (Children) [2008] UKHL 35, the court reaffirmed that intervention requires proof on the balance of probabilities, not fear, prediction, or professional opinion alone. Case law means that lower courts and anyone really need to adhere to these rulings withing its context

You can search these rulings yourself if you wish to be verified.

If the police have dropped the case, social services must produce new, current evidence to justify any ongoing exclusion. Speculation about potential future conflict does not meet the legal threshold. It is not lawful to keep someone from their home based purely on opinion, prediction, or untested belief.

Take Back Control , Calmly, in Writing

You can’t fix this through conversations, so don't try, they’ll only twist them. You need everything in writing so their contradictions and lack of evidence are visible.

Here’s a version of what to send just add your parts to it
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Subject: Formal Request for Written Evidence and Clarification of Current Safety Plan – [Children’s Names]

Dear [Social Worker’s Name] and [Team Manager’s Name],

I am writing to request written clarification regarding the current Section 17 plan and the restrictions placed on me under the safety plan.

The police investigation concluded with a No Further Action (NFA) decision, and the case has since been de-escalated from Section 47 to Section 17. Despite this, I remain excluded from the family home, and my partner has been told that my return would trigger child protection proceedings due to “my behaviour and risk of future conflict.”

To ensure clarity and fairness, could you please confirm in writing:

What specific, current evidence supports the assessment that I pose a “risk of future conflict” serious enough to justify continued exclusion from the home.

The legal and procedural basis for maintaining this restriction under a voluntary Section 17 plan.

I would also like to remind you that under Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018), any Child in Need (Section 17) plan must be reviewed within three months of being agreed and at regular intervals thereafter. The purpose of these reviews is to decide whether the plan remains necessary, should be revised, or should end.

Given that my exclusion from the family home continues without any new evidence or clear review process, I am formally requesting confirmation of the next review date and the criteria you are using to assess when this plan will be brought to an end.

I am also requesting a joint meeting involving yourself, your team manager, and my partner so that all parties receive the same information and there is no further confusion or conflicting communication.

I am fully cooperative and want to work constructively, but I need written clarity to ensure the process is transparent and evidence-based.

Yours sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
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Why This Works

It forces them to justify themselves. They either admit there’s no new evidence or put their reasoning in writing, which can later be challenged.

It ends the confusion. By demanding joint communication, they can’t play you and your partner off against each other.

It builds your defence. Every unanswered or inconsistent reply strengthens your record if this escalates.

You’ve already done everything right, you’ve cooperated, the police have cleared you, and the case has been downgraded. You are not the risk here! Asking for transparency and evidence is your legal right, not obstruction so do not feel you can not speak up!
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For transparency, I’m not an official adviser for this forum. I’m a parent who’s been through this process and fought back successfully. Everything here is based on real legal experience and aims to help you regain control of your situation.

[winmau]

This is fantastic. Thank you very much for your reply. It’s been that bad that it’s actually forcing me and my partner to split even though we were both in a happy relationship. Thank you again for your time and effort. I really appreciate it.

Kind regards,

Name removed by Suzie in line with rules of use

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear winmau

Welcome to the parents’ discussion board. Thank you for posting. My name is Suzie. I am Family Rights Group’s online adviser. I am sorry for the delay in replying to you.

I can see that you and your family are going through a difficult situation. It is confusing and distressing for you. I will try to help you make sense of the situation and suggest what steps you and your partner may wish to take to move forward.

You explain that you were arrested by the police. You don’t say what the allegations were, but that they were false. However, the social worker told your partner they are concerned about your ‘behaviour and the risk of future conflict’ so they may be worried about domestic abuse. Please see this link to FAQs on domestic abuse for fathers.

You lived outside the family home during the police investigation and continue to do so. You explain that there is still a safety plan in place which specifies that meetings must be in public places.

It is not clear from your post if you are the children’s father. This matters because if you are the children’s father, with parental responsibility (PR) for them, this means you have certain rights (and responsibilities). Your partner, the children’s mother, automatically has PR for them. Children’s services expect her to be protective and make safe decisions for the children.

Children’s services were initially involved under child protection procedures (section 47 of the Children Act 1989). This has now stepped down to child in need (section 17 of the Children Act 1989), where there should be a child in need plan in place. This is a voluntary process needing parental consent. It is not a court process.

You wonder why children’s services remain involved despite the police decision to take no further action. This is because the police and children’s services have different roles and responsibilities. Police investigate whether a crime has been committed and whether there is sufficient evidence for a successful prosecution in a criminal court. Children’s services are the lead agency in supporting and protecting vulnerable children. They want to remain involved as they continue to have concerns based on evidence from their assessment gathered from a range of sources (not only the police) about the children’s developmental needs, parents’ parenting capacity and family/ environmental factors.

Children's services don't have PR for the children as the family court is not involved and has not made an order. So, they are recommending that you do not return home, yet. And they are asking you and your partner to continue to cooperate with the temporary safety plan.

It may be that they are offering a child in need plan because you are not living at home at present.

The social worker told your partner that they could escalate matters if you move back to the family home, without their approval. There isn’t a child protection order as such. If needed, they could convene a child protection conference to decide if the children need a child protection plan. In more serious situations, they could apply to the court for an interim care order to protect them.

There are steps that you and your partner can take to clarify exactly what the current concerns are, to be clear about what the child in need plan proposes and to put forward what you would like to happen.

Child in need plans are about support and services for children and their families. This may offer you and your family an opportunity to make positive changes.

You/your partner can:

Email the social worker to ask for:

• A copy of the social worker’s assessment of the children’s needs; this is where you can find out what information the social worker has gathered and how they analysed and made recommendations based on this.
You can comment and ask the social worker to amend any factual errors.
• A copy of the child in need plan.
• A review (or timescale for review) of the current temporary safety plan. It shouldn’t be open-ended. If you and your partner both want you to return home you can say so – but be prepared to work with children’s services to agree this as they have mentioned escalating matters if you just come back.
• Clarification about what they would like each of you to do to address their current concerns. This could be you doing a Respect perpetrators course, a Men and Masculinities course and your partner engaging with a domestic abuse service.
• Clarification of what support the children will be offered and why.

Children’s services now work under government guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023); this supersedes the 2018 version; it states that children’s services must develop child in need plans in line with local protocols and review regularly although it doesn’t specify the timescale. In practice, most local authority protocols state there should be no more than 3 months between reviews.

You can also:

• Think about whether a family group conference (FGC) would help your family develop your own safe family plan. Please see this link for more details.
• Get advice from a legal advice service, if unhappy about restricted contact with your children. Please see this link to legal advice services.

I hope this is useful. If you would like to discuss your situation with an experienced adviser, please call the freephone advice line on 0808 8010366, 9.30 am to 3.00 pm, Mon to Fri. If you prefer you can post back, send an advice enquiry form or use webchat.

Best wishes

Suzie