Contact centres

[santa fe]

Hi i have to see my little girl at a contact centre but i have never been told why so i play along with their little games then today they asked me if i am waiting untill my little girl is in the car before i leave or am i leaving first and i said none i want to see how she is strapped in the car so they turn round and said i agreed to waiting when the meeting was held to formalise the contact meeting i think this may make more sence;

The SS Are trying to introduce new T&c’s claiming we spoke about them at the meeting and I agreed so I said it is not in writing in the contract agreement and I don’t remember agreeing to it therefore I will not be doing what you ask.

But the SW is supposed to be e mailing me as I will not e mail her to get me to sign the new T&C’s, I see this as my chance to have all the contract filled out completely so they have no get out of jail cards left and exactly who is allowed to supervised this farce, I am fed up with being interrupted by SW’s coming in to the room thinking they run the show.
Can I stand my ground on having the contract fully completed and not agreeing to their T&C’s?

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Hi Santa Fe

My name is Suzie, and advisor from the Family Rights Group.

Welcome to the board.

Parental Responsibility

Before I can advise you properly, I need to know a few more details about your situation. You say all contact or contact with your child is supervised, but you are unsure why.

Is your child accommodated under section 20, Children Act or do the Local Authority share parental responsibility parental responsibility with you, and have they issued care proceedings because of concerns about your child’s welfare, when placed in your care? In this case, you would have a solicitor that is representing you, and they will be able to inform you about the reason for the concerns, and what is expected of you in terms of any assessments that are being conducted at this time.

Contact

You could also speak to the social worker or the independent reviewing officer with any concerns about contact, or what is being planned at this time. It is true that the contact agreement meeting should clearly define expectations of all parties in contact. However, it is not the contact supervisors role to draw up the arrangements for contact, or address concerns around this. These issues should be considered in the Looked After Reviewing meetings, if you attend these.
These questions are important, because it determines whether Children’s Services have certain powers and responsibilities in the day to day planning of your child.

Either way, you continue to have parental responsibility, and under working together guidance, Children’s Services have a duty to continue to work in partnership with you, and anyone else who may have it.

Best Wishes


Suzie

[santa fe]

Parental Responsibility
I go to a contact centre that the SW has arranged the two children were taken under setion 20 off my Ex.
I am NOT the boiligical farther to The youngest BUT I AM HER DADDY and have been before she was born (result of an affair by the ex) do i have PR? i have been told yes and no, she was born in 2006
My three boys are mine but we never got married in the past 25 years

Before I can advise you properly, I need to know a few more details about your situation. You say all contact or, but you are unsure why. yes some story my ex has made up
contact with your child is supervised
Is your child accommodated under section 20, Children Act Yes my EX refused to fight
or do the Local Authority share parental responsibility parental responsibility i think they now have shared PR no one tells me. with you, and have they issued care proceedings because of concerns about your child’s welfare,NO when placed in My ex's care? there is also a police protection order in place i think yet again no one tells me
I have got a solicitor but can not afford him due to earning too much so waiting for the LA to start court proceedings

Contact

You could also speak to the social worker or the independent reviewing officer with any concerns about contact, or what is being planned at this time. It is true that the contact agreement meeting should clearly define expectations of all parties in contact. However, it is not the contact supervisors role to draw up the arrangements for contact, or address concerns around this. These issues should be considered in the Looked After Reviewing meetings, if you attend these. the Reviewing officers are who i deal with as they listen and i havent uposet them YET!
These questions are important, because it determines whether Children’s Services have certain powers and responsibilities in the day to day planning of your child.

Either way, you continue to have parental responsibility, and under working together guidance, Children’s Services have a duty to continue to work in partnership with you, and anyone else who may have it.
Thanks

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Hi Santa Fe

Thanks for your response. You mention that your daughter may have been removed from her mother under police protection. The police are entitled to do this for a period of up to 72hrs. Once this timescale has elapsed, police protection no longer applies. If children’s services have not been to court, therefore, your daughter is simply accommodated under Section 20 of the Children Act.

Under Section 20, the local authority has no parental responsibility (PR) for your daughter. This means that they must agree their care plan with those with PR. It also means that they cannot continue to accommodate her if a person with PR is willing and able to provide her with accommodation and care.

The issue of whether or not you have PR for your daughter is, unfortunately, a complex one. If you are named on her birth certificate as her father then there is a presumption that you are her biological father and you would have PR for her.

If there is any question about whether or not you are the biological father, your PR still applies until it is proven that you are not. If it is generally accepted that you are not the biological father, however, then the birth certificate is in error, your PR does not apply and steps should be taken to amend the birth certificate.

If children’s services are not clear about your daughter’s paternity and you are named on her birth certificate, therefore, they should be treating you in all respects as if you have PR until it has been proven that you are not biological dad.

In reality, it sounds as though children’s services are treating you as your daughter’s father in that they are facilitating contact between you although they may not be discussing issues with you fully if they don’t see you as having PR? Even if children’s services are assuming that you have PR, if you tried to remove her from accommodation, they have the option of issuing care proceedings if they were concerned about this.

I hope that this makes sense and answers your questions.

Best Wishes

Suzie
FRG Adviser

[santa fe]

Hi suzie
They have now got their act together sort of and issued care procedings and asked for a DNA which is fine.
Now what i want to know is can these £$%^&*() people (SS) sorry i dont get on with them to well but i have been told to be nice to them. have my name taken off the BC with out my permisson?
SHe is my little girl and i am her daddy as far as anyone is concerned, just the SS being pratts

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Hi Sante Fe

Children's Services can not simply take your name off the birth certificate, but a court could make a direction for further enquiries, DNA testing to be made etc.

I would discuss your situation with your solicitor as soon as possible, so together you can plan the best way forward, in your particular circumstances.

Best Wishes

Suzie

[santa fe]

Thanks Suzie
I will talk to my solicitor but i wanted to just know if they could or not quickly.
The DNA has been ordered by the Judge but everyone knows i am NOT the sperm doner sorry dont like the other term and the court was told by me when i spoke out without asking but thats me all over.
Thanks again

[alison2607]

I wonder if any one can make any suggestions. I need to have supervised contact and have been using a close friend who my ex husband has decided is inappropriate. It is not appropriate for him or his parents to due to what they are saying and doing at the moment. I got in touch with an organisation contact options who although expensive would be able to help. I do not live close enough to any contact centre.

I am at my wits end I desperately want to see my kids I have brought them up virtually alone for years and now am alone in a tiny rented room which I can I'll afford.

How do others manage contact. At present I have none but would be allowed 1 to 2 eve week after school and a day at weekend if I had someone with me

Many thanks

Julie

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Hi Alison2607

My name is Suzie, an advisor from the Family Rights Group.

Welcome to the board.

I just wanted to let you know that I have deleted one of your posts, as there was a duplicate, with both asking the same question.

Have you considered exploring any one else (family, friends et) who may be able to supervise your contact at this time? I know you have asked for suggestions from other posters on this forum, so hopefully they will come forward with some ideas.

Best Wishes

Suzie

[princess27]

Contacts are used as an assesment in your parenting ability eg if you meet the child's needs in contact sessions, you communicate with the child, if you discipline appropriately by not being to leaniant or too strict by harsh punishment and to asses you if you instigate play with the child or sit there and ignor the child, or if you spend long periods of time talking on the phone or texting they will note that down because when you do that your not watching the child which can lead to a physical injury caused by none supervision, you can ask your solicitor for the contact reports aswel if the contacts are reported as "bad" but its up to you, they do not like using contact centres too long unless absolutely nessasery as it costs money to book people in and to pay the social/support worker.
You can ask for contacts at home at the next hearing if you can't have home visits and the contact centre is not very fun, you can go into the comunity like park with supervision of a social worker