Contact Stopped

[charmed1]

Hi everyone. My contact was 6x a year, then reduced to 3x. Last contact was in February. No indirect contact in between. Contact restarted for my son (who lives with me) and my daughter (she has a significant learning disabilty/global development delay) in September. My contact earlier this month was cancelled as my daughter refused to see me. Possible reasons are: 1) We hadn't seen or spoken to each other in eight months, 2) The foster carer was bringing her to contact as the supervisor wasn't allowed to bring her, 3) she hadn't been told that she was seeing me until the day before. I now haven't had contact with my daughter for two weeks since it was supposed to restart and four months if you don't count the lockdown restrictions. Either way I have had no contact at all for eight months. This has to be contributing to my daughter's refusal. The social worker isn't responding other to deny my contact hasn't been stopped. I've contacted the IRO as well but still no timescale or what they intend to do to support my contact with my daughter. I am waiting for a solicitor to get back confirming if I can get legal aid. How long does that normally take? Then she can try and negotiate with the LA about reinstating my contact and higher frequency. Any advise is welcomed. Thank you.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear charmed1

Thank you for your question and your update about contact with your daughter.

It may be a good idea to contact the solicitor and ask them how your application for legal aid is progressing, applications can sometimes take many weeks. Information about the process of applying can be found here.

In a previous response to you, we suggested that you take a look at our advice sheet about contact, here it is again, it may be useful to you. Another advice sheet which may help is this one called Duties on Children’s Services when children are in the care system.

Earlier in the year we created document about contact during the coronavirus outbreak, you may find that it has some useful tips you could use to negotiate contact during the pandemic. You can read it here.

It may be useful too, if you enquired about an advocate for your daughter who may be able to help with ‘hearing her voice’ and her views about being in care and contact with you and her family. The National Youth Advocacy Service or Coram Voice are two organisations that may be able to help and advise you, and possibly support your daughter.

I hope this information is useful.

Best wishes

Suzie