Family Rights Group | Parents’ Forum

Hello,

I'm new to the forum. I'm not looking for judgement or opinion about my situation, just your experience if you are willing to share.

My partner and I are expecting a child in the next few months and we have Children Services involved as my partner is on the Sex Offender Register for another 5 years for an offence from 2015 and sentenced in 2017 (download of IIOC).

We have had our initial Conference meeting and it was decided that we need to have a forensic psychologist assessment for my partner as well as Lucy Faithfull Foundation risk assessment for both of us (one to evaluate his risk and one to evaluate my protective factor). We have been working very opening and willingly with CS and told our midwife at the earliest opportunity about our situation so we are not "fighting" the system but want the best outcome for our baby and our family.

I would like to know what these assessments consist of? Questions asked etc. There are multiple reasons why my partner offended (not personal gratification) and he has done lots of work since with professional (probation, psychologist etc.) I also made it clear at the conference that if I had any suspicion that my child was in danger there won't be any doubt in my mind that I would protect my baby first.

So I'm looking at some experience from people who have been through this (some positive ones would be great to read). How long does a Child Protection Plan tend to last? Does LFF have a robust way to assess that a non-contact offence is not directly linked to a risk of contact offence?

Thank you

Hi there me and my ex are having to have the forensics assessment done I have mine done on the 29 of November don't no what sort of stuff they ask tho

Dear Tierkat14

Welcome to the discussion board and thank you for your post. My name is Suzie and I will be responding to you today.

You and your partner are expecting a child and children’s services are involved because your partner is on the Sex Offender Register (SOR). He was placed on the register for downloading indecent images of children (IIOC). From what you say a pre-birth assessment has been completed and following this a child protection plan is in place. During this process recommendations have been made for your partner to undergo a psychological assessment and for both of you to undergo risk assessments carried out by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation . You would like some clarity on what is included in the assessments and how long child protection plans usually last.

It is good to hear you are working openly and willingly with children’s services. I would encourage you to continue to do so. You may find our ‘top tips’ for working with social workers helpful. The document has 3 different headings 1) getting organised, 2) keep up to date and 3) build your confidence. All offer information and guidance when working with social workers.

A psychological assessment could take various forms and request various information. There is not a standard format for these assessments as it will depend on several things including:

• Who is carrying out the assessment
• The purpose of the assessment
• The needs of a particular family

If Children’s Services have recommended a forensic psychological assessment, I would suggest you ask them to clarify their exact reasons behind this decision, what the assessment will cover and how the information will be used in future planning. I would suggest you ask this in writing for clarity. Before the assessment starts, I would recommend your partner ask for an initial meeting with the assessor to discuss the process and timescales. This will also be a further opportunity for him to ask any relevant questions so that he is prepared as much as possible.

Regarding the Lucy Faithfull risk assessments, they would be tailored to the person they are assessing and what they are being asked to risk assess. Before any assessments are carried out, I would suggest you discuss this with children’s services so that you are clear about what will be covered and how this information will be used in future planning. Again, I would suggest you ask this in writing for clarity. The foundation has lots of further information and advice on their website and they also provide a helpline number, 0808 1000 900 which you and your partner might like to contact for further information and support.

Typically, child protection plans last no longer than two years. However, I cannot say how long your child's plan will remain in place. It will depend on the progress of the plan and whether the risks remain, reduce or change. This will be discussed and agreed at Review Child Protection Conferences.

When the plan ends it may be that there is no further interventions or a Child in Need or Early Help plan is recommended to offer ongoing support. Please click on the links for further information regarding both services.

In a small number of cases, it may be necessary for the court to become involved. Should this be the case then pre processing should be followed. This refers to the procedures that children’s services must follow if they are thinking about starting care proceedings. Please see the link HERE on our website which explains this process in more detail.

I hope you find this information useful.  Should you wish to speak to an adviser please call our free advice line: 0808 801 0366 (Mon to Fri 9.30a.m. – 3.00p.m.) Or please do post on this board if you have a further query.

Best wishes, Suzie

Thank you for your reply Kitty 33. I hope your assessment will go well.

Thank you for your reply Suzie. We have a core meeting on Tuesday so we will definitely ask for clarification and timeline. In the event that my partner is not allowed to come back home with us after birth, does CS decide that within the Protection Plan or does this need to be done through a court order? I understand that is there was a need to care for the baby outside of home court will be involved but I'm not sure what CS can or cannot decide within a Child Protection Plan remit.

Thank you

My partner is on the register but he is no longer on the sopo but they are still saying he is a risk to our daughter we are doing a pams assessment at the mo then this forensics assessment cause is public protection Office says he is low risk

Dear TierKat14,

Children’s services may make a recommendation as part of the child protection plan that your partner does not continue to live with you and your child after the birth. They should be clear about why they are recommending this and it should be clear whether they are recommending this on a temporary basis (for example, whilst ongoing work takes place) or on a long-term basis due to the risk they believe him to pose. If they do this as part of the child protection plan, they may expect you to acknowledge their concerns and to act in the capacity of a protective parent. Please note that there is no legal basis to this and that children’s services do not have the legal power to exclude your partner from the home.

Nevertheless, it is very important to keep in mind that if children’s services are recommending that your partner does not live with you and your child, they are likely to believe he poses a significant risk. If you and your partner choose not to follow this recommendation, children’s services may take immediate action to protect your child, which may include applying to the courts for removal. You can read more about this here.

I hope you have found this helpful.

Best wishes,

Suzie.

Hi
I have been in a very similar situation to you. Try not to worry about Lucy Faithful assessments. They are far more knowledgeable at LFF than at children’s services and they do understand the different behaviours and issues that lead to offending and that it doesn’t necessarily equate to high risk of contact offending. Having read the report from LFF all I can say is it’s very thorough. There will be a lot of questions about all kinds of things, but it was also a very fair assessment.
I haven’t had an assessment myself as cs did mine but my offending partner had one with LFF. It turned out to be a positive thing as CS had bought into a lot of misconceptions around the offence.
We are now living happily as a family with no cs involvement. I hope this offers some hope/positivity at this incredibly difficult time.

Thank you so much for your reply @BSA21. It is very helpful to read some positive outcome and the CS involvement can ends. May I ask how long did the LFF assessment last? Was it a few sessions over a few weeks or months? As our baby is due early April and CS are very slow to agree on funding or provide referral we are getting concerned that we won't get the results in time (before birth). Did the LFF assessment concludes a risk level (high/medium/low) and if it does, do CS consider low as good enough. I've read somewhere that low risk is still risk and CS won't let go.
Also when you said CS did you assessment was it to check if you were a protective parent? How long did that last?
Did you guys have to live separately for a while or things were done quite smoothly?
Thank you very much in advance for your answers! This is so useful.

@Kitty33 - I hope your assessments are going well. If you want to share an update that would be great too!

Hi there we are doing the pass assessment at the moment we got the psychological assessment on the 29 and he as is on the 30 my one is to see of I understand the risk and to see if I can protect my daughter from risk and is one is to see what lol of risk he is easy way and if it come bk I can protect my daughter and is risk comes bk low then we can be a family bit if I just pass it I will have her on my own

I’ve sent you a pm!