Parent's health records

[Panny]

If a child is on a child protection plan can social services access the parent's health records?

I have reason to believe social services are going to use my mental health against me. I recently made a complaint about their continual lies and incompetence damaging my mental health. Now I'm being told I have to go a parental mental capacity test.

Are they able to make medical professionals break their code of confidentiality?

Not sure if it makes a difference but my son is on a CP plan for self-inflicted physical abuse.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Panny

Thank you for posting on the parents' forum.

In your post you ask whether children’s services can access your medical records because your son is on a child protection plan. Children’s services would normally seek consent at the start of the section 47 child protection enquiries to contact/obtain information from GPs. and other professionals involved with a child or children. Your GP should not disclose your medical records without your consent, and it may be helpful for you to speak with your GP practice about their policy on disclosure.

You have mental health issues and, as such, children's services may wish to have information from mental health services and your GP about how your mental health condition is being managed. If you are engaging well with your GP and your mental health is well managed, then that alone would not be a reason for children services to be concerned about your mental health. However, if but they believe your mental health condition has a negative impact on your ability to safely parent your son, it will be a concern.

You mentioned in your post that your son is on a child protection plan for self-inflicted physical abuse. It is not clear from your post if children's services accepted that your sons abuse is self-inflicted, and it may be this is also a reason for their concern.

As your son is on a child protection plan it is important that you engage and cooperate with the plan and try to work well with the social worker and it may assist you to read our guide for working with social workers it may also be helpful if you read the guide for working with for solicitors as well this is included HERE .

I hope this is helpful. You can call our free confidential advice line on 0808 801 0366 should you wish to speak to an adviser.

Best wishes

Suzie

[Panny]

Thank you for your reply.

Social Services are the ones that put him on the plan for physical abuse, in which they state that no adult has harmed him and the abuse is caused by himself.

This is a major part of my complaint