Long process

[Pinkstar]

Hi the DV incident happened on the 11th April following week I saw the ss who spoke to my daughter and it’s been just over 4 weeks an I still haven’t heard anything back from the ss. Why is this taking so long without any calls telling me what will happen etc ? I feel like I’m left in the dark and if they thought my children was at serious emotional harm etc surely they would of done something by now and not taking this long to decide if they are emotionally harmed.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Pinkstar

Thank you for your further post. I am sorry that you have not had an update from children’s services. It must be stressful feeling ‘left in the dark’ about what is happening.

Government guidance states that children’s services should complete an assessment in a maximum of 45 working days . However, they can complete them sooner. They received the referral about your children after police responded to a domestic violence incident on the 11th April. So, the assessment is not overdue. It has not been 45 working days yet. However, I fully understand that, as a concerned mother, 4 weeks without hearing anything must seem like a lifetime.

I advise you contact the social worker by phone/text/email to ask:

• For an update
• The outcome of checks with other agencies
• To confirm when their assessment will be finished and
• To confirm when they will give you a copy of the assessment
• If there is anything they recommend that you need to do now?

You can also let the social worker know how stressful it is not hearing from them. They should try to minimise distress for you.

The recommendations that the social worker makes will clarify what they suggest needs to happen next. You need to know if they are recommending that your children are children in need of support and services . Or, if they are worried, following a child protection investigation, that the children may have suffered harm or are likely to suffer significant harm in the future, they would arrange an initial child protection conference to decide if they require a child protection plan to keep them safe.

I hope you get some clarity soon. If you have any further questions then please post back, call our freephone advice line, post an advice enquiry or use our webchat facility. The freephone advice line number is 0808 8010366 and is open from Mon to Fri (except bank holidays) from 9.30 am to 3.00 pm.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes

Suzie

[Pinkstar]

Hi, is it 45 working days or just 45 days

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Pinkstar,

It is 45 working days.

Best wishes,

Suzie.