Child in care

[Danfri]

My child is 14 turning 15 soon and she is a looked after child due to running away from home so she came into care in 2022 she has a had a hard time in care she has been SA’d a couple of times when she’s ran away she has been neglected and abused while she has been in care by her carers she has jumped from care homes then to emergency placement currently she is in a residential home with 7:1 staffing ratio before that she was in secure for damage property,self harm and hurting others she was being restrained constantly she is improving a lot it doesn’t happen very often but when it does she gets hurt by her staff. She really wants to return back home to live with us but social workers have said while dad is at home I can’t as dad is abusive so early 2024 he was removed now she has to have contact with dad supervised but with me and her siblings it’s unsupervised we can go out alone which is really good I want to know what is the likelihood of her returning home and also the social workers are not supporting steps forward to return home they are not engaging with it what can/should I do?

[Looking4advice]

My child was has an SGO living with my mother this was in place in 2019 since then my circumstances have drastically changed for the good. I see my child everyday we are extremely close and wants to come home. I want to apply to have the SGO revoked (not sure if the correct term) what do I need to do? Do I find legal representation first?

[poundedskate7]

You can apply for a discharge order either through a solicitor or by yourself

[Looking4advice]

Thank you for your reply

[Looking4advice]

Sorry just one more question, is it advisable to make the application myself or would having a solicitor make a big difference?

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

My child is 14 turning 15 soon and she is a looked after child due to running away from home so she came into care in 2022 she has a had a hard time in care she has been SA’d a couple of times when she’s ran away she has been neglected and abused while she has been in care by her carers she has jumped from care homes then to emergency placement currently she is in a residential home with 7:1 staffing ratio before that she was in secure for damage property,self harm and hurting others she was being restrained constantly she is improving a lot it doesn’t happen very often but when it does she gets hurt by her staff. She really wants to return back home to live with us but social workers have said while dad is at home I can’t as dad is abusive so early 2024 he was removed now she has to have contact with dad supervised but with me and her siblings it’s unsupervised we can go out alone which is really good I want to know what is the likelihood of her returning home and also the social workers are not supporting steps forward to return home they are not engaging with it what can/should I do?

Dear Danfri

Welcome to the parents’ discussion board. Thank you for your post. My name is Suzie. I am Family Rights Group’s online adviser.

I am sorry to hear about your daughter’s situation. She sounds very vulnerable. I understand your concerns for her and your wish for her to return home. You say that she also wants to return home. You are wondering how likely this is. I cannot answer this but can set out some suggestions for you to think about and questions for you to ask the professionals to help you think through the situation.

It is clear that your daughter has experienced some significant difficulties in her life and that at times she is very distressed. You describe how she has been harmed by adults and that children’s services have put measures in place to try to keep her safe, including currently 7 staff allocated to care for her in a residential home. It is good to hear that she is improving but worrying that she has been hurt by staff. I hope that children’s services are taking this very seriously and looking into the situations where she has been hurt and taking the steps needed to keep her safe.

You don’t say what therapeutic or emotional support your daughter is having but again I hope that she is getting this help.

If you are very concerned about your daughter and worried that she is not being kept safe or supported then please let her social worker, their manager and the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) know.

Your daughter’s care plan must be regularly reviewed by her Independent Reviewing Officer at her Looked After Child reviews. They should consider if the care plan for your daughter is meeting her needs and if a return home should be considered. You can also ask children’s services at this review (or before) what their view is, now that her father is no longer living at home. It is very positive that you and your other children have unsupervised family time with your daughter. This is very important if a possible return home is being considered. It is always good to build up contact arrangements, to try to increase their frequency and find out if overnight stays are possible.

My concern is that, in your daughter’s situation, her current level of needs are very high. As she currently needs 7:1 support, you would need to think carefully about how you could keep her safe at home and safely manage her behaviour. My understanding is that there is a care order for your daughter. However, perhaps there is a deprivation of liberty order in place too?

It may be best to begin by discussing the possibility of working towards a return home with the social worker and professionals as mentioned above. You can ask that they consider beginning an assessment and if not that they explain to you, with reasons why not. You can seek further advice then when this is clearer. But it is important to think about your and your daughter’s support needs and how this might be managed.

I am attaching a link to our advice materials on children in care under a court order and how to end a care order, for information.

You may find it helpful to discuss your situation more thoroughly with an adviser. You can call the freephone advice line on 0808 8010366, Mon to Fri, 9.30 am to 3.00 pm (except bank holidays). Or post back on this forum, send an advice enquiry form or use webchat.

Best wishes

Suzie

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

My child was has an SGO living with my mother this was in place in 2019 since then my circumstances have drastically changed for the good. I see my child everyday we are extremely close and wants to come home. I want to apply to have the SGO revoked (not sure if the correct term) what do I need to do? Do I find legal representation first?

Dear Looking4advice

Welcome to the parents’ discussion board. Thank you for your posts. My name is Suzie. I am Family Rights Group’s online adviser.

I am sorry to hear that your child has not been in your care since 2019. They live with your mum under a Special Guardianship Order (SGO). It is very good to hear that you have a close relationship with your child whom you see every day and that your circumstances have dramatically improved.

You would like to apply to revoke (end) the SGO and are wondering how to go about this. As a parent, you would need to get the court’s permission to apply to end the SGO. They would only give permission in the following circumstances:

If it is satisfied that:

There has been a “significant change of circumstances” since the special guardianship order was made and there is a chance that the application to end the order will be successful, and it is in the child’s best interests for the application to be heard.

If the Special Guardian, your mother, agrees with the order ending she can go back to court to request this too. She does not need permission to apply in the way that you do.

It is possible to apply to end an order as a litigant in person (without the help of a solicitor) or you can use a solicitor.

Your query is a private law matter which is when there are disputes between parents or carers about things like where a child lives and how much time they spend with each parent.

Unfortunately, private law matters do not meet the remit of our service, and we are not funded to provide advice in these types of situations.

I would suggest you contact the following organisations, who may be able to assist you:

• Child Law Advice. They do have a telephone helpline which you can reach on 0300 330 5480. In addition, they offer helpful information and guidance for parents/carers in your type of situation and have ‘how to’ guides that you can download for around £2 each. Please do check out their website.

• Advicenow is a website that helps you find the best information and advice for your legal problems. You can choose from a range of categories, such as divorce and separation, child custody and residence, and more.

• Rights of Women. Their family law telephone advice lines can advise you on arrangements for children.

You can also find out details of legal advice services here.

If we have misunderstood your post above and you do indeed have a question about your family’s involvement with children’s services in England, please do contact us again. You can repost on this forum or send us an advice enquiry form detailing your current involvement with children’s services and your specific question.

You can find details of advice services in Wales here.

Best wishes

Suzie