RSO boyfriend , social work now involved

[GJFJ2W]

Hi.

Been with my boyfriend now for a few years , someone found out something and reported us. He's now being investigated for leaving his town and being around children , he's RSO not aloud under 18s and is on license for couple more months.

My child (not his) has been questioned by police and social work at school , and they said no risk , yet untill police speak to me we now have a social worker. I have mental health and over think every situation. I am worried what is going to happen with my child , I have support from my family and his we are all very close. Has anyone been in a similar situation? Thanks in advance

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear GJFJ2W

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

I understand that you are in a stressful situation; I am glad that you have family support from your family.

You explain that you are in a long-term relationship with your partner who is a registered sex offender. From what you say, he may have breached the terms of his registration and licence which has triggered an investigation.

You don’t say if children’s services were previously involved with your child because of your relationship with your partner due to his conviction for child sexual offence/s. I would expect that this would have happened with a safety plan put in place.

However, there has recently been a new referral; you say that someone found out something and reported you. This resulted in an assessment of your child’s situation taking place. Due to your partner’s history and concerns about his recent actions, children’s services and police have a duty to assess your child’s safety and they need to ensure that you can keep your child safe from the risk of sexual harm.

A social worker and police officer have already been to see and talk to your child at school. It is good to hear that they did not identify any immediate risk of harm to your child. However, the social worker has remained involved to complete an assessment which will make recommendations for your child's welfare and protection. Children’s services are the lead agency when it comes to protecting children whereas police are responsible for investigating whether a crime has been committed.

I think it would be helpful for you to read the information below to provide you with an understanding of how children’s services work and the plans that they may recommend for a child depending on whether they are assessed to be a child in need or at child in need of protection.

• How children’s services work
• child in need
• child protection
• sexual abuse

As your partner is not your child’s father, he has no parental responsibility for your child although it is his history which is a cause for concern. Children’s services will work with you, as your child’s mother and carer to keep your child safe. They should also involve your son’s father in the assessment. You could involve your family in any safety plan. They will need to understand any risk identified and focus on your child’s needs.

You may find it helpful to contact the Stop it Now service and to check their Parents’ Protect website as they provide specialist advice for anyone affected by child sexual offences and provide advice about safety planning.

It is a good idea to work positively with the social worker and ask them to keep you fully updated and informed about their assessment of risk, your child’s needs and what they recommend. Please see this guide to working with a social worker for practical advice about how to do so.

It can be a good idea to get some emotional support for yourself especially as you have mental health difficulties. Your GP may be a good place to start but you may also find the organisations linked to here helpful as they provide a listening ear, text, or other support.

I hope this is helpful.

If you have any further questions about children’s services, please post back or contact the advice service via one of the options linked to here..

Best wishes

Suzie

[GJFJ2W]

Hi suzie thank you for replying , social work have been out there going to do a safety plan hopefully so that when he's off his conditions he can come home and around my child, but at the minute he is recalled to prison not for any crime related just breaching licence , with a safety plan will he be aloud to stay in the family home?

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear GJFJ2W

Thank you for your question.

I cannot give you a definitive answer as to whether your partner will be allowed to stay in the family home but can suggest that the safety plan ‘should’ have details about this in it and it will set out contact/access arrangements.

You should speak with social worker when they are ‘drafting’ the plan and suggest what you would like the plan to ‘look like’ and what you think ‘should’ be in it. The Lucy Faithfull Foundation has information about family safety plans, you can read it here.

It may be helpful for you to read about what happens when a person breaches their licence conditions, UNLOCK has some information about this, you can read it here.

Best wishes
Suzie