Re: LA ignoring DV at home to children
Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2025 8:15 am
PLEASE NOTE: This is a response to a previous post that has since been deleted (on request of user) but below provides some relevant advice that may be useful to others
Dear xxx
Welcome to the discussion board and thank you for your post. My name is Suzie, I am an online adviser and will be replying to you today. I am sorry to hear of your situation, it must be a stressful and difficult time for you.
The police have been called to your home due to domestic abuse. Your ex partner has assaulted you and they have been removed from the home on three occasions. The police have taken no further action following their intervention. Your ex partner has returned to the family home and there has been no further action from the police.
Your ex partner is stopping your children from seeing you and physically restraining them from doing so. Further the children have reported to the school that they are hungry and their mother shouts at them when they go to get food.
The children’s school made a referral to children’s services which resulted in an Early Help plan. You have worked with this plan but are frustrated, exhausted and drained by the lack of communications and actions by professionals but feel powerless to address for fear of reduced support.
If you feel in immediate danger, I urge you to contact the police on 999. If you would like to discuss your concerns with the police in a non-emergency situation, then I suggest you contact them on 101. They can provide information and guidance regarding different types of orders that can be put in place to restrict contact between people. Further, I have added HERE and HERE links to domestic abuse support services.
Concern that a child is experiencing or witnessing domestic abuse is a very common reason why children’s services become involved with families. Research shows that children can suffer long-term. And the legal definition of significant harm specifically includes a child hearing or seeing someone else being harmed (see section 31(9) of the Children Act 1989)
.
The law says a child (up to 18 years) old) may themselves be the victim of domestic abuse.
Examples of where a child may be the victim of domestic abuse include where they see, hear or experience the effect of domestic abuse between:
Their parents
A parent and that parent’s partner
Their parent and a relative such as a grandparent.
Children can suffer long-term harm living in or spending time in a household where domestic abuse is taking place.
A child seeing, hearing, living in, or spending time in a household where someone is mistreated will likely be viewed as:
Evidence the child is suffered significant harm, or
Evidence the child is at risk of suffering significant harm.
Further information about the impact of domestic abuse on children can be found in Chapter 4 of the Government’s Domestic Abuse statutory guidance
(paragraphs 128 to 145). For further information and discussion about why children’ services are concerned when children are subject to domestic abuse please clink on the link HERE
.
When children’s services receive a referral, they have 24 hours to decide what next steps to take. I have added HERE a link to the different types of assessments available to them. Please link on the links for further information and guidance.
From the information you have provided, I will assume your situation has not met the threshold for an assessment, but of support via Early Help. If you are not satisfied with this r response, it would be a good idea to initially discuss your concerns with them. If you are unable to resolve the situation to your satisfaction you may wish to consider making a formal complaint. I have added HERE
information and guidance regarding this. I have further added
HERE our working with social workers guidance. It provides ‘top tips’ to work well with social workers and what options are available to you if things are not going so well.
If you are unable to resolve contact with your children, you may wish to consider formal mediation. This can be a good way to formally structure discussions with a third party. I have added a link HERE to the Family Mediation Council for further advice and support. Should this not be successful, then you may wish to apply for a Child Arrangement’s Order. I have added HERE a link to Child Law Advice. They have detailed information and support about how to make an application. Please note, this type of application falls under Private Law. This outside of Family Rights Group remit and we are not funded to provide advice in this area of law.
I hope you find this information helpful. If you would like to talk to an adviser at Family Rights Group about your situation, please call the freephone advice line on 0808 801 0366, Mon to Fri, 9.30 am to 3.00 pm. If you prefer, you can post back, use our advice enquiry form or webchat. Please refer to our website for further information.
Best wishes, Suzie
Dear xxx
Welcome to the discussion board and thank you for your post. My name is Suzie, I am an online adviser and will be replying to you today. I am sorry to hear of your situation, it must be a stressful and difficult time for you.
The police have been called to your home due to domestic abuse. Your ex partner has assaulted you and they have been removed from the home on three occasions. The police have taken no further action following their intervention. Your ex partner has returned to the family home and there has been no further action from the police.
Your ex partner is stopping your children from seeing you and physically restraining them from doing so. Further the children have reported to the school that they are hungry and their mother shouts at them when they go to get food.
The children’s school made a referral to children’s services which resulted in an Early Help plan. You have worked with this plan but are frustrated, exhausted and drained by the lack of communications and actions by professionals but feel powerless to address for fear of reduced support.
If you feel in immediate danger, I urge you to contact the police on 999. If you would like to discuss your concerns with the police in a non-emergency situation, then I suggest you contact them on 101. They can provide information and guidance regarding different types of orders that can be put in place to restrict contact between people. Further, I have added HERE and HERE links to domestic abuse support services.
Concern that a child is experiencing or witnessing domestic abuse is a very common reason why children’s services become involved with families. Research shows that children can suffer long-term. And the legal definition of significant harm specifically includes a child hearing or seeing someone else being harmed (see section 31(9) of the Children Act 1989)
.
The law says a child (up to 18 years) old) may themselves be the victim of domestic abuse.
Examples of where a child may be the victim of domestic abuse include where they see, hear or experience the effect of domestic abuse between:
Their parents
A parent and that parent’s partner
Their parent and a relative such as a grandparent.
Children can suffer long-term harm living in or spending time in a household where domestic abuse is taking place.
A child seeing, hearing, living in, or spending time in a household where someone is mistreated will likely be viewed as:
Evidence the child is suffered significant harm, or
Evidence the child is at risk of suffering significant harm.
Further information about the impact of domestic abuse on children can be found in Chapter 4 of the Government’s Domestic Abuse statutory guidance
(paragraphs 128 to 145). For further information and discussion about why children’ services are concerned when children are subject to domestic abuse please clink on the link HERE
.
When children’s services receive a referral, they have 24 hours to decide what next steps to take. I have added HERE a link to the different types of assessments available to them. Please link on the links for further information and guidance.
From the information you have provided, I will assume your situation has not met the threshold for an assessment, but of support via Early Help. If you are not satisfied with this r response, it would be a good idea to initially discuss your concerns with them. If you are unable to resolve the situation to your satisfaction you may wish to consider making a formal complaint. I have added HERE
information and guidance regarding this. I have further added
HERE our working with social workers guidance. It provides ‘top tips’ to work well with social workers and what options are available to you if things are not going so well.
If you are unable to resolve contact with your children, you may wish to consider formal mediation. This can be a good way to formally structure discussions with a third party. I have added a link HERE to the Family Mediation Council for further advice and support. Should this not be successful, then you may wish to apply for a Child Arrangement’s Order. I have added HERE a link to Child Law Advice. They have detailed information and support about how to make an application. Please note, this type of application falls under Private Law. This outside of Family Rights Group remit and we are not funded to provide advice in this area of law.
I hope you find this information helpful. If you would like to talk to an adviser at Family Rights Group about your situation, please call the freephone advice line on 0808 801 0366, Mon to Fri, 9.30 am to 3.00 pm. If you prefer, you can post back, use our advice enquiry form or webchat. Please refer to our website for further information.
Best wishes, Suzie