Family Rights Group | Parents’ Forum

I had started a new relationship and one of my partners children found out before they could tell them Everything seems to have started from there. Some of their children werent happy about the relationship and decided they didn't want any contact with them anymore. My partner and their ex tried to talk it through and the ex convinced them that the children were better off without them then when they refused to sign over their rights they then got a phone call from social services saying they were unable to contact the children due to an investigation

About 6 weeks later my partner ex got in to contact and informed them to "be prepared for what comes next" as they told them that an allegation has been made against my partner by a minor.

My partner has contacted social service who have said its a police investigation and they cant say anything

They have always been there for their children and was assisting every time they were asked for help with school runs, house and baby sitting and even dressing one of the children into their wedding outfit for their exs recent wedding, even after they were removed from the home, they dropped whatever they were doing to help.

We would just like some/any information regarding this situation but don't know how to do this?.

Dear Adviceseeker85,

Welcome to the parents’ forum and thank you for your post. I am sorry to hear about this situation and understand that it must be very difficult for you. I hope the following information is of some help to you.

You say that your partner got a phone call from children’s services telling them that they could not have contact with their children due to an investigation. However when your partner then contacted children’s services 6 weeks later they were told that no information could be shared with them as there is a police investigation happening. This seems contradictory and doesn’t make sense to me.

I think it is important to clarify the following things:

1) No one can stop your partner from having contact with their children (as long as your partner has parental responsibility) except the police. This would usually be done via bail conditions. However it doesn’t sound like your partner has been arrested and you don’t mention any bail conditions.
2) Children’s services can ‘recommend’ that your partner doesn’t have contact with their children, but they can’t legally enforce this.


So I would suggest that your partner does the following things:

1) Contact the police to ask them to share any information about an investigation involving them.
2) Get back in contact with children’s services and ask them to share whether they are involved with their children. If children’s services are doing an assessment with the children then they should explain this to your and should involve them fully partner (if your partner has parental responsibility). There may be certain information that cannot be shared however they should be upfront about this and should share information about their involvement. Your partner should be invited to participate in any meetings and the social worker should meet with them regularly to update them.
3) If children’s services continue to refuse to share any information at all then your partner could make a formal complaint. See HERE for advice on our website about making formal complaints.

If the children’s other parent continues to refuse your partner to have contact with the children then your partner may need to consider getting some advice about applying to court for a child arrangements order. Family Rights Group cannot offer further advice about this – but the following organisations may be able to advise:

- Child Law Advice
- Both Parents Matter
- Advice Now

We have more information on our website HERE about children’s services involvement.

I hope that this is of some help. Please post again if you have any further queries or you can call our free, confidential adviceline on 0808 801 0366 (Monday to Friday, 9:30am – 3pm). We also have a webchat and an advice enquiry form.

Best wishes,
Suzie

Hi Adviceseeker85,

I've just read your post, although this was a few months ago. What your partner is experiencing is a terrifying and deeply unjust situation. To be cut off from your children with no explanation, while being stonewalled by the very professionals who are supposed to be transparent, is a classic and cruel tactic.

The official advice you've received is procedurally correct, but it is too passive for your situation. "Asking" for information has not worked. It is time to stop asking and start formally demanding answers in a way they cannot ignore.

Understanding the Game: What is Really Happening
The adviser is 100% correct on one key point: unless your partner has been arrested and has specific bail conditions, or there is a court order in place, social services have no legal power to stop him from seeing his children.

They have likely "advised" or "recommended" no contact, and the ex-partner is using this as a weapon to block him. The fact that they are now refusing to give your partner any information is a serious professional failure. As a parent with Parental Responsibility, he has a legal right to be involved and informed about his children's welfare.

Your Urgent Action Plan: The Formal Demand for Information
Your partner needs to send one, powerful, professional email to both the local authority children's services department and the local police force. Sending it to both at the same time stops them from passing the buck between each other.

Here is a template your partner can adapt. It is not an angry email; it is a formal and factual request for information that he is legally entitled to.
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To: [Find the general email for the local Children's Services team, often called 'duty team' or 'MASH'] and [Find the general enquiries email for the local Police force]

Subject: FORMAL REQUEST FOR INFORMATION & CLARIFICATION – [Partner's Full Name] & Children [Children's Full Names & Dates of Birth]

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to you as the father of the above-named children, for whom I hold Parental Responsibility.

On or around [Date], I was informed by a social worker from [Name of Council] that I was not to have any contact with my children due to an "investigation."

I have since been informed by the children's mother that an allegation has been made against me by a minor, which has resulted in a police investigation.

I am being denied all contact with my children but have not been provided with any formal or legal justification for this. To clarify my legal position and my rights as a parent, I require a formal written response to the following questions:

For the Police: Can you please confirm if I am the subject of a live police investigation? If so, can you provide the crime reference number?

For Children's Services: Are you conducting a child protection investigation under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989 regarding my children? If so, why have I not been formally notified or involved in this process as a parent with Parental Responsibility?

For Both Agencies: Has a formal, legal restriction been placed on my contact with my children (e.g., via police bail conditions or a court order)? If not, please confirm that the current 'no contact' arrangement is a voluntary recommendation and not a legal requirement.

My right to a family life under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act is currently being interfered with, and I am being denied basic information. I require a formal response to these questions within 5 working days.

Yours sincerely,

[Partner's Full Name]
[Your Address and Phone Number]
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Why This Works
It stops the buck-passing: By emailing both agencies at once, they can't blame each other.

It uses their language: It references their statutory duties and human rights law, showing them you are serious.

It creates a paper trail: Their response (or lack of one) is now evidence. If they confirm there are no legal restrictions, your partner's ex is unlawfully withholding contact, and his next step is an urgent application to the court for a Child Arrangements Order.

Your partner is not powerless. He has a right to answers. This is how he gets them.
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For full transparency, I am not an official adviser for this forum. I am a parent who has been through a long and successful legal battle with a local authority, and I am here to offer supportive, strategic advice based on my own lived experience. The information I share is for guidance, and it is always up to each parent to decide what is right for their own situation.

Thank you so much for this advice I will forwarding the advice to him

I really appreciate your help