Cancelled contact

[Concerned friend]

I am writing on behalf of friends who do not have internet access, I have their permission.
Their child has been in care for nearly four years. They have had unsupervised contact since January, but last Thursday the mother was told that all contact has been stopped as allegations have been made against a member of the family. She asked which member and what were the allegations. The social worker said she couldn't tell her. They don't know what to do now. This came right out of the blue. Can anyone help them, please?

I should say their son was voluntarily put into care under Section 20

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Concerned friend,

I am sorry to that contact has been stopped between your friends and their child. It looked like things had been moving forward-that they had recently started having unsupervised contact and now this has stopped. It must be very worrying for them. I suggest that your friends let children services know how concerned they are that contact has stopped. They should put their concerns in writing to the social worker and team manager. They could also contact the independent reviewing officer (IRO)-the person who is responsible for the child’s care plan.

They could ask the following questions:
• How long will the investigation take?
• Are the police involved?
• Given Mum (and probably dad) will have parental responsibility, why can they not know what the allegation is, who it is against?
• Can they have any other form of contact-such as going back to supervised contact or by letter while the investigation is ongoing.
• Your friends could stress how important it is for them that contact does resume and that they are willing to cooperate with the investigation.

Here is an advice sheet about contact with children who are accommodated by the local authority which your friends should find helpful.
I hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Suzie

[Concerned friend]

Hi Suzie,

Thank you very much for your reply, and the advice. The parents have written many many times with complaints, but rarely get a satisfactory reply. In fact the social worker never puts anything in writing, this includes dates and venue for meetings, complaints, explanations of their decisions. Both parents have Parental Responsibility but are never included in any decisions regarding the child. They are just told what will happen when the decision has been made behind closed doors.

There is no care plan for the child. He has asked for a copy himself and the Manager of the care home refused.

Since he has been at the home he has been beaten twice by one of the care workers. Both times the police were involved but, after 'investigsating', chose not to take any action against the man. He is still at the home and still involved with the child on a daily basis. This home boasts an 'Outstanding' Ofsted rating...

It really seems as though the parents and the child are not listened to, and no one seems to care very much about their concerns. What the Local Authority say is right, no one has a right to argue.

Having supported my friends through all this I am appalled by the uncaring attitude of social workers and their managers, and feel the whole system needs to be investigated from the top down. They are in charge of needy, vulnerable children, and I despair for the future or all children in care.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Concerned friend

Can I suggest you refer to our parent responsibility and complaints advice leaflets to help your friend address the concerns they have with the Local Authority.

Best Wishes

Suzie

[ilovebingo69]

If you have put complaints in and have not gotten the right response keep any letters you have received back and get in touch with the ombudsman they will hopefully help you. Make sure you keep hand written accounts off any contacts with social services etc as it will help if u go to solicitor.

[Concerned friend]

Dear Suzie,

Thank you for all your advice, which the parents are very grateful for. At a further meeting with the Team Manager, Mum asked all the questions you advised to ask. Every question had the reply 'I can't tell you', except for the one about the police involvement, for that the answer was 'yes'. She said the police would be visiting them to take a statement. So we are no further forward. We are writing letters to social service today as you also advised.

This is a very puzzling situation, and extremely worrying.

Regards,
Concerned friend

[Concerned friend]

To ilovebingo69, we have copies of every letter and all the court papers, but it doesn't seem to matter when Social workers don't believe you and seem determined to criminalise you. The whole system is unfair.

[Concerned friend]

Since my friends were denied all contact with their son, they have been denied access to the six monthly LAC meeting. This is the only platform they have to express their concerns to all the agencies involved, which means decisions will be made without their knowledge. They have Parental Responsibility and should be involved in decision making, although they never have been in the past. The home and Social Services decides what will happen to the child and tell the parents. They have no say because the law says they can over rule the parents if it is in the interest of the child. Parents can't win and Social Services have far too much power.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Concerned friend,

I am sorry to hear that your friends, as well as being denied contact have also been excluded from the Looked After Children (LAC) review.

In exceptional circumstances, if it is in the child’s interests, the parents can be excluded from the LAC review. However, children services must let parents know the reasons for this (in writing) and must allow the parents to have their views given a different way-for example, in writing or by recording. I would also ask for how long they will be excluded.

Has the child been appointed an independent visitor-this can happen when family are not having contact with a child who is in the care system?

Are they still consulting your friends about their wishes and feelings for their child?
They have a duty to do so under section 22(4) and (5) children Act 1089 and there is a case Re: C (Care: Consultation with parents not in child’s best interests) [2006] 2 FLR 787 .

Have a look at page 18 of our advice sheet on the local authority’s duties to children in the care system .

You will also see that the independent reviewing officer does have the power to refer matters up to senior managers, if they have concerns.

I hope that these restrictions are only temporary and your friends get to understand the reasons why.

Best wishes,
Suzie

[Concerned friend]

Thank you, Suzie. I have read the advice sheet you recommended and have made a list of responses below:-

1. The IRO has never seen or spoken to the child.

2. The child has not been told he can have an advocate at the meeting. The only people present are the IRO, social worker, manager of the care home, representative of the child's school and the parents.

3. The parents have never received written reasons for any of the actions of Children's Services. The are told by telephone after decisions have been made. I suppose their attitude is, if the parents were at the meeting they know what happened and leave it at that.

4. At the first LAC Review meeting the IRO knew nothing about the child or the parents concerns until the mother told him.

5. The parents have never received a record of the review decisions. Again they are always told via the phone. Nothing is ever put in writing.

6. The child's care plan hasn't been updated for over a year. Last September the IRO told the social worker and care home manager to update the care plan, this was never done. If it was, the parents have not received a copy although they have repeatedly requested one. The child has asked the care home manager for a copy, but the manager refused.

Since reading the advice sheets you have recommended I am appalled at the lax way Children's Services have treated my friends. It seems as though the Local Authority are either flouting the law, or don't know it. My friends are finding it very difficult fighting this sort of attitude, but as they are determined to get their son back home they will keep fighting and refuse to be put off by Children's Services overbearing ways.

Regards,
Toni