section 47 report recomendations and child protection

[dvsurvivor]

Hi please can anyone give me advice. A section 47 report was done and at the enbm
P of it the recomendation is for my child to be returned to me. My child is under child protection because of the risk being with my ex husband. Can the social worker my child has now change her mind and go against that recomendation. Because after reading the child protection review she has put some rely negative things about me. It looks like she has concerns for both parents (being myself and my ex). All iv done is be honest just to have it all thrown back in my face. She has twisted things and got things wrong.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear DVsurvivor,
I am sorry to hear that you are feeling demoralised because the social worker has put in negative information about you. Has this resulted in a delay in your child returning home?

The information may be to back-up her recommendation that there be further child protection plan rather than any delay in your child coming home.
A child protection plan can only be made if there is evidence of an “ongoing risk” of your child suffering significant harm.

It may be that she has just identified other concerns that she thinks need to be addressed before your child’s name comes off a child protection plan. Has she identified any support for you that could go in the child protection plan?

If the information is misrepresented –ask her to amend the report to show your view. Anything that is factually incorrect should be corrected.

If she refuses to amend the report, you can take your own report (keep it short) to the
child protection review conference.

However, even though I can see that you are upset about what the social worker has written, it is still important for your child that you continue to engage and cooperate with the social worker.

Best wishes,
Suzie

[dvsurvivor]

I have gone over the report again. Some of it she has got wrong and twisted things to make me look a bad parent. She has even stated on a few occasions in the report that all my children have sufferd from 'bad pareting' from me. I have never abused or neglected my children and i have been through domestic violence and abuse from both of my childrens fathers. Both fathers were very controlling. It makes me wonder if the social worker has had any training as regards domestic abuse and the effect it has on women and children.
Their are times i have phoned social services for help and support in the past
I now regret doing this and won't be calling them ever again for help as the social worker has used that against me saying 'i can't cope'. All iv done is be honest with them and now this.
My Childs social worker is young and has no children, so how would she know?

[ange301126]

Dear dvsurvivor,

Please let me tell you that what has happened now to you is not unusual.Many parents make similar complaints.
The situation has now changed . The social workers were willing to work with you but now they are starting to look for reasons not to, true or false!

They may have changed their aims.If they have decided to apply for a care-order,they would need to satisfy the Judge that you are remiss or wanting as a parent and that the dv has affected you.They may not tell the court of all the previous good parenting or true facts but angle all their future assessments towards winning a care-order.

Suzie has seen all this before and you will be wise to follow her advice and continue to cooperate with the Local Authority.

In a lot of cases they employ these practices to take children into care unjustly as I am sure you will have read on the forums.It is scandalous!

However, your case is different.Your son is a teenager,is in a foster-placement which you support and refuses to come home-- unless he wrecked the house for some other (psychological) reason.

He will be better off in foster-care than a residential care home whilst he is in care if the foster carer can cope with him.

I suggest you get a free advocate or family law solicitor right away and cooperate by informing the L.A. In writing that you are willing to accept a care-order for this son.Keep a copy in case you ever need it to use in evidence and one of the reply ( unless they ignore it).
This may cause them not to feel the need to continue blackening your name and corrupting their assessments.If you do this then you will hopefully be able to demonstrate to a family court ,if one ever becomes involved that you are able to cooperate with care-plans and so on.
That will lessen their ability to target your other children in the future if they turn their minds to it.

Agree not to contest to an order ( indeed ask for one if you like) and they might stick with the S20.

As regards this son by continuing to cooperate,you will be better placed to put forward suggestions such as the trauma therapy suggested by charmed and the boot-camp( outward bound) possibilities mooted by me.

Don't forget his age and that , when he changes, he will soon be able to vote with his feet anyway.
L.A. residential care homes have a dire reputation, an unenviable record and they can damage children sometimes beyond repair. They face all sorts of bad influences in those places and you should do all you can to support the current foster-carer. Hope this helps.

[dvsurvivor]

Hi,
I have had the CP meeting and thank god its over,what a headache I have now got. Just before the meeting my solicitor turned up for the meeting(she was invited). She read the report and my notes and advised me not to say what I had written,but to perhaps see the social worker on her own away from the meeting. Even though she praised him (the perpetrator) to the hilt and put me down. I feel that everything that I have done in past when I asked for help or advice with my kids has been used against me.
My son is under a s.20 and I get on well with his foster carers.
legal proceedings were started a few months ago as.regards my child that has been kept by the perpetrator. We have another PLO this week, I was on the understanding that it was for them to remove my child from his care and place with me. A few weeks ago their was a meeting about my son that has been placed in care and I was told by my social worker that their plan was for my other child.that is under a CP plan is for that child.to be placed back with me. Then when I had a meeting last week and I mentioned this my sons social worker said 'that she didn't know as legal procedings ha e already started.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear dvsurvivor

Since it appears that there are different issues with regards to your children, can I suggest you ask your solicitor to clarify the present position, so you are clear about the care plan in respect of each of them.

Best Wishes

Suzie

[dvsurvivor]

Hi I have spoken to my solicitor and in the last PLO this week she suggested that I should concentrate on getting my son back home before my other child that's been kept by their abusive, controling father. Why would I want to do that, to a man who has already done a rely good job of destroying my relationship with my little one. Why would I want to leave my child with an abusive man that has a long criminal record for violence many are custodial sentences.