Conference Lost Hope
Notifications OFF
So had a conference today, my daughter has now been on a CPP for 9 months - since the second conference I have ended the relationship and she see's her step dad no more than an hour a week I'd say if that... and that is more like just in passing. After bad experience with SS and absolutely no work / no core meetings happening until i complained and we were allocated a much more understanding SW she has managed to turn things around in the space of 2 months.
It came to the decision making of whether she should step down to CIN and we were all almost certain it was going to then the headteacher stepped in and said she needs to remain on CPP. I am so upset, the headteacher has the least contact with my daughter, she didn't show to the last 2 core meetings so hasn't really been involved for 2 months but because SS said step down and the head teacher said stay on CPP they've had to keep her on a CPP. I cried the whole way home, and just feel my hard work / changes get me absolutely no where. I'm just at the point where I don't want to speak anymore because no one takes me seriously. I feel sad.
It came to the decision making of whether she should step down to CIN and we were all almost certain it was going to then the headteacher stepped in and said she needs to remain on CPP. I am so upset, the headteacher has the least contact with my daughter, she didn't show to the last 2 core meetings so hasn't really been involved for 2 months but because SS said step down and the head teacher said stay on CPP they've had to keep her on a CPP. I cried the whole way home, and just feel my hard work / changes get me absolutely no where. I'm just at the point where I don't want to speak anymore because no one takes me seriously. I feel sad.
Unfortunately this is the risk with conferences and multi agency decision making- it's appalling and it happened to me aswell. How many professionals were at your conference and was it only the headteacher who voted to keep the CPP in place? It should go off a majority vote.
At my conference last October, the SW wanted case closure and the probation officer and school voted to keep the CPP in place without seeing the independent risk assessment (that's another story). Ultimately it's the conference chair who makes the decision-they can agree with the professionals decision or overturn the decision.
Your SW is now responsible for making sure the headteacher attends core group meetings and understands how risk is being managed etc..
I know it's a shock and upsetting, I walked out their building with tears in my eyes and just broke down when I got into my car xx
At my conference last October, the SW wanted case closure and the probation officer and school voted to keep the CPP in place without seeing the independent risk assessment (that's another story). Ultimately it's the conference chair who makes the decision-they can agree with the professionals decision or overturn the decision.
Your SW is now responsible for making sure the headteacher attends core group meetings and understands how risk is being managed etc..
I know it's a shock and upsetting, I walked out their building with tears in my eyes and just broke down when I got into my car xx
It was just the SW and the headteacher...
I'm no longer in a relationship he doesn't live in the same house, and she spends very minimal time with him so it's baffling me. The annoying thing is that she will have no more to do with that headteacher as from a week on Friday as she is moving to a junior school.
i honestly did the same as you. The headteacher could barely say bye to me just walked out. This is all with my parent protective assessment coming back as really positive too. I'm sort of hoping it's case closed after this stint now as i feel this is so unfair. One thing is she could have remained on a CPP for another 6 months but she has agreed to do 3 months which i appreciate it but it still kills me especially after discussions and almost certain she was going to drop down. The head teacher didn't even send a report prior to this meeting which again is disappointing.
I'm no longer in a relationship he doesn't live in the same house, and she spends very minimal time with him so it's baffling me. The annoying thing is that she will have no more to do with that headteacher as from a week on Friday as she is moving to a junior school.
i honestly did the same as you. The headteacher could barely say bye to me just walked out. This is all with my parent protective assessment coming back as really positive too. I'm sort of hoping it's case closed after this stint now as i feel this is so unfair. One thing is she could have remained on a CPP for another 6 months but she has agreed to do 3 months which i appreciate it but it still kills me especially after discussions and almost certain she was going to drop down. The head teacher didn't even send a report prior to this meeting which again is disappointing.
The whole system is just broken- if there were only two professionals doing a vote then the conference chair should have challenged the headteacher on their decision to keep the CPP in place. This is what I came to realise - you dont see agencies challenging each other as they dont want to come across like they are conflict with one another. Its just ridiculous. I hope your ok xx
I mean fair play to the chair she kept questioning her, but I feel she could have put her foot down more. Only the head teacher was adament she didn't want it stepping down but for reasons they are going to be exactly the same in 3 months time. Everything was so positive in the meeting I just don't know how it ended like it did. X
It sounds to me like the headteacher wanted it to be kept in place until your daughter has transitioned to her new school. Due to the extreme cases of abuse and neglect in the press and the public outcry of how many professionals didn't act and chose to step down safeguarding measures many professionals are left feeling vulnerable. The school holidays and moving to a new school where no teachers know the child mean that they wouldn't pick up on any changes in behaviour that could indicate things weren't as they should be outside of school. Forgive me if I'm confusing you with somebody else but am I correct in saying that your ex works on your property? Does this increase the amount of time they would be around each other in the school holidays? I'm sorry that you have had this thrown on you when you believed they would be stepping down to cin. From a generic safeguarding perspective I understand the rationale but it's poor that they haven't taken into account the protective parent assessment and didn't send over a statement prior to the conference xxx
Thanks, maybe that is why to be honest but she didn't express though concerns she was just a little vague about it all she said she had no concerns over my parenting it was just the whole situation.
So he works at the farm yes but out of sight of the house - he doesn't work at the farm over summer as has contract work harvesting she my daughter has seen next to nothing of him over the years this time as it's the busiest.
I was just so hopeful as the report from my SW was that the safety plan was robust and that she was no longer at risk of significant harm due to a lot of changes so it's gut wrenching when things do a complete u turn.
I did think about emailing the chair as I should have said in the meeting she maybe wasn't as update as she should have been prior to the conference so in her head things have changed within the space of days when in actual fact things changed significantly at the beginning of the year.
Thanks for you message though - really appreciate it.
So he works at the farm yes but out of sight of the house - he doesn't work at the farm over summer as has contract work harvesting she my daughter has seen next to nothing of him over the years this time as it's the busiest.
I was just so hopeful as the report from my SW was that the safety plan was robust and that she was no longer at risk of significant harm due to a lot of changes so it's gut wrenching when things do a complete u turn.
I did think about emailing the chair as I should have said in the meeting she maybe wasn't as update as she should have been prior to the conference so in her head things have changed within the space of days when in actual fact things changed significantly at the beginning of the year.
Thanks for you message though - really appreciate it.
