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Never had social service involvement???!

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angrysister

Member since
September 2019

7 posts

Posted Sun November 27, 2022 4:09pmReport post

My adult brother was arrested for iioc in 2015. At the time we both still lived with my parents and I had no children. I then moved from parents house in England to Scotland. Brother was given suspended sentence in 2017 and stayed living with parents.

In 2018 he breached his order by accidentally deleting internet history (told probabtion when he realised - computer clean up programme). Fought the charge of doing it without good reason but was convicted at trial and served 9 months. A month before he was released I had a baby with partner met in 2016 (fully aware of everything). I was still in Scotland and brother realeased to parents house in England.



I was told by brother that conditions meant having to inform probation if any time spent for more than 12 hours (and/or overnight?) in same house as child as well as other things about informing if spending more than 3 nights at any address etc. I now can't recall but pretty sure there was also a SHPO but don't remember any different conditions (this might include the requirement to keep internet history?).



After my son was born and given the distance to see my parents there have been 3/4 accessions where we have all stayed overnight at parents house. On two occasions I spoke to his probabtion officer to confirm I was aware of his convictions and that contact with my son would always be supervised (once with original then with new po). PO signed off us staying at parents and said they would pass on and SS would be in touch if they wanted to speak to me. Never got a call.

From reading more on here it sounds unusual that SS have never been involved??? I don't know if us living in Scotland but him England has caused us to get lost in the system or if they really only call if concerned?

Should I/brother have chased these referrals?



Before I ask my brother I wanted to know if anyone else's loved one didn't have parent AND Sofia service sign off with contact as a condition of their SHPO? Does that ever not happy or does it seem more likely we have misunderstood the conditions?

loulou74

Member since
September 2022

255 posts

Posted Sun November 27, 2022 6:22pmReport post

Social services tend to be involved where it is the offender's children they are having contact with. I assume as the contact is likely to be more frequent and also wanting to move towards unsupervised contact eventually. I assume as you're not there often and are aware of his offending and have agreed supervised contact, it's not seen as a big risk.

GZ

Member since
December 2021

164 posts

Posted Sun November 27, 2022 8:45pmReport post

Hi,



The SOR is a notifiable tool, you have to notify if staying at an address for more than 7 nights a year (doesn't have to be consecutive) and if spending time with someone under 18 for more than 12 hours. This doesn't mean he can't do it, he just has to notify his offender manager/visor he has done it/is doing it. Sometimes the offender manager will contact the parents of that child, sometimes their local ss will contact them-just to make sure they are aware of the convictions. It is just a quick check.
my family are now all on my oh 'known' list so we don't have to notify everytime.

the SHPO is different for everyone, my oh has internet only restrictions on his, nothing about contact with children or ss. This should be the case for internet only offences-although it isn't always the case.



I think it would be unlikely that ss would want to get involved with you, my sister just got a quick call. It doesn't meet any criteria for a referral and I don't think one would've been made-especially as his po has spoken to you, confirmed your happy to see your brother and you know of his offending.



hope this helps x

angrysister

Member since
September 2019

7 posts

Posted Sun November 27, 2022 8:59pmReport post

Thanks loulou74 and GZ for your replies. They are reassuring to hear.

GZ I think it sounds similar to your sister then, I've just spoken on the phone to his po (or visor? Not sure what that is?) who have signed off him notifying as you say. I'd wondered if it was just some slip up on their part being two different social service systems between England and Scotland but from what you've said maybe it really is that they don't see it as enough of a risk for a referal and review?



I think having read another post where someone laid out the interest restrictions they sound exactly right so it probably is that it's just internet restrictions plus the notification requirements. I will check with my brother but thank you for the reassurance that this is a reasonable possibility so I can calm down a little bit!

Edited Sun November 27, 2022 8:59pm

GZ

Member since
December 2021

164 posts

Posted Sun November 27, 2022 10:05pmReport post

My family live in a different part of the country to us, their local ss called them had one conversation- did they know about the offence, then passed it back to my oh visor that they knew and there were no concerns. But I have known this conversation be done by the visor themselves as well.
unless your brother started a relationship with someone who had kids, had kids of his own or moved in with a child, and it isn't in their restrictions it doesn't need a referral. It just needs making sure they are following their SOR notification.



A visor/offender manager is a police officer who looks after the SOR and SHPO. The probation officer doesn't really deal with that, they look after the court sentence.