Child services involvement for my father’s arrest
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My father was arrested a few weeks ago for 'arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence'. The evidence is a chat room conversation with an undercover police officer. He maintains he has never harmed or abused a child nor intended to and it was just a conversation.
My dad lives 4 hours away in a different town from me and my family. I have two children (nearly 5 and 1). As far as I'm aware the police have no evidence that my father has ever harmed my children. They have not told me if they do. My father maintains that he has never harmed them too. I also know from my childhood that he never abused or harmed me in any way.
Nevertheless we have been contacted by social services who will be carrying out an assessment under section 17. Given that we're not in the same household as my dad and live so far away, I'm not sure why this is. It's a condition of my dad's bail that he can't see children (under 18), and so he has no contact at all with my children now, not even phone calls.
I would never do anything to put my children at risk and would be prepared for my children never to see my dad again if required.
I am worried about the involvement with social services and how long it will remain on my children's school records - until they're 25 from what I can find online. My dad is in his late 70s so my children would still have this on their records likely after he has passed away which doesn't seem right.
does anyone have any experience of this? Is there anything I can do about it? If they carry out the assesssment and the claims are not substantiated and there is no further action does it stay on the children's records?
My dad lives 4 hours away in a different town from me and my family. I have two children (nearly 5 and 1). As far as I'm aware the police have no evidence that my father has ever harmed my children. They have not told me if they do. My father maintains that he has never harmed them too. I also know from my childhood that he never abused or harmed me in any way.
Nevertheless we have been contacted by social services who will be carrying out an assessment under section 17. Given that we're not in the same household as my dad and live so far away, I'm not sure why this is. It's a condition of my dad's bail that he can't see children (under 18), and so he has no contact at all with my children now, not even phone calls.
I would never do anything to put my children at risk and would be prepared for my children never to see my dad again if required.
I am worried about the involvement with social services and how long it will remain on my children's school records - until they're 25 from what I can find online. My dad is in his late 70s so my children would still have this on their records likely after he has passed away which doesn't seem right.
does anyone have any experience of this? Is there anything I can do about it? If they carry out the assesssment and the claims are not substantiated and there is no further action does it stay on the children's records?
Hello, although I can't help with any advice, I'm sure that others on here will come along and give you some info from their own experiences. I do know that a section 17 is Children in Need which is voluntary, although advice is always to co-operate with social workers!
However, there's a website called Family Rights Group who have lots of information about social services interventions in a whole host of situations including Child Protection issues, plus a helpline where one of their advisors will give you specific advice. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to include a website address here but they are easy to find online. I would encourage you to contact them, as well as reading any replies here! Both this forum and Family Rights group have been really helpful for our own navigation of children's services.
Good luck and I'm so sorry you have to deal with this, especially as it's your Dad xx
However, there's a website called Family Rights Group who have lots of information about social services interventions in a whole host of situations including Child Protection issues, plus a helpline where one of their advisors will give you specific advice. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to include a website address here but they are easy to find online. I would encourage you to contact them, as well as reading any replies here! Both this forum and Family Rights group have been really helpful for our own navigation of children's services.
Good luck and I'm so sorry you have to deal with this, especially as it's your Dad xx
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Hi Pinksong,
It may or may not reassure you to know that 20%+ of children in England have a SS file and have had an allocated social worker at some point in their lives. It's not uncommon and schools are very used to it. That doesn't include the children who are opened to family support workers.
You could decline the assessment if you wanted to. SS would then decide whether to have a strategy meeting with a potential outcome of a child protection investigation that you can't decline as easily (altho you can still technically decline, it could end up with police or family court intervention).
If you're looking for reasons to decline it would be down the emotional impact on the children of having to have an assessment + the fact you're full cognisant of the issues and understand not to allow unsupervised contact.
It may or may not reassure you to know that 20%+ of children in England have a SS file and have had an allocated social worker at some point in their lives. It's not uncommon and schools are very used to it. That doesn't include the children who are opened to family support workers.
You could decline the assessment if you wanted to. SS would then decide whether to have a strategy meeting with a potential outcome of a child protection investigation that you can't decline as easily (altho you can still technically decline, it could end up with police or family court intervention).
If you're looking for reasons to decline it would be down the emotional impact on the children of having to have an assessment + the fact you're full cognisant of the issues and understand not to allow unsupervised contact.