Dealing with Independent Safeguarding Authority - HELP NEEDED

kaymensah

I need some advice about making a representation to the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).


Background
I'm married and live with my wife and three children aged 7 (boy), 5 (boy) and 2 (girl). The first two attend school during the normal school hours. The last one does not and is usually at home with my wife.


My wife works from 22:00 to 07:00 on three nights of the week (Sun, Wed and Thurs). I work on weekdays during the normal working hours.


On 23/11, my wife left my little girl at home while she was sleeping and run off to attend her part time course. A delivery man after knocking on the door and getting no response peered into the window and saw the little girl who had by then woken up sitting in the living room. Fearing the worse he phoned the police who swooped on the property in their numbers. The police phoned me at my office and I rushed back home. My wife turned up later and it came to light that all in all she had been away for three hours in total. The officers present referred the matter to Social Services and the relevant department within the police force.


The following day the police came to arrest her and charged her for wilful neglect and took her to the police station. Social services also visited and inspected the house and asked lots of questions. She was given bail and asked to report to the police station on 16/12/2009. The bail condition was that she should not be alone with the children unless she was supervised by a 21 year old. She was told that the reason for this condition was so that she will not leave the child alone again while she was on bail. On the appointed day, she went to the police station where she was discharged with a caution.

We thought that was the end of the matter until last Thursday (10-06-2010) when she got a letter from the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) inviting her to make representations as to why she should be removed from the Children's Barred List and the Adults' Barred List. We now realise that this is more serious than we thought and have no clue as to how we should proceed.

Does anyone out there familiar with these matters? Any advice as to how we should proceed? The deadline for the presenting the representation is 8 weeks from the date of receipt of the letter from the ISA.

:cry:

RAS

Hi

This is the same day that the Government decided to totally review the whole issue of the ISA. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jun/15/child-worker-vetting-scheme-review

Did you wife ever take proper legal advice before she was questioned or before she accepted the caution?

The police should have explained what accepting the caution entailed and it does not appear that this happened?

Even if she is not added to the ISA lists, the caution will show up on any CRB check in the next 7 years and on an enhanced check for the next 20 years.

I would start by contacting you MP to see if they can find out what the implications are of the review and whether your wife needs to make th representations in the timescale.

squashy

Can you explain what your wife's justification is for leaving a 2 year old home alone for three hours?

shelley_crow

I hope to god you are a troll.

Who leaves a two year old child alone in a house for three hours?

It's a good job that delivery man realised your poor daughter was there alone, your wife doesn't sound responsible enough to be left in charge of children.

Mupette

Same as the others, no bloody excuse leaving a child for 3 hours.

summerday

Does your wfe have mental health problems or anything in her defence? I too am having trouble understanding why she felt it was ok to leave the little girl unsupervised for 3 hours.

thorsoak

23rd November was a Monday - if you were at work between 10pm Sunday- 7am Monday - would you not have been at home?

RAS

thorsoak wrote: »

23rd November was a Monday - if you were at work between 10pm Sunday- 7am Monday - would you not have been at home?

The wife was at work on Sunday night and must then been at home and then have gone to her part-time course.

The OP works normal working hour on weekdays so would have left for work after the wife got home.

Unless some childcare arrangment broke down, I can only guess that the wife has been doing this fairly regularly?

danielle1977

she shouldn't be removed from any list protecting children and vunerable people if she thinks its ok to leave a 2 year old alone for 3 hours! Shes a risk and should stay on it so everyone knows that she can't take care of kids properly.

Bitsy_Beans

I am curious what normally happens to the 2 year old when mummy's been at work all Sunday evening and you're at work during the day......Does she really not go to bed and catch up on sleep???

Personally if I'd done this with my daughter my husband would have divorced me and taken the kids. I am not sure how your wife is going to justify doing what she did and given your arrangements for her working all night and then providing childcare during the day I wouldn't be suprised if your daughter was left to fend for herself more often

xmaslolly76

Sorry cant help and to be honest i dont really want to leaving a 2yr old on their own for 3hrs is totally unacceptable under any circumstances. Where were the lads whilst this was going on could who ever had them not have taken your daughter for a few hrs. Her decission at best represents a total lack of judgement on her part anything could have happened to the poor girl what if the house had caught fire or she had gotten out somehow the possibilities are to frightening to think of.