"Foster" advice needed urgently sought

thesaint

The Social Worker has said that so that you will be thinking about it and decide to keep her.

If you throw her out it will be your fault that she turn out to be a heroin taking prostitute that goes to Iraq to join the terrorists and kills our Soldiers e.t.c.

It will be your choice in the end, just don't expect Social services to be of much help.

Good luck

Zara33

Well to say i have had an interesting morning with social work services would be a bit of an understatement!!!

I attended a looked after child review and i had my eyes opened once again to the incompetence of social services :mad: :mad: :mad:

Social work services (bullied) thought it would be in my nephew's best interest if i applied for a residence order, i had always been informed that it was just more or less a formality and to secure parental rights. I had also been informed that my nephew would still carry on getting supervised contact with his mother via social work services and that this could be written into the residence order.........at the moment we are at the very early stages of applying for a residence order. But after today's little fiasco i am starting to doubt the whole procedure altogether!

I have now been informed that Social services would not carry on supervising the contact visits with my nephew and his mother seems they are notorious for saying one thing and doing the exact opposite :mad:

They now say that contact visits will be down to me OMFG!!! what world do these people live in have they any idea what sort of pressure and stress this will place on myself and everyone else who stays in my household, when my nephew's mother is sober and drug free yes things are not so bad it's managable but when she is tanked up to the eyeballs on god knows what it's like a beast taking over her, and there is no reasoning with her. If she demanded a contact visit with her son and i said no due to her being under the influence then basically it will be hell. Threating phone calls, threats about putting my windows in etc etc.

So social services think that i should be able to cope with this as long as my nephew is out of the "system" they are happy what a complete and utter disgrace!! I often sat and wondered how it could be possible for kids to be abused, neglected and even killed when social services were aware of certain situations but hell i know now.

So i think it will be a visit to the CAB first thing on Monday morning, and also a little chat with my solicitor i really am having second thoughts about this whole residence order now. I am quiet happy for my nephew to carry on staying with me but i certainly do not want to be the person to arrange and supervise contact between my nephew and his mother. So if this means stopping the application for the residence order and staying in the "system" then so be it.

orlwaysbroke

Zara33 - I can only imagine how you must be feeling.

It's truly disgusting the way that well meaning people are treated by some of the professionals empowered to assist and support.

None of us are naive enough to believe that life will be plain sailing, but the way that "good samaritans" are sometimes treated truly beggars belief.

Keep us up to date about how things are going...

mishmash

Only just read this thread and hope I can assist I know it is too late.

The child has been placed with you under section 20 of the children act 1989, this is with the voluntary consent of her parent. From what you have said it does not appear that any legal proceedings have commenced other than the section 47 enquiry ( allegations she has made) which has resulted in her polacement with you.

This child should have had a placement planning meeting I think within 48 hours ( may be 72), Her case should be allocated to a qualified childcare social worker, as any support worker cannot carry a case of a child ' looked after' or section 47 enquiry. Most social departments get around this by allocating the case to a senior practitioner but allowing a less qualified worker to do the leg work.

An innitial review should have been set up with a indipendant reviewing officer and all relevant agencies ( school, health etc) and yourself and her parents. From the commencement of any section 47 enquiry the local authority has 2 weeks to decide if they are to proceed to an innitial child protection case conference, reading between the lines ( that she is still with you) I would suspect there are sufficiant grounds to hold such a conference.

You are entitled to financial assistance and can be granted the foster care rates the authority would normally pay, without the checks due to the circumstances. Have you spoken to the children's school, this may be a good idea.

Have you been given the 'looked after child' documentation which is essential,
I know how busy social work teams are and I understand that she is safe with you, but your local agency is doing you, and more importantly this child a disservice.

If you have no joy, does your area have a children's rights advisor or children's champion I would also contact the director of childrens services if you remain unsatisfied and your local elected member.

Hope this helps

mishmash

I would urge you to think carefully, a residence order would clearly give your nephew the security a chilld needs but it will also give the local authority an opportunity to close his case and offer no further support a tactic I have seen used many times often to the detrement of the child.

I would reccomend that you see a children's rights advisor. Better still appoint a child care solicitor it should be possible to do this without having to pay. It is possible to obtain a residence order giving you the parental responsability and your nephew the security but also that orders for the local authority to continue to supervise and assess contact and make financial payments to you as his carer.

If you do decide to apply for a residence order ask the court to appoint a gaurdian ad litem, explain that the matter is complex as you disagree with the local authorities plans for the child. You agree that the child needs permanence but feel that the local authority have an ongoing duty as he is at least a child in need, and may well continue to be at risk due to his mothers history.

Good luck

Zara33 wrote:

Well to say i have had an interesting morning with social work services would be a bit of an understatement!!!

I attended a looked after child review and i had my eyes opened once again to the incompetence of social services :mad: :mad: :mad:

Social work services (bullied) thought it would be in my nephew's best interest if i applied for a residence order, i had always been informed that it was just more or less a formality and to secure parental rights. I had also been informed that my nephew would still carry on getting supervised contact with his mother via social work services and that this could be written into the residence order.........at the moment we are at the very early stages of applying for a residence order. But after today's little fiasco i am starting to doubt the whole procedure altogether!

I have now been informed that Social services would not carry on supervising the contact visits with my nephew and his mother seems they are notorious for saying one thing and doing the exact opposite :mad:

They now say that contact visits will be down to me OMFG!!! what world do these people live in have they any idea what sort of pressure and stress this will place on myself and everyone else who stays in my household, when my nephew's mother is sober and drug free yes things are not so bad it's managable but when she is tanked up to the eyeballs on god knows what it's like a beast taking over her, and there is no reasoning with her. If she demanded a contact visit with her son and i said no due to her being under the influence then basically it will be hell. Threating phone calls, threats about putting my windows in etc etc.

So social services think that i should be able to cope with this as long as my nephew is out of the "system" they are happy what a complete and utter disgrace!! I often sat and wondered how it could be possible for kids to be abused, neglected and even killed when social services were aware of certain situations but hell i know now.

So i think it will be a visit to the CAB first thing on Monday morning, and also a little chat with my solicitor i really am having second thoughts about this whole residence order now. I am quiet happy for my nephew to carry on staying with me but i certainly do not want to be the person to arrange and supervise contact between my nephew and his mother. So if this means stopping the application for the residence order and staying in the "system" then so be it.

24skins

I have been in a similar position to you orlwaysbroke, caring for a child that Social Services had removed from the family home (at the child's own request). I have to agree with what has already been posted about Social Services 'dragging their heels' unfortunately.

I was phoned out of the blue and asked to take child x 'overnight', I was never disclosure checked (Scot's version of crb) and the child literally slept on my sofa for 4 months (even if they had offered me a bed I would have had nowhere to put it). He had no clothing apart from what he was wearing and no possesions whatsoever, I had to buy him underwear, nightclothes, toiletries etc.

I was paid £20 per week, in the form of a food line (invoice type thing that can be used for food in supermarkets), the social worker told me I was entitled to claim the child benefit for x but I would have to arrange it myself (!) by contacting the child's family who were still claiming it.

I'm a working single parent, I had to take several weeks unpaid leave from my work as the child had been excluded from school and this was not taken into account at all. Information about child x's education was withheld from me as I had no parental rights.

When I took child x in he was on the list for emergency foster care, but as soon as I agreed to look after him he was removed from that list as he had a roof over his head. As another poster has already stated, the only way to ensure that Social Services would look for another placement for child x was to inform them that I was no longer willing to care for x and that I was about to throw him out.

It broke my heart to have to do it but at the end of the day I had my own children's welfare to think of and I couldn't have afforded to pay for this child indefinetly. I think that the child's social worker took advantage of me tbh, he was quite happy for child x to be anywhere as long as it was no longer his responsibility.

I think you have been given some great advice on this thread about knowing your rights. I do hope you are going into this with your eyes open though.

orlwaysbroke wrote:

some Social Workers seem more slippery than used car salespeople.

Entirely correct, unfortunately.

EDIT; edited to add that child x is now happily settled with a foster family, he came to me for christmas dinner and is doing well, he is back in (part time) education.

lelade_2

Hi.. remenber you do have rights - you are doing the LA a favour,the child would otherwise be with one of their official carers.

Insist that you want to speak with the team leader.. inform them that you wish to make a complaint about the situation and level of support and information you have recieved... they are required to respond to a complain within short time frames.

Clarify your own position, requirements, date you will offer placement until etc etc

you deserve not to be exploited, and need to convey this.

goood luck

Morglin

I worked in a Child Protection department for many years, and some social workers have the unhappy habit of thinking that all clients are "thick" and therefore need to be told by the "clever one" (the social worker) what to do and to then just follow instructions.......:rolleyes:

You need to be firm with them - give them a letter stating what you are willing to do and 'til when, and what you want them to do, in return.

Send a copy to the Director of the relevant social services, and the main copy to the manager of the department.

That way, you've stated your case, in writing, and they will soon realise that you need to be treated with some respect and thought.;)

Also, remind them that it will cost them a fortune if they have to place this girl within their care system.

Lin

Ms_Chocaholic

thesaint wrote:

Believe me B&B costs are much more than payments to Foster carers, it makes no sense but true. In my area a B&B is about £35 per night for a cheap one, I bet the 2 or 3 the council use charge more than that.
By contrast, Foster payments are about £70 per week

These are the recommended amounts that foster carers should be paid per week

Age 0-4: £118.60
Age 5-10: £135.10
Age 11-15: £168.18
Age 16+: £204.55

And in the event of the LA's foster carers having no vacancies, they may have to approach private fostering agencies who can charge anything from £300-£400+ per week.

Addiscomber

What about contacting your local councillor to help you put pressure on Social Services?