DAD.info
2 homes, one priority: your child - Join the free Parenting After Separation course
Forum - Ask questions. Get answers.
2 homes, one priority: your child - Join the free Parenting After Separation course
Welcome to the DAD.Info forum: Important Information – open to read:

Our forum aims to provide support and guidance where it can, however we may not always have the answer. The forum is not moderated 24 hours a day, so If you – or someone you know – are being harmed or in immediate danger of being harmed, call the police on 999.

Alternatively, if you are in crisis, please call Samaritans on 116 123.

If you are worried about you or someone you know is at risk of harm, please click here: How we can help

Notifications
Clear all

[Solved] Supervised Visits


Posts: 2
Registered
Topic starter
(@gr13v3y)
New Member
Joined: 11 years ago

Hi everyone,
I'm just wanting some advice regarding visits...

My ex stopped me seeing my son at the start of 2013 (whereas beforehand he was sleeping over twice every week) and so I applied for access through the courts.
While in court, CAFCASS recommended that we begin with supervised visits - with my ex's mother supervising the visits 3 hours a week, and hopefully after around four weeks to leave visits unsupervised.
I proclaimed how we don't get along, and that I'm certain she will do almost anything in her power to make me look bad.
CAFCASS' reply was simply that she was unwilling to use contact center's for visits as she thinks my child would feel uncomfortable.
Obviously if this was my only option then I went ahead and that's exactly where I am now.

The first week went brilliantly, however the second week was when things started getting weird.
She changed the visiting time that we'd had planned for a week, which I agreed to and went ahead with the visit (which was completely unsupervised); we done our own thing rendering these 'supervised visits' a bit pointless?).

Upon collection both my ex and her mother were there, I was informed that my son and his mother are moving to an entirely new town and an entirely new school,
I asked when the new school term started as I'd like to see him starting his new school, and this was when I saw her mother (the 'supervisor') shook her head, unaware that I could see.
I was told by my ex that i could come and it wouldn't be a problem, and that he started on the 9th of this month.
So obviously, once they had left I done some research on the school, only to find out that that school actually went back on the 5th. I kept quiet about this and thought that all I can do is keep a record of this for the court to read. I went ahead and sent a message to her saying that 'I'll keep out of the way so I don't over-complicate things', in an attempt to be civil and not cause problems.

I hoped maybe that with it being a new town and my son being a new student; that maybe he would have a different starting date to the other children. So, I called the school the day before the new term started. Gave them my son's name and was told that they would get back to me that afternoon.
However, the school had been in touch with my ex first - and so I received a call from 'the supervisor', I had her screaming and shouting through the phone. Telling me that she had lost all trust in me, that if I attended his first day then she would call the police, and basically explained that she's going to make these visits as awkward as possible for me. All of this attitude because I checked his real start date! this ended with her putting the phone down on me. I received a call back from the school shortly after - the school said that my ex would love to have me there on his first day and saw no problem with it (so obviously whatever the 'supervisor' is claiming is actually nothing to do with my son's OR my ex's interests). To keep things sweet I stayed away and just called the night before to speak to him.

Another visit went ahead for an hour, basically dropping off my son and driving away (leaving us unsupervised yet again).

Now, this morning I was expecting another meeting with my son - however I received a message saying that she was too ill to drop him off and that my ex was too busy to drop him off. I asked if she was going to add 2 hours onto the next visit and was told that it all depends on her shifts.

Obviously, as I stated to CAFCASS in the beginning, her mother is completely biased, and trying to cause trouble wherever possible.
And to be having 'Supervised Visits' left unsupervised only after one week, then obviously there is no real trust issue and this is all just a way to display that she is in control here.

What can I do to change the 'Supervisor' - that is if one is really necessary? I called CAFCASS and was told that the case had been dropped by them and to seek out my own legal advice.

Any advice at all would be HUGELY appreciated here.

3 Replies
3 Replies
Registered
(@Nannyjane)
Joined: 12 years ago

Illustrious Member
Posts: 5426

Hi there,
You could try writing to the judge that was at the hearing and asking if you can come back into court to have a more defined contact order put in place, in light of the behaviour of the grandmother and the fact that your visits have been unsupervised since the first contact visit. Also mention the fact that already contact is being moved around and dropped regardless of plans you have made. Make sure you mention how upsetting this will be for your son and that it is important that he can rely on seeing you regularly and that it is in his best interests to feel secure and settled and have both parents fully involved in his life. You can mention what happened and the mother being happy for you to be involved but the grandmother phoning to abuse you and making you feel even though the mother was ok with it, that you shouldn't attend because you didn't want any trouble.

Reply
Registered
(@gr13v3y)
Joined: 11 years ago

New Member
Posts: 2

Hi NannyJane,
Thanks for your time and support.

I was unaware that I could make an appeal - do you know how I would go about doing this?
His mother and myself are due back in court in November - as this is only the first hearing.
Does this make any difference to the scenario?

Thanks again

Reply
Registered
(@Nannyjane)
Joined: 12 years ago

Illustrious Member
Posts: 5426

Ah ok....the letter wouldn't be an appeal as such, just a letter to the judge because the other side is not behaving correctly. As you are back in court in November you could still write the letter to the judge pointing out the breaches and ask if it would be at all possible to bring the next hearing forward. If you did this you would also have to send the other side a copy of the letter.

Have you been asked to write a statement for the next hearing? If you weren't to write to the judge, this would be another way of sharing your concerns with the court.

As you can appreciate, it's very difficult to give exactly the right advice when not having all the facts!

Reply
Share:

Pin It on Pinterest