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I have been caring for my two boys since mid april. things went from bad to worse for my ex since the new year and social services were getting more and more concerned. it finally came to a head as stated above.
We are in what is refered to as a family aggreement where I have the children with their (SS) support. SS have got various people working between us....... family resiliance worker, local school, family support, pupil referal unit & children and adults mental health service for the eldest. Due to various external factors we have just had our first (much delayed) pre proceedings meeting with both us and our solicitors, ss worker and manager and the council legal representative.
I have had to give up work and am now on benefits including carers allowance for the youngest.
Contacts between the boys and the ex on a supervised basis but have been allowed to become un supervised and both of us are due to have a parenting assessment and the ex must have a psycological assessment.
questions...........
1) Social services did not actually 'take' the boys off the ex they just indicated that it 'must' happen ( the distinction is lost on me!). The ex 's solicitor is unhappy with the proceedure that has been followed. My solicitor is not concerned about this. Can anyone advise from previous experience of a similar situation and can my ex reverse this without going to court.
2) All the listed organiisations are seeing positive benefits from the boys now living with me and I am asking for advice about dealing with the challenging behaviors and discussing openly when I could have done something better or differently. If the decision as to where the boys should live has not officially been made could the boys be returned on a technicality in spite of the improvements all are seeing.
3) The solicitors letter summarizes the pre legal meeting and says 'the local authority indicates the boys are more settled in your care and the wish them to remain in your care until the psycological assessment is undertaken in relation to the mother'. If things continue to improve can I expect the 'best interests of the child' to be the deciding factor even if the mother is not found to have a problem (in spite of all the history leading up to april) so the boys remain with me.
Any advice gratefully considered
hi,
i dont have experience of this, but judging by what you have written, SS have made up their mind that the children are better off living with you. but maybe things may change after those assessments are done on your ex and what route her and her solicitor takes.
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