Need some advice guys!
I have been through 2 court hearings so far upto now, my ex decided to not being our child back to our care where they live.
I had to take my ex to court via an emergency hearing, cut a long story short they returned our child to my care but because my ex made allegations against my current partner they had to move out while safeguarding checks were done.
Here's where it gets messy. Social services first got involved and they have actually done assessments and have said there are no safeguarding concerns at our home with my partner and that they can return home to us they put a safeguarding plan in place till it went back to court in 3 weeks time. All the while no word from Caffcass until today however, a phone call out the blue they want to do an assessment so I explained what has happened with social services. To this I got a rude an abrupt warning that I had broken the court agreement letting my partner come home an that it would be favoured in court.
Can someone please explain to me what I am to do or have any advice? We thought following social services was the right thing to do?
Also if Caffcass do turn this into a bad light does anyone suggest what we can do. We have paperwork to prove we haven't done this off our own backs.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Hi there
It's seems like a genuine misunderstanding on your part, which with Social Services input is understandable in my opinion.
I would write to judge directly, putting FOR THE ATTENTION OF : (name of judge that made the order) at the top of the letter/email. Explain, as you have here, what has happened and give assurances that until you talked to CAFCASS you didn't realise you had done anything wrong. Apologise for your misunderstanding and ask for further advice on the matter.
I would also write to CAFCASS and explain in writing with apologies for the misunderstanding and that you have written to the judge that made the order for further advice.
Best of luck
It might also be worth contacting the family rights group - www.frg.org.uk - they can help where social services have become involved, and in this instance, you would be seeking advice on how to back up what childrens services have said.
I would hope that a court would also see that you were acting in the child's best interests and not deliberately ignoring the court's decisions.