[Solved] Section 7 Social Services

Hi Ragoo,

From my own experience;

This comprised of an interview with 2 social workers asking about the events leading to the break up, asking what my concerns were and going through the childrens welfare checklist to determine if I was able to care for our children.

Section 1(3) of the Children Act 1989 - The Welfare Checklist

...a court shall have regard in particular to -

(a) the ascertainable wishes and feelings of the child concerned (considered in the light of his age and understanding);

(b) his physical, emotional and educational needs;

(c) the likely effect on him of any change in his circumstances;

(d) his age, [censored], background and any characteristics of his which the court considers relevant;

(e) any harm which he has suffered or is at risk of suffering;

(f) how capable each of his parents, and any other person in relation to whom the court considers the question to be relevant, is of meeting his needs;

(g) the range of powers available to the court under this Act in the proceedings in question.

They should have read your and your ex'sC100, position statement prior to visiting but they hadnt in my case so dont be too surprised if they arrive with little knowledge of your case.

My advice is be polite, approachable and do your best to answer there questions.

Do not be afraid to bring up any concerns that you may have however do not slate your ex or criticise.

You want to come across as the reasonable and commited Dad that you are.

Regards,

Dave

I have mine on Monday, will be watching this thread for pointers.

When's yours? I'll post a general overview once I've had mine. Hopefully it will help a few people, yourself included!

if you google section report this is what you can find ------------>>>>>>>

A court may ask the local authority for a welfare report when they are considering any private law application under the Children Act 1989 i.e. an application for residence, contact, prohibited steps order or specific issues order.

When compiling such a report, the author should use the headings as outlined below as a framework:

The report must cover:-

1.Background;
2.History of Children’s Services’ and other agency interventions;
3.Profile of each child;
4.Profile of each adult who is a party to the proceedings;
5.The response of the family members to the current circumstances;
6.A summary of the social worker’s assessment;
7.The social worker’s comments regarding the welfare checklist (see below);
8.The social worker’s comments regarding the ‘no order’ principle (see below) and its relevance to this case.

The social worker’s recommendations should take into account the orders available to the Court under the Children Act 1989 – see sections below on Section 8 Orders and Family Assistance Orders. If there are any doubts about the recommendations that may be made to the Court, the social worker should seek advice from the Legal Department.

It is common for the preparation of the report to take approximately 14 weeks

I've got mine at my home on Tuesday, report is due mid Nov with the next hearing due in Dec.
If anyone who's else has experienced it wants to share their views/tips/pointers feel free to on this thread!

Well had my section 7 this morning and all went well - I think! It was one lady and she seemed nice enough.
Due to concerns raised by my ex, she asked to be shown around the whole property, including my sons bedroom. This went down great, although it must have been described as a dive by my ex as she looked surprised at every turn! She then said she was more than happy with the set up with regard to overnight stays taking place and would be making note of it in the report.

She then watched my play with my son for a while, asked me if I had any issues to raised regarding the ex and contact.
The lady wanted to know what mediums we are able to communicate by without any conflict and if there was any conflict at handovers. I was also asked what I had taken from the Cafcass separated parents course, and had it helped.
I should get a copy of the report this week, though the hearing isn't until early December so I can expect some delays no doubt.

Best of luck to you tomorrow, hope it goes well for you.

That sounds as if it went well dad407...good work!

Thank you, trying not to get my hopes up until I see the report though!

I had mine on Tuesday just gone, i felt it couldn't really have gone any better than i'd hoped, although throughout the current process i'm used to being disappointed time & time again so i don't want to get my hopes up!

Hi
Got mine on Monday coming and just hope it goes well
Ive read the help topics and done my research
Hate the thought that my life and the childrens happiness is left to one woman

SW phoned me again & is seeing me again next week after meeting with the ex, is that a positive or negative?Hmm..

Remind me...I know you have seen SS before but did they see you with your children?

Even if they have seen you by yourself and with your children it may be that they just have some questions or wish clarity on something that your ex has said.

I dont think its a bad thing.

Regards,

Dave