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
My hearing last friday was a directional hearing, so I didnt have to go as i have limited annual leave, as of today, only got 1.5 days left to use.
Social services said they never got the order to carry out the section 37, even tho our social worker read the letter from the courts that i had recieved and took this info (not the letter itself) to her bosses, so we have another hearing for the 6th dec now, and social services have said they would carry out the section 37 report within the 4 weeks, so much for it taking 12-14 weeks, they can do it quickly and correctly if they have a rocket up their backsides.
My solicitor stated that it was just going to be her and social services and i didnt need to be there, as the magistrates would be tearing them new [censored] holes for not conducting the report as requested.
Tell you the next person tells me to cheer up and stick in there i will swing for them, been doing that for 12 months now, i have got that message ok. Going to be another christmas without seeing my daughter, you can bet your house or rent on that.
Dads club has changed too, it will be a supervised visit for the first couple of months as part of the contact order as a start as she wont now me now, i am a stranger to her, (i am happy with that) then Dads club need forms to be filled in and contact with the magistrates and then they will arrange it with the ex. So been told that could take 2-3 weeks which puts it bang on christmas after the hearing on the 6th, So no chance of seeing her this year.
Just hurts so much that all i got is a pic a friend got me from facebook when she was around 8/9 month old.
...people are very well meaning when they tell you to cheer up and stick at it...I'm probably guilty of the same thing on occasion so try not to be too hard on us all!
I know it's hard and I too would be angry at these unnecessary delays caused quite frankly by incompetence from the very people you have to rely on for a good and fair result!
Just keep busy and continue to prepare for the future...I'm sure your little girl will have her Daddy back, it's just going to take a little more time than you first thought. She is still a baby and will not remember this time in her life, it won't count in her understanding of things.
So I was thinking this morning here we go again, the section 37 has to be completed by this friday and not a word from social services. And again my calendar is busy for thia week with work and othr things.
So i was relieved when a new Social Worker called this morning stating she had taken over the case as the last one has moved towns, which is fine by me, and the last social worker was travelling a great distance as my daughter was her only case in our town, so I am happy that she dosent have to travel that distance as only last friday there was a nasty accident on the road.
Being a bit a cheeky i explained as I have a clinci appointment at hospital on thursday afternoon, and could we arrange to meet up after that, as I have already got time of work for that, she agreed and would meet up at my parents house at 4 pm, hope and pray clinic dosent take more than an hour tho, dont think it should tho, but it would be good for new social worker to meet my parents too. Explained I have meetings tomorrow and wednesday out of my office and they are on site an hour away, but she seemed more than happy to accomodate this. JUst hope the hospital clinic does not stuff htings up now. I can not see why as all I am doing is picking up a peice of equipment for a sleep study can be conducted.
Finally feeling like i am getting somewhere after 3 months or more of limbo. It has dragged and dragged. Work has been busy, really busy but it still has dragged.
So will be digging out section 37 and brushing up on what it entails, agreed to back ground checks but CafCass have done them already and I did all that and drug tests for work and 'passed' without any problems. Other words I am so dull, I have no convictions or cautions and I am not a drug user or alcholic.
I am due back in court on the 6th, week friday.
Pete
A section 37 report is quite involved.....it's usually ordered when there are serious safeguarding concerns for the child. From the outcome of this report a judge can order supervision or care orders if it is felt that the situation is serious enough. That's not to say that will happen, but you need to be aware that this is quite an in depth report with what could be far reaching conclusions.
The court may feel after seeing the report that a care order is not appropriate but extra support for the mother might be an option, or they could decide on no further action... This report is a lot to do with the mothers abilities to provide adequate care for the child...make sure you discuss with the social worker what their concerns are, I know you want to provide support for your ex so this might be something you would discuss....and also the worse case scenario if they are considering a care or supervision order, what your position would be in that regard.
Try and find out as much as you can about what the section 37 entails so that you are totally prepared for all of the different options that are opened by this report. I hope I haven't alarmed you but I felt you needed to understand all of the possible repercussions of a negative report, at least then you can act accordingly.
Good luck with it Pete.
I have printed off from enfield.proceduresonline.com the outlines and what the section 37 is all about.
I already have the name of social worker involved, they said on the phone they would be compiling this report this morning.
I am noting down your suggestions and will put this to them.
Thanks
Pete
Welcome to the DAD.info forum.
We don’t like to set ‘rules’, but to make sure that you and the other dads are kept safe, we have some requests. When engaging with the forum, please be aware of the following:
- The forum is not moderated 24 hours per day.
- Many of the moderators do so on a voluntary basis. Whilst they may be able to provide some guidance, advice or support, they may not be able to deal with specifics.
- We are not an emergency crisis service so if you or someone else is in immediate danger, please call emergency services.
- If you are concerned about the safety of a child, please click here to find the support you can get for them (link to new page)
- If you are in crisis, please call Samaritans on 116 123. They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.
We hope you find this forum a supportive environment and thank you for joining us.