Family Information/Advice pages

 

 

Some pages/links included on the Fassit UK site are in PDF format. Download the Free Acrobat Reader

 

NOTE: Guidance for members of the judiciary, legal practitioners and other interested professionals which covers a wide range of policy areas, including procedure rules, freedom of information and human rights.

http://www.justice.gov.uk/guidance/guidance.htm

 

IMPORTANT - This information explains your legal position if social services are concerned about your child’s welfare and are considering care proceedings. Written mainly for parents and carers, but the information in it is also for other people, including other family members, who are involved in the welfare of a child and may become involved in care proceedings. For specialist legal advice we recommend you seek the professional assistance of a experienced Solicitor. This Gov leaflet outlines your legal position if social services are considering care proceedings. CLS Direct Information Leaflet 29

 

Section 31 care and supervision proceedings.

Reforms 1 April 2008

 

IMPORTANT - Volume 1 of the Children Act Guidance and Regulations, Following the Review of the Child Care Proceedings System in England and Wales, published in May 2006, and public consultation this revised volume of guidance has been prepared. This replaces the 1991edition and comes into effect from

1 April 2008 primarily addressed to local authorities and their staff, about the court-related provisions set out in the Children Act. Volume 1 is issued as guidance under section 7 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970,which requires local authorities, in exercising their social services functions, to act under the general guidance of the Secretary of State. The guidance should be complied with by local authorities when exercising these functions, unless local circumstances indicate exceptional reasons that justify a variation.

 

IMPORTANT - Volume 1 also provides a complete account of the range of court orders set out in the Act, including those that are predominantly used in ‘private law’ proceedings, where local authorities are less often directly involved. The guidance also describes the key principles underpinning the Act and the roles of the police and of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) in relation to the Act. The guidance is primarily addressed to children services practitioners and front-line managers who, supported by their legal advisers, have particular responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. It is also highly relevant to Directors of Children’s Services and other senior local authority managers, who together oversee the exercise by local authorities of their functions under the Children Act 1989, in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Children Act guidance PDF(3947KB)

 

IMPORTANT - Fassit is now in the process of updating this page and others to incorporate the new Guidance on reforms to the child care proceedings system in England and Wales, including statutory guidance for local authorities and the public law outline. Please take this into consideration where advice and guidance contained in the following information pages/links below may not apply.

 

We thank you for your patience.

 

Child Protection Advice

This is the Fassit Child Protection Advice and Guidance page for Families. The page contains protocols and guidance to follow on Social Services child protection proceedings.

 

Child Care Proceedings

If social services are starting care proceedings against you, they may not tell you about it until you receive a notice from the court through the post telling you when the first hearing is.

 

Special Guardianship

Parental responsibility (PR) means having a right to be kept informed and being able to make decisions about a child’s health, education and welfare. Fathers can apply can apply for PR. Grandparents and other family members caring for a child can gain PR through a Residency Order.

 

Adoption Advice

The legal framework for adoption is set out in the Adoption and Children Act 2002.

 

Access to your Records

To get copies of your SS files and your children’s ss files, copies of all handwritten, and computerised data they have of you, including internal memo's, running sheets and daily logs.

 

Disabled Children

The Children Act 1989 lays down certain regulations to safeguard all children undergoing periods of care ('accommodated' or 'looked after' children).

 

Local Authorities

Find out about your Local Authority

Check the Social Care Register - Search the Social Care Register – Is your social worker registered?  If not they are breaking the law.  You can also find out here where to Complain about the conduct of an individual social worker.

 

Parental Responsibility

Parental responsibility (PR) means having a right to be kept informed and being able to make decisions about a child’s health, education and welfare. Fathers can apply can apply for PR. Grandparents and other family members caring for a child can gain PR through a Residency Order.

 

Grandparents Advice

If you are a grandparent, and your grandchildren have been unjustly taken by the social services my heart goes out to you. I am a parent that this has happened to and I have seen my elderly parents heartbroken, in tears and in massive emotional pain because of their frustration and total devastation with the social services snatching their grandchildren. As well as the worry over how I'm coping without them.

 

Applying to the Courts

Covers applying for:- contact, residency to be included/ceased to be included as party in care proceedings discharging a care order, parental responsibility order other directions in existing family proceedings

 

Court Forms

This service provides a list of forms/leaflets that are supplied by HMCS to the public. The list is growing and will be added to regularly.

 

Your Human Rights

Liberty - This website aims to provide an easily understood guide to the Human Rights Act 1998, explaining its relevance and impact in many different areas of law ranging from rights of privacy to rights of peaceful protest.

 

Childrens Human Rights

The United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) applies to all children and young people aged 17 and under. The Convention is separated into 54 'articles': most give children social, economic, cultural or civil and political rights; while others set out how governments must publicise or implement the Convention.

 

Know your Rights

The following Acts have been passed as law in the following countries.

Please use them to help you know your rights.

 

Parents Golden Rules

Social services are removing children because the parents have a low IQ, the house is untidy, the parents are arguing or that there is no "routine" set for the children.

 

Postnatal depression (PND)

'Almost half of all new mothers hide the symptoms of post natal depression from their health visitors'

 

Fassit Email Support

Suspended Feb 01, 2008 until further notice

 

Support Helplines

Telephone contacts of other support groups/organisations.

 

Support  Links

Fassit UK are not responsible for the availability or content of other websites.

 

Code of Practice for Social Care Workers

Codes of Practice for Social Care Workers and Employers of Social Care Workers

 

The Children Act 2004

Acts of Parliament printed from this website are printed under the superintendence and authority of the Controller of HMSO being the Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament.

 

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