Why are Social Work Services involved with my family?
The local authority has a legal duty, required by the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children wherever possible in their home and community. However, there are times when a child’s interests are best met by being cared for outwith the family home. The Children’s Panel and the Sheriff Court can make legal orders that require the local authority to look after and accommodate children. Parents, in partnership with Social Work Services, can also agree that it would be in a child’s interests for them to be cared for in a children’s unit or in a foster placement for a period.
How will Social Work Services go about this?
The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 directs the local authority to do all that is reasonable to put your child’s best interests before any other consideration. Therefore, any decision we make about your child will be taken on this basis. While your child is being looked after and accommodated, the law also requires social workers to listen to you and your child’s views at all times. They must also ensure that these views are taken into account when decisions are being made about your child.
What does looked after and accommodated mean?
Your child may be experiencing difficulties which your family needs additional help with at this time.
We will provide support to you and your family to help ‘look after’ your child. This might be assistance with relationships, health or addiction problems. Whatever the reason, we will help with managing the problem. We will continue to look after and accommodate your child as long as is absolutely necessary. It is our aim that your child is returned to your care as soon as possible.
Social Work Services are involved in making arrangements to look after and accommodate your child. Accommodated can mean staying with a family (such as foster carers), a relative (not parents/guardians), other suitable people, or living in a residential unit or school.
What happens next?
A few days after your child is accommodated a meeting will take place to talk about why this has happened and to make plans to ensure that your child’s best interests are being promoted.
Social Work Services staff will then hold regular review meetings to discuss the plans and decisions made about your child. The first review will take place within six weeks of your child being accommodated and then approximately every five to six months for as long as they are being cared for away from home. You and your child are invited to these meetings and it is very important that you attend so that you are fully involved in making important decisions about your child. If it would be helpful, a friend or family member can accompany you to these review meetings.
Each review meeting will look at the progress your child is making and talk about whether the problems, which the family is dealing with, have been sorted out. We will only continue to look after and accommodate your child as long as it is absolutely necessary. It is our aim that your child returns to your care as soon as possible.
Keeping in contact
As a parent you have legal responsibilities towards your child. One of these responsibilities is to keep in regular contact with your child while he/she is being looked after and accommodated by the Council. We will help you wherever possible to maintain regular contact with your child. Financial help may be available for family members, for example, if you cannot afford transport costs. Your social worker can tell you more about this.
Keeping in contact is important for you and your child whether it be by visit, letter or telephone. You are required by law to let us know if you change your address.
Contact with your child will only be limited or prevented if it is not felt to be in your child’s best interests. If you are prevented from having direct contact with your child you will be informed of this and you will be told how to appeal against this decision.
Who can tell me more about what this means?
While your child is being looked after or accommodated by Glasgow City Council’s Social Work Services you will have a social worker allocated to work with you. We will spend time discussing why your child is being is looked after and accommodated and how we can help.
This may be a difficult time for you and your child and any questions or worries you have are important, so do not hesitate to talk to your social worker about them. Your social worker will work with you and your child to ensure that the Council takes all reasonable steps to help you and your child to work through the difficult issues. If you are unsure or do not understand any of this information please contact your social worker and ask them to explain any details. This page can only give brief information – your social worker will be able to explain things in more detail.