The social worker has lead responsibility, on behalf of social
services, for undertaking an assessment of the child's needs
and the parents' capacity to respond appropriately to the child's
identified needs within their wider family and environment.
In the great majority of cases, children are safeguarded while
remaining at home by social services working with their parents,
family members and other significant adults in the child's
life to make the child safe, and to promote his or her development
within the family setting.
For a small minority of children, where it is agreed at a child
protection conference that a child is at continuing risk of significant
harm, the child's name will be placed on a child protection register.
Social services are then responsible for co-ordinating an inter-agency
plan to safeguard the child, which sets out and draws upon the
contribution of family members, professionals and other agencies.
In a few cases, social services, in consultation with other
agencies and professionals, may judge that a child's welfare
cannot be adequately safeguarded if he or she remains at home.
In these circumstances, they may apply to the court for a care
order, which commits the child to the care of the local authority.
Where the child is thought to be in immediate danger, social
services may apply to the court for an emergency protection order,
which enables the child to be placed under the protection of
the local authority for a maximum of eight days.
Following the imposition of a care order where the local authority
looks after a child, or accommodates a child with the agreement
of their parents, it is the role of the social worker to ensure
that adequate arrangements are made for the child's care and
that a plan is made, in partnership with the child, their parents
and other agencies, so that the child's future is secure.
As solicitors, we are called upon to act as guardian for the
child and protect the interests of that child. We can also be
called upon by the parents to act in cases where a child has
been taken into care. In all circumstances, the welfare of the
child is the uppermost and all agencies including ourselves work
towards this goal.
In most cases you will be eligible for Legal Aid. We will ascertain
this at our first meeting with you.
For more information on how Carvill & Johnson can
help you: Contact us now on: 0121 476 9000
email: family@carvill-johnson.co.uk
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