Social Services Child Concerns

The circumstances that would give rise to social services having an interest in the affairs of your family and the welfare of your children are quite numerous; and are broader than simply a report of concern of abuse:

• A family may request family support services from social services at times of stress. They may also request help regarding a particular child or family problem.
• Such a request may also be made by another such as a GP or a teacher on the family’s behalf.
• Children’s and adults’ social care services can assist parents and relatives who are struggling to adequately care for a child through their own, or the child’s disability.
• These services also include provision of ‘short break’ services, both within and away from the home.
• There might be child protection issues, in circumstances where violence between adults could result in harm to the child.
• A parent may voluntarily request that a child be temporarily placed in foster or residential care as an emergency to help with the child’s challenging behaviour, or to provide a planned break or a series of short breaks at a time of particular stress.
• Social services will act to take children into care following emergency intervention by the police or an emergency protection order.
• A child may be put up for adoption; either at the request of the parent or following a court order where the child is already in care.
• Where families are experiencing problems that are affecting the children, social services can carry out an assessment to guide the parent to the appropriate community-based support and services.