STATEMENT OF:
STATEMENT NO:
ON BEHALF OF:
EXHIBIT(S):
DATED:

IN THE KENT FAMILY PROCEEDINGS/COUNTY COURT

CASE NO:

IN THE MATTER OF THE CHILDREN ACT 1989

AND IN THE MATTER OF INSERT CHILD’S NAME AND DOB

B E T W E E N :

KENT COUNTY COUNCIL

Applicant

- and -

First Respondent

- and -

Second Respondent

- and -

(By their/his/her Children’s Guardian)

Respondent(s)

FIRST STATEMENT OFINSERT NAME

INTRODUCTION

  1. I am a qualified social workeremployed by Kent County Council Families and Social Care at address.
  1. I obtained my social work qualification in insert yearat College/University/Other.
  1. I have been employed by Kent County Council since put in dates and add details of any other relevant work experience.
  1. I am the allocated social worker forinsert full name of child/renand I have been allocated sinceinsert date.
  1. The information contained in this statement and in the attached core assessment and social work chronology is taken from the Applicant local authority’s Social Services’ case files, consultations with colleagues and other professionals and my direct involvement with insert full name of the child/ren and his/ her/their family.

SUMMARY

The Order Sought

  1. I make this statement in support of the local authority’s application for a…insert order seeking….in respect of the child/ren.

Succinct Summary of reasons with reference as appropriate to the Welfare Checklist

  1. Insert summary information …. (The aim of the summary is for it to be very brief so the Judge/Magistrate to be able to pick up the document and to gain an overview of the case immediately). Please set out in bullet points the key background detail, what alternatives to proceedings have been explored and why have these not been effective, the reasons that you are seeking an order/bringing proceedings with reference to the welfare checklist, including; The child’s physical, emotional and educational needs;The likely effect on him/her/them of any changes in his/her/their circumstances;his/her/their age, sex, background and any characteristics of his/hers/theirs which the court considers relevant;

Also include a summary of why the proposed plan is the preferred option.

FAMILY

  1. The family composition is:-

Please set out the family members' and any significant adults’ full names, their dates of birth and their current addresses in the table below. A genogram should also be exhibited to the statement.

Name / DOB / Gender / Relationship to child / Address (unless confidential)
Insert name of Child / Male/Female / Subject
Insert name of Child / Male/Female / Subject
Insert name of Mother / Male/Female / Mother
Insert name of Father / Male/Female / Father
Insert name of Grandparent / Male/Female / Grandparent

THRESHOLD

PRECIPITATING EVENTS

  1. Please set out recent circumstances precipitating the making of this application. This should be a succinct and focused narrative and should not repeat the background information.

BACKGROUND CIRCUMSTANCES

Summary of Children’s Services involvement

  1. This should be a briefsummary of SCS's involvement with the family, cross-referenced to the chronologyand you should not repeat this information or duplicate information that is in the precipitating events section. Please keep it briefand relevant to the child(ren).It is helpful for this to include analysis rather than a description of events. The chronology can be used to give a bigger picture.You should set out the details of how the concerns arose, any significant referral made and action taken. Please explain the decision making process.

Any emergency steps and previous court orders relevant to this application

  1. If applicable, please set out whether there have been any emergency steps or previous proceedings, and the Orders that were made. If not, state that there have not been.

Previous assessments conducted

  1. If applicable, please set out any assessments of the family / child /members of the extended family carried out or instigated by SCS prior to the application being made, including the outcome of the assessment/s.

Summary of significant harm and / or likelihood of significant harm which the LA will seek to establish by evidence or concession

  1. Please set out a summary of harm or likelihood of harm in respect of each child –i.e. the concerns that relate directly to the threshold criteria. To what extent have concerns lessened or increased in recent times? Please ensure it includes an analysis, not just a description. Do not repeat what has already been said. Be succinct so that if for there have been for example five instances of the child having been physically assaulted, it ought to be sufficient to say here “The child has suffered physical harm as a result of being assaulted on five occasions”. Only a summary is required.

PARENTING CAPACITY

Assessment of child’s needs

  1. You should cross reference the core assessment and any other relevant assessments that have been conducted and provide clear and detailed analysis based on your professional expertise.

Assessment of parental capacity to meet needs

  1. Please refer to any assessments that have been carried out to date relevant to the parenting capacity. If no such assessments have yet taken place, you should explain why this has not been possible and you should set out your assessment proposals.Think carefully about what assessments, if any, are required by the Local Authority, as well as why. Please set out any expert assessments which SCS consider necessary, explaining why they are appropriate, and who you propose should carry them out as well as cleartimescales for these assessments and timescales for letter of instruction. If no assessments are being requested due to previous assessments being relied upon please highlight the information you already have and why no further assessments are being proposed, also highlighting the child’s timescales and impact of delay.

Analysis of why there is a gap between parental capacity and the child’s needs

  1. Please do not repeat lengthy parts of any assessments carried out to date but cross reference relevant assessments and provide your professional analysis, based on the evidence available, as to why the parents are not able to meet the child’s needs.

Assessment of other significant adults who may be carers

  1. Please provide details of any assessments that have taken place in relation to any family members/significant adults who may be alternative suitable carers for the children. If no such assessments have taken place to date, explain why this has not been possible and outline your assessment proposals including details of who shall carry out these assessments and clear timescales for completion. If no assessments are proposed e.g. the parents have indicated that there are no family members/FGC didn’t identify any suitable family members, explain the steps that have taken place to date to identify alternative carers.

CHILD IMPACT

Wishes and feelings of the child(ren)

  1. Please ensure that you indicate the efforts that have been made to explore the wishes and feelings of the child even if the subject children are very young.

Timetable for the child

  1. Please set out any key dates in the life of the child e.g. forthcoming Birthday, Child in care reviews, forthcoming medical appointments etc.

Delay and timetable for the proceedings

  1. Please set out the impact of delay upon the child, including any key milestones/dates for the child eg starting school, importance of attachments etc.

Please outline whether you consider that this is a case that should or should not be able to complete within 26 weeks.

EARLY PERMANENCE AND CONTACT

Parallel Planning

  1. Please set out steps taken for parallel planning, setting out referrals for FGC and timescales in which this will occur, referrals to adoption family finding/fostering team, proposals to assess any family members along with clear timescales, and plans to present the matter to Adoption Agency Decision Maker, again citing timescales for this).If these steps have not taken place, explain why.

Placement Options

  1. Please set out details of the current or proposed placement; family members, , who else lives in the home.

Contact

  1. Please set out any contact that has taken place so far, any difficulties & the quality of contact.. This should be a general summary, not a date- by- date account of each contact, unless specific details are relevant.

CASE MANAGEMENT

Evidence and Assessments necessary and outstanding

  1. Provide a list of any further assessments to be undertaken of the parents/children/family members and any further evidence that you propose to file e.g. police records, statements(s) from third party agencies etc.

Case Management Proposals

I believe that the facts stated in this witness statement are true.

Signed……………………………………………….. Dated………………………

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Social Worker

List of attachments (delete / continue as applicable)

  • Chronology (dates)
  • Care Assessment (dates)
  • Care Plan (date)

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