Parents and Carers
- Private Fostering Arrangements
- Contact a Social Worker
- Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme
- Making a Complaint about Social Care
As a parent there are a number of ways you may become involved with agencies in relation to keeping your children safe from harm.
Oxfordshire’s Childrens Social Care also have advice on their website
Sometimes many parents find themselves struggling to cope with the current pressures in their life and they might feel they could harm or come close to harming their child. If your family is in this situation it is much better for your children if agencies can work with you to improve things. You should contact Social Care, a Health Visitor or speak to your school to discuss the situation so the correct support can be put in place. The aim of all of these people will be to support your family and help you care for your children. Each year, the number of children “taken away” from their parents is a tiny fraction of the number of families supported to stay together. The earlier you speak to someone the better it is, for both you and your children.
Private Fostering Arrangements
A private fostering arrangement is one that is made without the involvement of the local authority for the care of a child under the age of 16 (under 18 if disabled) by someone other than a parent or close relative for 28 days or more, in the carer’s own home. Under the Children Act 1989, private foster carers and those with parental responsibility are required to notify the local authority of their intention to privately foster; or have a child privately fostered. Local authorities must satisfy themselves of the suitability of the private foster carer and their household or accommodation. They have the power to impose requirements on the private foster carer, or if there are serious concerns about an arrangement, to prohibit it.
If you would like further information or need to notify someone of a Private Fostering arrangement please contact -
Suzie Moss (Private Fostering Worker) on 01865 323167 or 07775 025248
You can also contact the City Assessment Team on 01865 323048
- Access to Information and Services Team (in office hours): 0845 050 7666
- Emergency Duty Team (outside office hours): 0800 833 408
- Banbury Assessment Team: 018
65 816670 Oxford Assessment Team: 01865 323048 - Abingdon Assessment Team: 018
65 897983
Child Sexual Offender Disclosure Scheme
In June 2007, the Government published the ‘Review of the Protection of Children from Sex Offenders’. As a result, the Disclosure Scheme was introduced in four police forces to pilot a new approach to dealing with the disclosure of information relating to child sexual offences.
This will be the second phase of a pilot which was developed in consultation with Sara Payne (the Victim’s Champion), the police and children’s charities. It has been a major step forward in our ability to protect children from sex offenders and also to empower parents and guardians to understand how to best protect their children.
The principal aim of this scheme is to provide parents, guardians and carers with information that will enable them to better safeguard their children. Any person can make an application about a person (the subject) who has some form of contact with a child or children but they may not be the person who receives the disclosure. For example, the parent, carer or guardian who was the original applicant may be estranged from the family and not in a position to protect the child or children concerned. Therefore, disclosure may be made to the other parent or a carer or guardian who is in a position to protect the child.
In order to raise public confidence, the scheme is not restricted to convicted child sexual offenders - it can also include any person who poses a risk of harm to children. For example:
- Persons who are convicted of other offences - for example, serious domestic violence.
- Persons who are un-convicted but whom the police or any other agency holds intelligence on indicating that they pose a risk of harm to children.
More details can be found at http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/aboutus-depts-vpu-csods.htm
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