Declining a CAF referral

[Cafetiere]

What happens if referral is pitbin but parents don’t want the CAF and involvement from professionals

What is pitbin?

CAF = common assessment framework?

That's outdated where I am (another form has overtaken it) but the answer in both cases is nothing - it's voluntary.

However, if professionals are recommending it and you refuse it, a note will be taken and if you come under their eye again, the fact that you refused to go down this route might be held against you.

So, say a referral goes into social services for (let's say) neglect. And social services investigate and decide it's not enough to trigger intervention from them, BUT that they recommend a CAF.
It's fine (legally) if the parent declines.
BUT if they then get a further report for neglect, the fact you refused to engage will probably be held against you as evidence that you aren't willing to hear the messages and change.

Not meaning this to be anything other than helpful.

At what point do ss look into the referring agency ?
I’m the past I have totally engaged on numerous occasions but we keep getting referred by same place and quite honestly I’ve had enough 😔 I think I need to refuse to get this looked at
How many times do ss find there are no problems before they think hang on somethings clearly wrong

Sorry should say put in not pitbin

@Cafetiere can you give anymore context as to why the referral for the CAF

I would in your position let them refer again, co-operate as you always do, then ask SS for advice, if it's the same professional referring and they are finding no issues when looking into things then I'm sure they are wondering what's going on too.

When SS look at referrals, they decide if the concerns meet their thresholds for involvement. If it doesn't, that doesn't mean there are no concerns, but just that other agencies may be better placed to provide support. At this stage, engagement is voluntary. But if the concerns are still being raised, they may then go over SS threshold and they may become involved at CIN status.
Involvement could be as a result of one big incident, or a culmination of more minor ones over a period of time.

Social services will look at the referral with fresh eyes; they won’t automatically do anything because you have refused a CAF but as PP said they would take it into account that someone hadn’t engaged if there were still issues.
Is it a school who keeps wanting to set up a CAF or keeps referring to social services?

Normally a caf is useful as it pulls all the services involved together so in theory should get a much more joined up picture which should help everyone in the family.

I don’t think just the process of turning one down would do much but depending on the bigger picture it may ring alarm bells of being obstructive

who has followed up this referral in the past?
So you were referred, did SS come out or someone else?

If it is the same agency eg ss, then can you go deal with them and complain about the source?

Who are the source who keep referring? If it is school, then I think you have a problem.
Can you engage with the people referring about WHY they keep referring you?

Or, and I'm just pointing this out as it is a possibility, is there an issue that you realy are not dealing with well and you are not taking on board what they are saying?

School a few times then school asking other professionals to refer
I have been open and honest and cooperative each and every time but it’s like a witch hunt

I was given details of the referrals and I’ve noticed there seems to be a theme along the lines of ‘I have serious concerns ’ then from the paperwork I could see the following day the referrer was told it didn’t meet thresholds to whivhbshe had replied

And another referral was made on the basis of my behaviour at drop off/pick up
I was observed for months and in that time apparently didn’t speak to other parents enough or socialise and they weren’t happy with ‘my demenour’. It feels very much like bullying
I pick the kids up I give them a drink and snack and ask them did they have a nice day and we leave the premises
Sometimes I’m in a rush or tired sometimes I don’t talk to other parents I’m not massively sociable but that’s not any cause for concern

I’d call a meeting with the referrer (school) be open and prepared to hear some things you don’t like, but also say you keep referring to SS, this is the Nth time you’ve done it and still no concerns have been noted, I’m beginning to wonder if there is one person who is intent on making malicious referrals.

As a school governor my knowledge is that normally school would engage with the family on quite a prolonged basis before outside referrals are made-have they engaged with you at all? Are you avoiding their meetings/queries etc?

I’m concerned because while on one hand school referrals can be literally the reason a child lives, it certainly seems that after several referrals in which no action was taken that it’s turning into a malicious smear campaign.

Munchausens tend to crop up as an accusation when you’ve insisted to school on referrals for asd/adhd and no one including any doctors see anything. Is you boy seeing a paediatrician for anything?

Yes we’ve been totally up front and honest attended all meetings given all letters etc time and time again
It’s getting beyond a joke. The last couple of times I’ve thought ok I’ll comply and hopefully they will see all is fine but now I feel like this is going to happen every few months and it is no way to live with it hanging over us

I do have all the paperwork referrals emails etc as requested it all I think I’ll havevti show them and be quite up front about how it’s not acceptable some of the things said they def knew weren’t right as we have given proof for everything I think I need to raise it as awkward as that’ll be I think they need to know Ive seen it all

I think, reading a little bit between the lines, that your dc has an issue that doesn't have a formal diagnosis?

That is the root of all the problems then. They think you are making it up.

So to conteract it, you need professional support, and evidence eg your physio.

Then I would ask for a meeting, not with school, but with a wider group, not sure how you do that, you may need some help eg from parent support group. School, SS, health etc and lay out your concerns. X and Y professionals agree there is a problem, not having a diagnosis doesn't mean there isn't a problem, and then ask the school to respond.

Take notes at that meeting too.

The business about you not talking to other parents is just nuts

I had a CAF a few years ago now. There were various things but essentially the health visitor was very concerned that I had a messy house. A social worker attended and looked like all the way through and then said basically that this clearly wasn't an issue they needed to be involved in, and would I find a list of their guidance for cleanliness useful? I said yes, they passed that on to my new health visitor, I was assigned a family support worker (I can't remember now if that was the official title) and that was that. My original problem was that the first health visitor was crap at communication and wouldn't tell me what the ACTUAL problem was, just used to gesture around and do a sad face and say "it's unsafe/inappropriate". I had undiagnosed ADHD myself at the time and I'd come from a childhood home where things they were objecting to were perfectly normal to me so it didn't occur to me to be concerned by things like unhoovered floors or washing up on every single side in the kitchen.

We’ve had multiple CAFs a child protection investigation and other levels of ss involvement all originated from same place
I’m quite worn down by it

I feel like there’s no choice but to comply but it keeps happening I just want to scream look at the previous reports nothing is wrong 😔 it’s every few months
I try to be open honest transparent
Everything is now fully diagnosed so should be no grey areas but there are and yes it all seems to be centred round me? Constantly looking for a problem I feel

I'd consider moving schools tbh.

Yes, agree with PPs, ask for and have a meeting with the head first to ask about victimisation (and be prepared to hear - and have to deal with/process - some difficult things).
All safeguarding notes will be passed on, if you do move, but it might be a fresh start for you and a new school might not have the same issues with you.

Schools aren't usually vindictive. They don't have time. And they will just be worried about the child.

I'd consider moving schools tbh.

Applying to another school (not for relocation) days after being referred for early intervention would be likely to raise concerns in itself.

Did the school really say, “suspected Munchausen’s”? Just that it’s called Fabricated Illness Syndrome now, and schools don’t generally diagnose disorders anyway.

I might be barking up the wrong tree here, but have you requested additional provision from the school/nursery setting due to the diagnosis?
It has been known for schools to say the child is fine in their setting to prevent them from having to fund provision. This can then escalate to accusations of munchausen syndrome.

Yes it was stated as ‘munchausens by proxy’ initially then in the last couple of years FII is mentioned

I’ve already read probably all the upsetting stuff possible as my whole character and everything I’ve done has been shredded to pieces and I think out of all of it the fact I was being observed and didn’t realise has made me feel the worst. That’s probably odd but I felt almost violated when I saw the notes

I see no point in moving schools as I know theybwill make a point of losing it all on it won’t be a fresh start I’d rather fight my corner here and clear my name by it’s exhausting to every few months be under scrutiny

family I don't think it's unreasonable if the school has made multiple referrals none of which have been taken up.

Having said that, I work in schools and I know how time consuming referrals are, so I don't think schools would do it maliciously. And (sorry to say this, OP, I haven't forgotten you're still here and reading) I do know what it's like where there's a family where you just know something is wrong and SS don't find it meets the threshold.

But if the OP does move schools and the next one starts following the same pattern, then it does indicate that more than one agency who knows the child/ren is concerned.
In which case SS might take it more seriously, and the OP should look to herself more.
But we've had kids transfer when parents weren't happy with their last school and were considered difficult or something and we've found them fine. Sometimes delightful. Sometimes we agree with the last school.

Sorry, OP, X-post.

Go to the meeting tell them you feel that they are continuing to focus on perceived negative behaviour where it has all been dealt with in prior meetings

Are you the poster who was taking legal action against someone for these accusations?