Birth mother has written requesting contact

[lijaco]

Hi all I don't know if you remember me and my situation. We have the special gaurdianship of our Grandson from 4 months old but had lots of contact from birth. My son is his Father but was 16 when he was born and had little interest. He also has alcohol and drug issues. My gs Mother was taken into care as a teenager and has lots of problems due to abuse suffered during her life prior to her and her siblings being removed into care. She was 17 when she had baby and left her foster care mother & baby placement. She did not return. She has a history of self harm, alcohol and drug abuse. She was domestically violent also. She was given the protocol of letterbox contact and she has written two letters the last when gs was 2 he is now 3.
I have as of yesterday received a letter from her solicitor requesting indirect contact to be built up to supervised contact in time.
I am really unsure about this and how I should reply any advice at all would be appreciated thanks.

I would contact your link social worker for advice

Well, she's already having indirect contact - that's what lb is all about - but if she is requesting further contact then I think you need to involve SS. Not sure whether she still has any involvement but even if you do think that it will be positive in the long term then it has to be very carefully managed, and in a family centre I would have thought, and closely supervised.

thanks walesblackbird she knows where we live and sent a letter for gs second birthday from prison. The letterbox contact was set up by court for twice a year via social services. She has sent the letter herself and not through social services. The solicitor that wrote the letter was birth mothers representative at court so really she knows the score. Birth mother didnt attend court apart from once. Didnt attend contacts set up for her from birth. She attended at first then she started not turning up after about two weeks.
Don't know if her having contact is a good thing. Feel suspicious it may be to regain contact with son. I want to do the best thing for gs.
ps social services are not involved anymore now that we have special gaurdianship which is the same as adoption for birth families.

Even though SS are not directly involved they will support you in dealing with this and making decisions as this is part of their post adoption duty

I really don't think this is something you could attempt to manage without SS support. I think you should write back to the solicitor and remind him of what was agreed in court and ask that any request for a different contact agreement should be made via SS and not direct with you.

Then speak to SS and get some legal advice. A lot of solicitors do a one off free hour session which may give you somewhere to start.