Section 47 social service inquiry - possible outcomes

[Commalia]

Long story short - six months ago, my 4 year old daughter saw my father's private part by accident as he was coming out of the bathroom. It was shocking for her as its the first Time she sees a boy private part.

She told my Sister in Law about it who panicked. She didn't believe it was an accident. She took her to interrogate her and asked her to draw a picture of it. Apparently daughter disclosed a lot of graphic details.

That had happened last summer abroad when we were visiting for the holidays.

We reported to social services in September. Because it was abroad, they didn't do anything about it and just said to cut out contact with him which we did.

I personally didn't fully believe my sister in law because 1/ she has history of exaggerating things and being overly obsessed with my kids, I have tons and tons of examples. Also why would she go interrogate her herself and not record it, and 2/ I asked my daughter and she denied it multiple times.

I was forced to believe by my husband and in-laws and threatened to lose my kids if I didn't no matter how many arguments I gave them. They believed the SIL 100% despite her history (she has a lawsuit of defamation against her by her ex boyfriend and is on tons of medication). I personally think inlaws unconsciously wanted my family out of our lives and consciously they are just a bit more on the cautious side.

I started believing too because of the pressure partly and also because I read more about pedophilia and how it's the people you least expect. I connected with people online who went through similar experiences. I read stories to my daughter about private parts and we told her grandpa is a bad grandpa etc.

Anyway after reporting to social services, we started therapy for my daughter and after four months of therapy and lots of probing, only story my daughter shared with the therapist is she saw my father's private part once as he was coming out of the bathroom. Exact same story he shared. She also said he's a bad grandpa.

So now for her in her head if nothing happened, she thinks seeing it once is a big deal and I feel so bad for causing this. I stopped believing after the therapist feedback session.

My sister in law found out, she sent an angry email to the therapist for doing a bad job investigating it and coming up with such conclusions.

She reported us and the therapist to social services and they opened a Section 47 assessment.

They interviewed my daughter at the school who denied the abuse again. They did a home visit and we are waiting for the results.

I am really worried and don't know what to expect. What are possible outcomes and what would be the next steps?

My husband still wants to believe his sister so either way my family is cut out of our lives but just worried they would do anything with me since he's my father!

Also my family is so hurt, they wouldn't forgive me either way. I feel bad but what option did I have except to protect my dsugbter?

It's a horrible situation to be in and now mostly worried about SIL reporting us!

What did she report you for?

Tbh, I think we have had this story from the other side. Not sure what's going on.

But a sil who blamed the mother, questioned the child themselves and got them to draw pictures, the mother cut off the person and engaged a therapist for their child etc. But the op still blamed the sil. Seemed obsessed with her brothers children.

Might be worth search for.

She reported me for stopping to believe and she was scared I would get my family back into our lives. She also said my parents would come and kidnap the kids. She told my husband to hide the kids passports so I dont kidnap them, she's a "bit" on the paranoid side! Even social services saw her referral as a bit extreme.

To be Frank, at this point, I do want to get my family back into our lives because I truly don't believe the abuse happened and social services told us we could see maternal family with grandfather supervises. But didn't get Section 47 official results. Do you know how they send them or what are the outcomes?

My husband doesn't want to see my family at all. It's hard and I am chosing my marriage over my family.

A Section 47 is a safeguarding investigation and you shouldn't have to wait too long, as there are statutory timescales these have to be concluded within.

They have 45 days to complete an assessment, however if they believe concerns are substantiated, they have only have 15 days to convene an initial Child Protection Conference. You'd then be invited to a meeting with all the professionals involved with your child/children and at that meeting a decision would be taken as to whether to put the child/children on a child protection plan and you'd get regular visits etc.

However, from a section 47 investigation there is also the possible outcome that they assess concerns are not substantiated. In this case, they'd either close the case or if they felt required, may give you further support or put children on a Child in Need plan for a period of time to monitor and advise etc.

Before you resume contact, I would await the outcome of the investigation and the advice. You are obviously safeguarding your child by stopping contact.

Sounds like you need to start by cutting contact with in-laws.

@sparkles12

A Section 47 is a safeguarding investigation and you shouldn't have to wait too long, as there are statutory timescales these have to be concluded within.

They have 45 days to complete an assessment, however if they believe concerns are substantiated, they have only have 15 days to convene an initial Child Protection Conference. You'd then be invited to a meeting with all the professionals involved with your child/children and at that meeting a decision would be taken as to whether to put the child/children on a child protection plan and you'd get regular visits etc.

However, from a section 47 investigation there is also the possible outcome that they assess concerns are not substantiated. In this case, they'd either close the case or if they felt required, may give you further support or put children on a Child in Need plan for a period of time to monitor and advise etc.

Before you resume contact, I would await the outcome of the investigation and the advice. You are obviously safeguarding your child by stopping contact.

Thank you sparkles! The worker said most probably they will mark is as no further action, do they give any more advice on the form? What kind of advice? Is it an actual form we receive or just verbal feedback?

@GrumpyPanda

Sounds like you need to start by cutting contact with in-laws.

I definitely have!! They hurt me too much with all the meddling, threats, bullying. They are good to the kids though so I told my husband to keep the kids in their lives. Kids need as much love as needed growing up and I won't put my personal hurt in the way of them loving my kids. Personally I can't be around them though.