I apologise for posting so frequently. However, I need a little advice. I have two teenage sons (14 and 16). The boys have been on a Child Protection Plan due to emotional abuse by their father. The boys' father and I separated shortly before the Child Protection Conference took place. My youngest lives with my husband (his father) because the boy was abusive towards hie older, disabled, brother.
Children's Social Care have been very concerned about the relationship between my youngest and his father. There have been incidents where one has hit the other and my husband persistently phones services to say he cannot cope and wants my son taking into care. Our social worker applied for accommodation and this was approved and my husband and I were asked to consider placing my youngest into foster care under a (voluntary) section 20 agreement. However,my youngest is absolutely opposed to going into care and confronted the social worker threatening to hurt him if he suggested it again. Meanwhile, I have been giving my youngest refuge from his father (who is still emotionally abusive to him) and my husband refuge from my son by offering my youngest a lot of time at my house. This has led to increased contact between my two sons and my eldest son has been experiencing psychotic episodes partly as a result of this.
Yesterday our social worker and his Manager came to visit me. I thought they were coming to discuss how we coped over Christmas and maybe to talk more about the Section 20. However, the Manager said that his team felt no progress was being made in our case and CSC were going to drop it. He said the lead social worker felt like he was simply firefighting. I asked about the Section 20 and he said if I did not agree to it no Care Order would be sought because my youngest was 14 and would be out of the system soon. I told him that i could see the benefits of fostering for my youngest, but I could not see how it would work if my son was so vehemently opposed to it. He told me he understood that but he had a placement in mind that would be available within two days and he wanted me to make a decision. I asked about the Child Protection Plan and the Manager told me that there was no Child Protection issue because my husband and I had separated and my eldest, most vulnerable, child did not live with his brother or father. I am afraid at that point I became confused and angry so I asked if they would leave so that I could talk things over with my husband and make an informed decision.
I am still angry and confused. What I have interpreted from the conversation is: the Local Authority do not want to waste resources on challenging teenagers. The Local Authority have kept our children on an ineffective Child Protection Plan when parental separation and the removal of the victim of abuse to a place of safety rendered the Plan unnecessary. The Local Authority are willing to let a 14 year old boy live with a man who plainly cannot cope and who is abusive towards him, physically and emotionally. They are also willing to let a vulnerable adult (my husband has Asperger's syndrome) live with an increasingly aggressive and controlling teenager. The Local Authority (please excuse my repetition) see no Child Protection issues in this situation and have placed me in an impossible situation where I need to give respite to a boy who is both victim and perpetrator of abuse whilst protecting his brother who cannot cope with prolonged contact with this boy.
In addition, I strongly suspect the Local Authority know the Section 20 will not be agreed upon (my son has already stated his views) and they will not issue a Care Order. Rather, they will simply withdraw their services and let us sink.
I am sorry about the extensive detail and length of this post. I am really confused and just need someone to tell me how to respond.