social services question

[yeahuloveme]

Without going into loads of details , I am due in court against my old best friend, she used my name and details to obtain credit to buy things and sold them on leaving me with the bills, I was given no choice but to go to the police.

MY query is now what will happen if she does go to prison, she is a single mom, who has been in trouble with social services before.

Will they step in and take the mentioned child, or will she be sent to live with a family member? She can not live with the father as far as I am aware as he has served prison time.

I saw child and mother a few weeks ago and the child came running up to me so excited to see me as I have been part of her life for years, and it broke my heart telling her to go back to her mom, when all I wanted to do is give her a huge hug and tell her I miss her.
While I want her mom to pay for what she did, I do not want the child to suffer in an way.

Does any one have any idea what will happen?

 

[Liesje]

It depends where you are. My friend is a foster parent and usually gets kids in situations like that.
I have another friend who is fighting along with her husband to get custody of their nephew who is currently in foster care for about a year now.
I think they go to foster care first... the other problem is whoever is going to want custody will need money for a lawyer.

 

[yeahuloveme]

Some one paid for her lawyer for her police interview, but she rufused to answer a single question, including her name, She is shown on cctv selling the goods and used her provisional license so there is no disputing it was her.
I don't know what to do, the little girl deserves better, but to be taken from her family?!? she is nearly four years old, she is not a baby any more

and I am in the uk not far from London

 

[sophxx]

If her dads not in prison there's no reason unless he's violent against her thy she can't live with her dad. Plenty of children have parents who have at someone point served time in jail. They usually ask close family 1st grandparents ect.

 

[yeahuloveme]

the mother claimed that the father was violent to her in front of their child, when in reality it was both of them being violent, not sure if child was around,
they both got in trouble with ss because of it, and then she up'd and left with out telling them, on a few occations. so they are not best pleased with her

 

[kmbabycrazy]

She will most likely be put in the care of a family member and they will investigate the family members to make sure they are suitable carers. If they are not then she will be put into Foster Care. But they do in my experience (used to work as a Legal Secretary for a family solicitor) do what they can to keep the child within their family. It is in the best interests of the child, especially children rather than new babies as they are comfortable with their families. xx

 

[suzib76]

She has been in trouble with social service before? What kind of trouble?

Does she have a criminal record?

Chances of her getting a custodial are quite slim really, especially as she has a child

 

[yeahuloveme]

she has been in trouble for poor care of the child, and the police went round to collect the child but decided she was adequetly cared for, possention and use of weed in the property with the child there, fighting with the father in front of the child, she has a record for shop liffting as a child, keeping people who have skipped bail in the premersis, fraud previously, assult (against the father) .
Alot of this has been made aware to me after falling out, and I do not have a criminal record, I have a mortgage and do not claim benefits (not that I have any thing against those who do) just so you relise, I am NOTHING like her.
she has also been to court for failing to pay council tax, lying to bailifts about living there, and failure to pay rent and running, no water payments or tv license.
great mate I had there!

 

[Rainbow82]

I agree with the PP, it is very unlikely she will get a custodial sentence as a single parent but should that happen she will be able to nominate as many friends and family as she likes who may be able to look after the child and after this SS will approach those people and perform an initial assessment. This is what happened when my DFs family member had a child removed, SS approached us first and did assessments to say the child could live with us. The child may be in emergency foster care for a few days when this is happening or with a responsible family member. No solicitors required unless a family member wants a residence order or special guardianship after SS find them unsuitable as carers for the child.

 

[yeahuloveme]

thank you for your help, will just have to wait and see I guess. I know her mom took custody of her child before to stop ss taking the child away.

 

[Redhead84]

What has she actually been charged with? The sentencing guidelines will be able to tell you what the starting point and range of sentences available to the judge will be.

These can be found on the CPS website.

Did she plead guilty, or is there a trial taking place? If she pleaded guilty, she will get an automatic third off any sentence for an early plea.

Some of her previous record isn't relevant to the current offence so won't be taken into account, however do you know what sentence she was given for the previous fraud... If it was borderline custodial then it's unlikely she'll escape this time, child or not. I will add that, if the court deems a custodial necessary, having a child will not save her - it's tough I'm afraid.

Family will be the first choice, and this may be something that the probation service along with social services will look at in their reports prior to sentencing if the judge has indicated any possibility of a custodial, which means the child should be able to stay with a nominated family member without the middle step of foster care.

And as a pp said, unless there are specific reasons why not, the child's father would be eligible.. Prison time is not a bar to having a child, my OH has done time and our child will be under his care too!

 

[yeahuloveme]

fraud by misinterperation, handeling stolen goods and and theft, ill look at it xx

and there is a trial, which I am waiting to be called for, as she is refusing to say ANY THING, the police were pretty p'sd off with her would not even confirm her name to them, wasting every ones time

 

[beth_terri]

This is so sad but ypu definitely did the right thing informing the police. Im not sure what will happen but the courts may consider the fact that she is a single mother when it comes to sentencing. xx

 

[yeahuloveme]

I did not know it was her when the police got involved, I knew it had happened but never thought it was her, when the police told me I cried, was such a shock.

 

[Redhead84]

Here are the guidelines for fraud by misrep, but it'll depend hugely on the sums of money obtained by the fraud and the intent, but based on the guidelines she may well be spending some time at Her Majesty's

https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/sentencing_manual/fraud_by_false_representation/

Any sentence for handling and theft will probably run concurrently, but if she is found guilty of these also then the chances of prison will rise as the sentence will reflect the overall level of offending.

 

[Liesje]

If you didn't know it was her when you reported it, I wouldn't feel bad for getting her in trouble. If I knew it was a friend of mine, I'd think about it before making the report, but if you didn't know, it's her own fault for a) doing it in the first place and b) not going to you to possibly prevent having her child taken away.
It's really sad but sometimes kids are better off away from their parents.

 

[yeahuloveme]

thank you for that, it looks like she will only be getting a few weeks if that, which I can deal with, I have just driven past hers ( its on the main road) and all the lighs are off, and windows shut, but her little one should be in bed for school tomorrow, so slightly worried she has upped and done a runner.