Social Services (MASH) Subject Access Request

[Jonathan]

Hi
I have raised a SAR to obtain what information a childrens service has collated on me, they have denied my right to my own information, I have escalated to the ICO who also concur that i am not entitled to the information. This feels really wrong. Any advice?
Regards

 

[childfirst]

I got some stuff but nothing about my daughter.

 

[Jonathan]

Yeah I've said I don't want information about my son, just what they have processed with regards to me, and fully refusing to provide anything

 

[TwinDad]

MASH - that acronym makes me shudder. one of the many agencies helping my ex destroy my father child relationship.

I think I need to do the same as you very soon; have you asked your lawyer to request the information from your Ex's team?

 

[NewcastleBrownAle]

This is the problem with the family court, allegations, even if proved false, are collated by social services, GP etc and over time are regarded as fact, even if shown to be false, inaccurate, they are never removed, never divulged , they act as a permanent stain.

 

[Jonathan]

MASH - that acronym makes me shudder. one of the many agencies helping my ex destroy my father child relationship.

I think I need to do the same as you very soon; have you asked your lawyer to request the information from your Ex's team?

No i haven't got a solicitor and haven't begun 100c yet, been trying to head off false allegations at the pass but they've circled the wagons

 

[Razbert]

Hi
I have raised a SAR to obtain what information a childrens service has collated on me, they have denied my right to my own information, I have escalated to the ICO who also concur that i am not entitled to the information. This feels really wrong. Any advice?
Regards

I went down the same route with the local authority. I requested information about myself as well as my child. Separate reports came back - mine was 60% redacted and the child's was 95% redacted as most of the information they have had been reported by third parties so that data was hidden due to data protection.

I think the only way to get full disclosure is via a court direction. Even then, I'm not convinced that the Authority will divulge information that may incriminate themselves that could be scrutinized in court.

 

[Jonathan]

Can family court proceedings mandate disclosure?
Struggling to find the relevant form
Yep i expect the local authority have no intention of providing full disclosure even if by court order

 

[Razbert]

This is the problem with the family court, allegations, even if proved false, are collated by social services, GP etc and over time are regarded as fact, even if shown to be false, inaccurate, they are never removed, never divulged , they act as a permanent stain.

The main collator of the false allegations are CAFCASS who's own practice directions say they must report what they're told - true or false. By the time the report is written, there is no longer any discrimination between fact and fiction so that anyone reading the text doesn't have the same context that was available when the source was interviewed. That's why cross examination in court is the only way to sort it out. By then that permanent stain is very difficult to wash out.

 

[Razbert]

Can family court proceedings mandate disclosure?
Struggling to find the relevant form
Yep i expect the local authority have no intention of providing full disclosure even if by court order

I think you said you haven't submitted the C100 yet. The accompanying C1A might be useful to state your own allegations where you could request disclosure by the local authority as confirmation. CAFCASS will see all of the paperwork before they contact the local authority and police. By bringing it to their attention, they might just help to uncover what was actually alleged to them. In any case you could simply ask the court to consider local authority disclosure in your position statement, which you can write after you've seen the CAFCASS safeguarding letter.

 

[Peanut 21]

There must be a legal way of getting information about yourself without redaction. I just don't know what it is.
My partner applied to our local police station for a SAR.
It was heavily redacted and one statement made by a police officer was completely different to what was actually said to my partner.
The authorities are more bothered about covering their own arses than being honest.

 

[JC83]

I think the only way to get full disclosure is via a court direction. Even then, I'm not convinced that the Authority will divulge information that may incriminate themselves that could be scrutinized in court.

Even in my case social services failed to release assessments and minutes from meetings despite being ordered to by court. I was in charge of the bundle and did not include the heavily redacted versions they sent me that painted me as a monster. Thought it was entirely unfair that I exhibited minutes redacted on ex’s side, yet she (and more importantly the court) would then see what was written about me from social services.

I asked them several times to send the documents to court, and attached a copy of the court order to show they needed to be sent, but they never sent them.

Fortunately the judge didn’t bat an eyelid and a FF got dismissed. Ex decided she didn’t want one, presumably as she didn’t want to get cross examined on her lies. Ex also claimed she wants to co-parent which I suspect is a key reason I have also currently dodged a s7 too.

I dread to think what could happen if social services in my case did a s7, even though the allegations have been dismissed. The social worker in my case (pre the allegations being dismissed) even said to me that if I ended up with a 50/50 lives with order, as I had failed to do a DA perp course, that she could intervene as their safeguarding concerns can overrule a decision made by a judge. Mind blown.

I HATE social services with a passion. Utterly incompetent. Sorry, rant over.

 

[Peanut 21]

she could intervene as their safeguarding concerns can overrule a decision made by a judge.

This is bulls**t.
They'd have to apply to the court, not just override a judge.
Sounds like a nasty piece of work.

 

[Jonathan]

Elements within social services appear to intent on acting personally on behalf of one parent

Any advice on whether to continue pushing the ICO and ombudsman for information social services have gathered?

 

[childfirst]

Elements within social services appear to intent on acting personally on behalf of one parent

Any advice on whether to continue pushing the ICO and ombudsman for information social services have gathered?

Have you informed your local MP?

 

[Jonathan]

Have you informed your local MP?

No, thats my next avenue if i wish to persist

 

[childfirst]

No, thats my next avenue if i wish to persist

I made my MP aware of the broader challanges I was having with my authority. This included my daughter telling a diff social worker that the original plan had lies in it. Personally I believe when they are aware eyes are on the case it does help.
Best of luck