Mum left 'shaking and intimidated' after son placed on Child Protection Register

The mum of a six-year-old boy with autism and severe learning disabilities said she has been left "shaking" and "intimidated" after her son was placed on the Child Protection Register (CPR).

Danielle McQuillan said she does not understand why Zac was registered after she sought more overnight respite care to help her cope with his complex needs and to spend more time with her daughters.

Zac is non-verbal and his mum said his behaviour can be extremely challenging, including stripping off his clothes and running away when they are out.

The South Eastern Health Trust, who placed him on the register, said it "cannot publicly discuss the details of any child or their family".

The CPR is a register of children who have been identified as being at risk of significant harm.

When a child is placed on the CPR, social workers will typically carry out unannounced visits to witness the family in a regular day-to-day setting.

Eamonn McNally, a senior lawyer at the Children's Law Centre, said his organisation is increasingly seeing the Child Protection Register used in cases involving children with complex disabilities and additional needs when they are not at risk.

Danielle McQuillan, who lives in Bangor, County Down, with Zac and her two daughters, said her son loves sensory play, structured routine and being outside - but it comes with challenges.

He won't wear his own clothes and tends to bolt in public - and with two other children to mind, she said she finds it hard to achieve balance.

"I've been trying to get some overnight respite as I want to be a mum to my girls as well as Zac," she said.

When McQuillan sought respite for "normal things" - such as going to the cinema and spending quality time with her daughters - Zac was offered one night a month in Newcastle, County Down.

She said that's "too far away" for just one night, with hours of travel making Zac's behaviour "more challenging when he comes back home, because it throws him all out of routine".

However, McQuillan said she had been speaking to a social worker about her need for a break when that led to a disagreement.

"They said: 'We can't parent your child more than we already do.'

"That really hit a nerve with me as someone who works very hard to be a good parent.

"I was upset and crying and, the next day, two social workers came round and told me they were holding a child safeguarding conference with a view to putting him on the register."

A child safeguarding conference is organised if a child is considered at risk of significant harm.

It usually involves agencies such as social services, medical professionals and schools, meeting with a child's family to share information, identify risks and outline what needs to be done to protect the child, according to the NSPCC.

The conference for Zac involved 17 health and education professionals.

His mother was only allowed one person to help represent her, Eamonn McNally from the Children's Law Centre.

Each person had to vote on whether or not Zac should be registered on the CPR. They decided he should.

"I didn't understand why - I was trying to get my head around it," said McQuillan, adding that she questioned whether she had done something as a parent.

"It's difficult to deal with."

It also means social workers have turned up unannounced her her home, she added.

"I just feel like I'm being watched for a reason that I don't know."

She said on one occasion she took Zac to McDonald's and returned home to find two social workers parked outside.

"I was shaking, I felt so intimidated," she continued.

I think it's because there isn't a proper reason as to why he's been put on it, they're almost trying to find a reason now which is why they're turning up."

McQuillan said families who find themselves on the register can sometimes feel there has been an overreach by social services.

"And, what I mean by that, is you have people coming into your home checking you out.

"That doesn't actually add anything to the family, in fact it takes away from the time that they have with their child."

She added: "I would say that it's disgraceful and completely shocking how people are allowed to do this."

Eamonn McNally said his organisation, the Children's Law Centre, has "a number of families with significant needs who are under extreme pressure, they're at burn out because of a lack of service and support".

"That shouldn't equate to a registration on the child protection register, that should equal support being put in place to keep that family together."

McNally added that while there are no usable statistics on how many families could be affected by issues similar to Danielle McQuillan, he said a review of children's services four years ago indicated that Northern Ireland had, per population, the highest rate of referral and registration on the CPR in the UK.

He added that Prof Ray Jones, who conducted the review, queried whether some of those were families who found themselves "in a child protection system rather than a family support model".

The Children's Law Centre has called for a review of the process for putting children on the CPR, describing it as "out of date and not fit for purpose".

"The entire system needs looks at," said McNally. "It needs to be more child-focused and family friendly."

The NSPCC said the CPR allows relevant agencies, such as emergency responders and schools, to check if a child they are working with is known to be at risk.

The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust said it "welcomed the scrutiny" of Child Protection processes for children with Special Educational Needs.

"The Children's Disability Team helps 740 families in the community and fewer than 10 receive support within the Child Protection process.

"The trust actively engages with families and their advocates to resolve any issues but it cannot publicly discuss the details of any child or their family.

"There are appropriate appeals and representation forums which can address any family's concerns, supported by organisations such as the Children's Law Centre."