Court Ordered Parental Contact, Domestic Abuse and the Voice of the Child
Contents
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1. An Introduction to Power Up Power Down
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2. A Story of Child Contact
20 3. What the Children and Young People Thought 21 4. How Could Things Be Different? 42 5. A Summary of Feedback from Children and Young People 45 6. Credits and Acknowledgements 46 7. Links to Power Up Power Down Videos
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An Introduction to Power Up Power Down
Power Up Power Down is a participation project with children and young people with lived experience of domestic abuse, designed to explore court ordered contact processes and decisions. The Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland has been working with Scottish Women’s Aid on issues around court-ordered contact and domestic abuse since 2015. Contact between a parent and their child can sometimes become an issue when the child’s parents don’t live together, or when they once lived together but are now separated. Sometimes, parents can dispute in court: •
whether a parent is allowed to see their child, and
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under what conditions a parent can see their child.
A parent can go to court to try and get: •
legal permission for contact with their child, or
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legal permission for their child to live with them at least some of the time.
In Scots law, Sheriffs must take into account abuse, or the risk of abuse, when making contact decisions. This includes emotional, verbal, and physical abuse of children and of others close to them. When they do, the court is legally required to give the child in question a chance to express their views— after “taking account of the child’s age and maturity.” If the child does express a view, the court then has to “have regard to such views as he [or she] may express”. However, children and young people have told the Commissioner and Scottish Women’s Aid that they often feel their views are ignored in contact proceedings. Through Power Up Power Down – a project facilitated by Women’s Aid Children’s Support Workers in three different areas in Scotland – we asked 27 children and young people who have lived with domestic abuse to tell us what in our present system THEY think needs to change. They talked and learned about their rights, and explored the concept of power and how power can be used by people well – and how it can be misused too.
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All this was achieved across a series of playful sessions held in safe places with people they already knew and trusted, who had the right skills and knowledge to support them through this activity and beyond. This is what the Convention on the Rights of the Child asks duty bearers to do when engaging children in informing matters that are important to them. Once all the preparation work had been done - the children and young people read 11 year old Zayne and 7 year old Mia’s story. We then asked ‘What would be different for Zayne and Mia if they (our young consultants) had the power to change the way the system works?’ How could the adults involved use their considerable power to make sure that the children’s best interests were served and that the children themselves were empowered by the response of the system? Get it? Power Up Power Down!
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A Story of Child Contact
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This is Mia – she’s 7 years old and loves animals and Lego. This is Zayne. He’s 11 years old and loves Pokémon and playing basketball. They live with Mum, Dad and their dog Toto.
Zayne and Mia grow up in a house where there is hurting in their home. Sometimes their Dad is really fun, plays with them in the back garden and makes them laugh. But sometimes he bullies everyone. He calls them names, doesn’t let them play with Toto or see their friends, hits their Mum, and scares them by saying he will hurt them if they ever tell anyone.
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After getting some help Mum, Zayne and Mia move out and go to live somewhere else. It all happens really quickly, and they have to leave Toto behind with Dad. Zayne is worried about what his friends at school might think if they find out. He already feels different because of the colour of his skin.
Now Mia and Zayne live with Mum, and see Dad every Saturday during the daytime. They usually go to his house, so they get to see Toto too.
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Seeing Dad is sometimes really good –they go to the park or the cinema, and Zayne and Mia love playing in the garden with Toto. But sometimes it’s really not fun at all. Dad asks them a lot of questions about Mum and they have to tell him who she talks to and where she goes. He says she’s a bad Mum and that she doesn’t really love them. He gets really angry if they don’t do what he says. Zayne and Mia are frightened of him hurting them and their mum. They don’t know if they should tell anyone or if that will make things worse…
One Saturday Mia is playing in the garden with Toto having lots of fun. Suddenly Dad starts yelling and tells Mia that he will kill Toto if she doesn’t keep quiet. That night she tells mum about it because it made her really sad and scared. Mum asks Zayne how he feels about seeing Dad, and he tells her it was making him really upset and worried. He likes seeing Dad when he is fun, but sometimes he calls Zayne names. Zayne tells mum he is worried Dad might hurt them, or Mum again.
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Mum tells Zayne and Mia that she wants to keep them safe and that they don’t have to see Dad anymore. She calls Dad to say they won’t be coming over on Saturday. Mia and Zayne feel really relieved, but also a bit worried about how dad will feel and react. They are also worried about what will happen to Toto.
Dad gets really angry with mum and says he is going to go to court to make sure he gets to see Zayne and Mia for the whole weekend.
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Dad talks to Zayne and Mia on the phone. He says he is really sorry and it was all a misunderstanding. He tells them he really loves them and they are going to have great fun together. He asks them if they’d like to get a new puppy to keep Toto company during the week because he is lonely without them. Dad says if any grown-ups asked them questions they should say they want to see him and to tell them about the fun times they have together.
Zayne and Mia feel really worried and confused. Zayne feels guilty that he made Dad upset by talking to Mum about it all. Mia is confused and really likes the idea of getting a new puppy. That night she has a nightmare about Toto.
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Dad raises a contact action in court, asking the Sheriff to make sure he gets to see Zayne and Mia every weekend. Mum gets a lawyer and asks the court to make sure Zayne and Mia are safe and protected from harm. Mum and her lawyer tell the Sheriff that Zayne and Mia are frightened of Dad, and that the things their Dad says and does are harmful to them, and upsets them. Dad and his lawyer tell the Sheriff that Zayne and Mia’s mum is lying because she hates him, and that he is a wonderful Dad.
The Sheriff wants more information so she can make her decision. She wants to know what the real story is and what the children think and feel about contact with their father. She asks a court reporter to gather more information from Zayne, Mia, Mum and Dad, and to tell her what he finds out. Zayne is also sent a form to ask his views. Mia is not sent one, as it’s thought she is too young.
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The court reporter comes out to their house to ask Mia and Zayne some questions before the court case. He wears a suit and asks questions that are difficult to understand. He asks them about their relationship with Dad, but Zayne and Mia are too frightened to answer so they don’t say much.
Zayne is sent a form to fill out to ask his views about the court case. The form is difficult to understand. He isn’t sure if his Dad will see what he writes and if it is ok to talk about the bad things that had happened. He decides to take the risk to say that although he loves his Dad he doesn’t like it when he gets angry. Mia really wants to tell the Sheriff that she just wants her Dad to be nice and stop being scary, but she wasn’t sent a form.
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The court reporter sends his report in to the Sheriff with all of the information he gathers. The report said that Mum and Dad are angry at each other, but that Dad is a loving father, and Zayne and Mia are too young to have a view. A copy of the report is sent to Mum and Dad and their lawyers, but not to Zayne and Mia. They don’t know what the court reporter said to the court about the questions they were asked.
On the day of the court case the Sheriff decides that Zayne and Mia will see their Dad every Saturday, and every second weekend they’ll stay over until Sunday too. She explains that even though Mum’s lawyer said Dad was dangerous, she could see no evidence of this and that in her opinion Mum had told her children to lie about their Dad.
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Mum has to tell the news to Zayne and Mia that they will still have to see their Dad. They don’t understand why their mum and the Sheriff can’t keep them safe. Zayne feels like they didn’t believe what he wrote and really sad that they thought he lied. Mia feels like nobody even tried to listen to her.
Over the next few weeks, Zayne’s teachers notice he is very quiet and not concentrating in class. He has stopped playing with his classmates, and gets very upset and worried by small things, especially on Mondays. The school calls mum to set up a meeting to discuss his wellbeing. Mia’s nightmares start getting worse and she starts wetting the bed. Every Friday Mia has a sore tummy and has to miss school.
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Mum takes Mia and Zayne to the doctor to talk about how they are feeling about everything that has happened, and about contact with their Dad. The doctor is worried about Zayne and Mia, and arranges for them to get support to talk about how they feel.
Mia and Zayne start meeting with a support worker, called Grace. They soon feel they can talk honestly about their feelings with Grace, and she helps them to understand that the things that have happened aren’t their fault. Grace helps Zayne and Mia to talk to Mum about how they are feeling.
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Mum is still worried about Zayne and Mia being safe and about the way contact with Dad is making them feel. She goes back to court to ask the Sheriff to change her decision. She wants to make sure that either the court finds a way to make sure any contact Dad has with Zayne and Mia is safe, or that it stops altogether. Mum’s lawyer wants to give new information to the court from Zayne’s school, Mia’s doctor, and their support worker about the way contact is making Zayne and Mia feel.
This time, with the help of their support worker, Zayne and Mia write letters to the Sheriff about how they are really feeling.
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How would you like the story to end?
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What the Children and Young People Thought
So what do you think happens next? Well that is what we asked our young experts to decide. They were not impressed! They didn’t feel Mia and Zayne’s rights were being protected or promoted and they didn’t believe that Mia or Zayne – or even Toto – would feel safe and secure. So we asked them a new question. “What would you change in the story for Zayne and Mia if you had the power to make those changes happen?” Let’s see what they came up with… So… where did we leave our two children? Oh yes… Dad is angry with Mum and is going to go to court. He wants the Sheriff to order Mum to make sure that Mia and Zayne come and see him every weekend. Mum wants to keep the children safe. Dad speaks to the kids on the phone- says he’s said sorry – and asks them if they would like a new puppy – oh and if any grown-ups ask them questions about contact they should say they want to see him because of the fun times they have together. All that leaves Zayne and Mia feeling all confused. OK, let’s see what happens when we let our young consultants power the story up…
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How Could Things Be Different?
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The next day Mum gives them both a big hug before they go to school and explains she is going to phone Mia’s Head Teacher and Zayne’s guidance teacher to explain that they are all going through a difficult time.
Mia’s Head Teacher phones Mum back and reassures her that everyone will do their best to help Mia feel secure and cared for at school. She says she has information about local organisations that can help families going through difficult times. Mum agrees to pop in later to see her and to pick the information up.
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Zayne’s guidance teacher asks him to come to the guidance base. He explains Zayne can come to the base to speak to someone if things are getting him down, because sometimes it helps to share worries. He will make sure Zayne’s teachers understand this so he won’t get into trouble. He gives him a leaflet about a free and private phone and email help line for young people. Zayne feels reassured.
Dad raises a contact action in court, asking the Sheriff to make sure he gets to see Zayne and Mia every weekend. Mum explains to Mia and Zayne what Dad wants to happen. She tells them she will get a lawyer and asks the court to make sure Zayne and Mia are safe and protected from harm. Mum and her lawyer tell the Sheriff that Zayne and Mia are frightened of Dad and that the things their Dad says and does are harmful to them, and upsets them. Dad and his lawyer tell the Sheriff that Zayne’s and Mia’s mum is lying because she hates him, and that he is a wonderful Dad.
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The Sheriff wants more information so she can make her decision. She wants to know what the real story is and what the children think and feel about contact with their father. She asks a court reporter to gather more information from Zayne, Mia, Mum and Dad, and others who know them, and then to tell her what he finds out.
Mum and Dad both get a letter from the Sheriff explaining what is happening and so do Zayne and Mia. Their letter is easy to read and comes with a form and a leaflet with pictures that explains they have a right to make their views known, or they can tell the Sheriff they don’t want to. It also explains why and when the court reporter is coming to see them and when the Sheriff will decide if they should see Dad every weekend the way that he wants.
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Zayne and Mia’s letter explains that if they think the form will be hard to fill in, they could write a letter or make a voice recording or short video using a mobile phone camera for the Sheriff instead. If they need help to talk about their views in a different language, that can be sorted out too. The letter says the court reporter will help them do things in the way that is best for them. And when he comes to visit he will then talk through with them what they have said about how they feel.
Zayne’s form has multiple choice answers and extra spaces for his own words or drawings. Mia’s form is like a comic and is very colourful with big spaces for her to draw pictures in and has symbols like smiley or sad faces beside the questions that she can colour in to show how she feels. They can both understand what the form is asking them to do.
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That night Mia feels like crying. At school the next day she talks to the Head Teacher who listens to her very carefully. Mia is mixed up and doesn’t know what to do. She misses Dad when he is being nice but doesn’t know when he will turn into scary Dad again. Scary Dad shouts a lot. He shouts at Toto and shouts at Mum even more. He even sometimes hurts Mum though he thinks that Mia and Zayne don’t see. Mia is scared she might get her form wrong and get in trouble from Dad or the Sheriff. She just wants Dad to say sorry to them all and to stop being scary.
The Head teacher comforts Mia. She gives Mia a little book called ‘The Big Bag of Worries’ and says they will read it through together tomorrow. She promises Mia she will speak to her every day. She gives her a leaflet to take home with information on it about an organisation called Childline and explains how children can talk to them about their worries and problems on the phone. Mia feels a bit better but is still worried.
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That afternoon the Head teacher phones Mum up and asks if she has thought about getting an independent support worker or advocate for the children to help them through this time. She tells Mum about an organisation that can help with this. She also makes sure Mum is now in touch with one of the organisations she had told her about a few days before. The next afternoon, after Mum calls, a support worker called Grace comes out to see Zayne and Mia.
Mum explains to Zayne and Mia that Grace is called ‘a child and young person’s advocate’. It is her job to talk to them and help them think about how they feel about seeing Dad at weekends again. Grace explains that it is her job to be there just for them, not for Mum and not for Dad. Mum says she will leave them to it and goes away to make a cup of tea.
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At first Grace doesn’t talk about Dad – she talks about Zayne and Mia’s friends, their hobbies and other happy stuff. She tells them she will talk about going to Dad’s at the weekend the next time she visits. She arranges to see them at school for the next visits, in a private room. Both Zayne and Mia feel they can be honest with her. She is funny and kind and helps them to understand the things that have happened aren’t their fault. Grace also helps Zayne and Mia to talk to Mum about their feelings. More than anything Grace is a super listener.
Even though he really likes talking to Grace, Zayne hasn’t decided if he or Mia should take the risk to tell the full truth to the Sheriff yet. He plucks up courage to ask Grace if they will get into trouble if they don’t want to tell the Sheriff what they think. He doesn’t know who will see what they say or if the Sheriff will care.
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Grace reassures him they won’t get into trouble and says no grown-up should ever force a child to give their view on something if they don’t want to. She also reassures them that even though Mum can’t be there, Grace will be with them when the court reporter visits. Grace says that if they like she will help them to ask him questions before they decide what to do. Zayne and Mia don’t know what a court reporter will be like and feel scared. They would rather just talk to Grace or to the Sheriff in a private place.
When the Court Reporter does come to visit, he doesn’t look scary at all. He hasn’t got a tie or a jacket on and is very friendly. He talks to them about the 7 Golden Rules of Participation, then he asks them if they want to tell him about what they think about spending weekends with Dad. With Grace’s help they tell him are both worried about what will happen next and who will see what they say. Even though they feel it is very important that the Sheriff understands things from their point of view, they are scared.
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He says he understands it must be difficult for them to talk to a stranger about such personal things, but it would be helpful if they could try. He says only him and the Sheriff will see their forms or their letters. Mum and Dad will only see the Sheriffs final report. He shows them a picture of the Sheriff so they know who will be listening to them. Zayne and Mia tell him they have already filled in their forms AND they have written the Sheriff a letter too, but were scared about might happen because of what they have said.
He leaves them for a bit to talk their worries through with Grace. When he comes back they tell him they have decided to give the Sheriff their views. He says thank you and asks them if they would like to see what a court looks like. He sits on the floor with them and – using Mia’s lego – builds up a courthouse and shows them where everyone sits when a Sheriff is making decisions. They have quite good fun doing this all together.
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He explains he would like to understand more about the answers on Zayne’s form and the pictures Mia has drawn on hers – which he tells her look very colourful. He talks to Zayne in private first and then to Mia.
After they have talked things through the court reporter thanks them for being so thoughtful and brave. He explains he will also be speaking to Mum, Dad, Grace, the Head Teacher at Mia’s school and Zayne’s Guidance teacher before he writes his report for the Sheriff.
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Zayne feels quite worried about this as he has told his Guidance Teacher some private things and didn’t know this would happen. The Reporter notices that Zayne looks afraid and before leaving gently explains that all grown-ups must share some things that children tell them if they think that the children talking might be in danger or at risk of harm. Other stuff should be kept private.
After all his visits are done, the reporter sends the Sheriff the information he has gathered. This includes Zayne and Mia’s forms and their letters. A copy is sent to Mum and one to Dad. Grace is sent two copies of the report for the children. She comes to the house to tell them what has been said. She shows them where the reporter has used what they have said to inform the report. She explains what will happen next.
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The report says that Zayne and Mia have been struggling at school. There are real concerns from Mia’s Head Teacher and Zayne’s Guidance Teacher about the children’s wellbeing. The children have told them they don’t always feel safe with Dad. He says Zayne and Mia have each told him in private how worried they are about Toto and that Dad said he would kill him once. He says the children love Dad. Sometimes he is a good Dad but they don’t know when he will be nice and when he will be a bully. They also want Dad to stop saying bad things about Mum.
The report finishes by saying that everyone who has spoken to the children says they believe that the children are frightened of their Dad because sometimes he uses bullying behaviour. Seeing Dad every weekend would be a big worry for them even though they do miss him and love spending time with him when he is not being scary. He also tells the Sheriff that they want Dad to say sorry to Mum and to stop frightening them. This is very important to them. The Court reporter says that these are the views of both Zayne and Mia.
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On the day of the court case the Sheriff thinks carefully about things both Mum and Dad’s lawyers tell her. Grace makes a big promise in court that she is telling the Sheriff only about the children’s point of view – not Mum’s and not Dad’s. The Sheriff listens carefully to the things Grace tells her. The Sheriff reads the Court Reporter’s report and asks some more questions.
The Sheriff decides that Zayne and Mia should not start seeing Dad every weekend again. She says Dad’s behaviour towards Mum, Zayne and Mia has been unacceptable and that the children fear him. She calls it ‘abusive’ behaviour. She says Mum is trying to protect the children from Dad’s behaviour. Dad’s behaviour must change.
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She says that Dad must promise to stop behaving ‘abusively’ towards Mum, Zayne and Mia, and say sorry to the children for making them and Mum afraid. He must always put the feelings and needs of Mia and Zayne first and also pay for an animal welfare report on Toto and send it to her so she can be sure Toto is being treated well. If he won’t agree to all this then he cannot have contact with the children at all. Dad’s lawyers talk this over with him. Dad is very upset, however after some time goes by they tell the Sheriff that he will agree to all of this.
The Sheriff’s report says if Dad keeps his promises he can see Zayne and Mia in the morning or the afternoon every second Saturday in a safe, public place called The Family Centre. Although Mum can’t be there, Dad’s time with the children will be supervised by other adults who understand all about caring for children and young people, and keeping them safe.
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In three months’ time, the reporter says he’ll speak with everyone involved again for an update on how things are going. If the children are still anxious and frightened the Sheriff will want to know why. She will tell the court reporter to ask for an update from everyone every three months for the next year. She will also speak with the children herself and will listen carefully to their views before anything new happens after that. If Dad doesn’t keep his promises, then the Sheriff must be told immediately and all contact will stop.
Later that day Grace helps Mum talk through the Sheriff’s ruling with Zayne and Mia. Mum explains what has been decided. She tells them that the Sheriff believed and understood what they had to say and that she is very proud of them. They have been very brave. Grace says she will continue to meet with them regularly over the next year and that if Dad doesn’t keep to his promises she will be able to raise any problems with the Sheriff on their behalf.
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Zayne and Mia are happy and relieved that Dad has made these promises to the Sheriff. They still have lots of questions though, like “What will we do?”, “Can Toto come too?” and “What happens if one of us doesn’t want to go one Saturday – or if one of us is ill or if I have been invited to my friend’s swim party when it is contact time?” Grace shows them pictures of the Family Centre, which looks nice, and she promises she will find out the answers to their questions.
Zayne and Mia receive a letter each from the Sheriff in the post. In it she explains her decision and what will happen next in writing and language they can understand. She thanks them for helping her come to her decision. She reminds them that Dad has made promises that he must keep. She tells them how they can get in touch with her if they need to. She says if they want to meet her face-to-face to talk about her ruling she will make arrangements for that to happen.
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Before the end of that week Dad writes a letter to Mum, one to Zayne and one to Mia. In it he says he is sorry that they have felt upset and afraid. He says he loves Zayne and Mia and wants to see them because he misses them. He says he will always put Zayne and Mia’s needs first and over the next year will show them that they don’t have anything to feel worried about. He puts three kisses at the bottom of Zayne’s and Mia’s letters.
Over the next few months Mia’s Head Teacher and Zayne’s Guidance teacher continue to have regular chats to them both. Grace keeps coming back to visit too. They tell her that seeing Dad every second Saturday has been ok. The people who work in the Family Centre are welcoming and keep a friendly eye on them. Dad is being nice, so they are enjoying spending time with him again. He brings Toto too and they all play together in the Family Centre’s garden. Mia loves all the toys and arty things there and Zayne and Dad play football or on the Xbox.
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Zayne is glad Mum is happier now. He doesn’t want her to be upset again, so he keeps some things to himself … like sometimes they don’t want to go but don’t feel they have any choice.
After a bit of time has gone by Zayne sometimes sees Dad whispering in Mia’s ear when Dad thinks he is not looking. Mia won’t tell him what Dad has said but sometimes she gets upset afterwards. He has not decided if he will tell the Sheriff at the review about this. Dad isn’t breaking any of his promises. He is glad he has Grace to talk things over with.
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Mum still worries about Dad‘s behaviour getting scary again in the future but she has some good support now and she is happy that Zayne and Mia are being kept safe with this arrangement. She feels confident that the Sheriff will change the arrangements if Dad doesn’t keep the promises he has made.
Dad knows that lots of people are now involved and that he must keep the promises he made to the Sheriff for the next year, or he won’t be allowed to spend every second Saturday with the children.
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So.... What happens next?
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A Summary of Feedback from Children and Young People There were lots of places in the original story where our young consultants could see how adults could do things differently and better. Some of the most important messages have been incorporated into the new story you have just heard… but just to make sure you – as important, powerful adults - have really heard the views of these young experts, we’ll go through some of them again… • Children see what is happening at home – even if they don’t understand it. • The Sheriff needs to know what the children think – it doesn’t matter how old or young the child is. Being given the opportunity to have a say is really important. • Forms are hard: talking face to face, communicating through playing, telling through drawing, building lego, saying what you feel in a video or through a voice recording – all of these (and more) are better ways to hear a child. Sometimes children don’t have all the words they need to tell… • Having POWER doesn’t mean that you know best! • Confidentiality and what was private was never explained by anyone – how can children know who to trust if they don’t know who will be told about what they have said or what they think? • Grace, the children’s support worker, was the most important character for the children and young people we consulted, and they felt she should have been brought into the story as soon as grown-ups knew about Dad being angry. • The children wanted Mum to be allowed to help them too – but she wasn’t (allowed). • Some of the children shared similar experiences to Zayne and Mia about family pets being threatened or hurt. • It’s good to have adults involved who are helping – but not too many – and the children need to know what they are there for. Trust and understanding are the most important things. • The children need to know what is happening. When, why and what is coming next. • The children need to know why decisions have been made – and they need that information either directly or explained through a trusted adult.
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• The children need to know that even though a decision has to be made – it can be unmade again if children do not feel safe. • Some children need extra help to talk about their worries and experiences and that help needs to be available. Cultural differences are important to think about. Some children told us their teachers wouldn’t always understand what they were going through and that they couldn’t reach out to services like Childline because of worries about their wider community finding out. • If the children need to talk to the Sheriff directly (and many children said this would be their first choice) then it is important they know beforehand what questions they will be asked so they can think about things without feeling stressed or scared. • Everything needs to be clearer: language needs to be right for children; visuals need to be used; helpers need to be there to help understanding if needed. • Opening up to someone you already have a relationship with is much better than meeting someone as a one-off. • Children need to be told what the decisions made are, why they have been made and what that means for the child. • Children feel more confident when they know that what they are going through is not their fault and that they are not the only child who is going through such experiences. • Oh – and NONE of the children involved had ever seen or heard of an F9 Form. • And while some of the children felt that their input was unlikely to make much difference because they didn’t believe really important powerful people would really listen to what they were saying – others believed that you would listen – and that – using the power you have - you would make change happen. The children and young people who took part in Power Up Power Down told us many things that – if we listen – might help us transform the systems around court ordered parental contact decision making where domestic abuse is a factor in the lives of children, young people and their mothers. More than anything they said that for them, being powered UP means being listened to and being believed. This is how one little girl put it…
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Credits and Acknowledgements
Power Up Power Down was created with the assistance of children and young people who have lived with the impact of coercive control and domestic abuse. The Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland and Dr Marsha Scott, the Chief Executive of Scottish Women’s Aid, are very grateful to the children and young people who have so generously shared with us their experience, their expertise and their recommendations for change. All power to you. Thanks also to the Women’s Aid Children’s Workers who made this happen for us all: Claire Jolly from East Dunbartonshire Women’s Aid. Ingrid Donnelly, Faye Anderson, and Kristine Boyle from Glasgow Women’s Aid. Sarah Nixon, Rabya Mahmood, Romila Sadasivan and Ashley Thompson from Shakti Women’s Aid. Illustrated by Claire Hubbard: www.emseeitch.com The films were narrated by Tam Dean Burn and produced by Caged Beastie artists Martin Ayres, Michael Begg and Glenda Rome. You can find out more about Caged Beastie at www.cagedbeastie.com This book was designed by Martin Ayres at Caged Beastie.
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Links to Power Up Power Down Videos
The five films that accompany and enhance the information in this Power Up Power Down publication are available at www.cypcs.org.uk/power-up/videos/ The films relate to the Power Up Power Down chapters and we recommend you view them as follows: Film 1: An Introduction to Power Up Power Down (Chapter 1, Page 5) Film 2: A Story of Child Contact (Chapter 2, Page 7) Film 3: What the Children and Young People Thought (Chapter 3, Page 20) Film 4: How Could Things be Different? (Chapter 4, Page 21) Film 5: A Summary of Feedback from Children and Young People (Chapter 5, Page 42)
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