Right to see half siblings UK

[ashb58]

Hi.

I have have a friend who is about to turn 16. She lives with her mum currently due to her Dad being abusive (nothing filed due to other reasons, however not the discussion I need help with). She has two half brothers that live with her Dad and step-mum who she used to live with until they both kicked her out/disowned her. Both her half siblings are twin brothers with downs syndrome who she had to frequently looks after for the time she I'd live with her Dad and step-mum, meaning she was very close to them. When she had to move back to her mum she no longer got to see them which hurt her quite a lot. I heard something about a right to be able to see siblings. However she obviously doesn't want to see her Dad and step mum. Is there anything that allows visitation rights with a social worker or something of the sorts that doesn't mean she has to see her Dad and step-mum?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Ash

[nemesis45]

Re: Right to see half siblings UK

Hi.

I have have a friend who is about to turn 16. She lives with her mum currently due to her Dad being abusive (nothing filed due to other reasons, however not the discussion I need help with). She has two half brothers that live with her Dad and step-mum who she used to live with until they both kicked her out/disowned her. Both her half siblings are twin brothers with downs syndrome who she had to frequently looks after for the time she I'd live with her Dad and step-mum, meaning she was very close to them. When she had to move back to her mum she no longer got to see them which hurt her quite a lot. I heard something about a right to be able to see siblings. However she obviously doesn't want to see her Dad and step mum. Is there anything that allows visitation rights with a social worker or something of the sorts that doesn't mean she has to see her Dad and step-mum?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Ash

Hello Ash,Welcome,

A difficult situation all round and one my family has found itself in I'm sorry to say and we found it was not until then children
had reach 18 this year that we were able to communicate with a grandson and half brothers and cousins have at last been able to make contact.

With the brothers have Downs adds a further difficulty emotionally for all parties as it did with us as our grandson was diagnosed as being autistic and his mother cut all contact with us and our son.
Rights I think should not play apart in this, make tentative contact yes but not pushing too hard worked for us.

I 'm sure you will receive further help and advice as others become available.

nem

[ashb58]

Re: Right to see half siblings UK

Ok thanks for the advice. Sadly tentative contact with the twins parents isn't an option due to what has previously been explained. I'll see if anyone else has any advice too ��
Thanks

[MissFM]

Re: Right to see half siblings UK

I absolutely agree with Nemesis above - it's a really difficult area with not a lot of support from "the law" in any direction. The only directives or case law I can find concerns children in the care of the local authority and even that is unclear in application; although the intention (the principle) is there - ie that the half siblings have a Human Right to maintain that uniquely special relationship where there is no specific danger.

The only helpful suggestion I can think of at this point (I will, though, be dwelling on this and looking for answers) is that the twins, having Down Syndrome, will be on some sort of Local Authority radar as having special needs and will therefore have extra resources and support assigned to them, even if it's just the attention of a Learning Disability team within Social Services.

They also will be missing their big sister - I would think very greatly - so my suggestion is that your friend might contact the team assigned to her little brothers and ask for help and advice to organize ongoing contact between the siblings in a way that is acceptable to the parents. It is a huge deprivation to the boys, too, if they are forced to grow up without knowing their big sister.

I don't personally think the blunt instrument of the law would be of great help here - as Nemesis says, softly softly catchee monkee.

If your friend can afford - or has access to Pro Bono - specialist legal advice that would be a route that I would follow in her shoes.

I wish her luck and am glad she has a friend like you to support her through this heartbreaking time. I wish her all the luck going x :hug:

[nemesis45]

Re: Right to see half siblings UK

Ok thanks for the advice. Sadly tentative contact with the twins parents isn't an option due to what has previously been explained. I'll see if anyone else has any advice too ��
Thanks

I wish you every success!!

[leclerc]

Re: Right to see half siblings UK

I actually disagree with you because the issue of contact with half siblings is still something that the courts can look into. The issue is that she is a minor and for her to have contact with her half siblings would require more formal legal action to get that. When I first saw the headline I thought this might be an adoption type thread which it is not.

The 16 year old needs to discuss this with her mother because 2 years down the line could be long enough for the relationship to be difficult to re establish. I think that if the mother is happy for this to happen then the issue must be to keep everyone in a safe environment and perhaps on neutral ground. Legal advice is an absolute must though to be honest.

There are very few cases where a step sibling asks for contact when a minor but only a qualified professional would really be able to advise on the pro's and cons of doing this.

[MissFM]

Re: Right to see half siblings UK

Where specifically is the disagreement please, leclerc? :confused2:

[MissFM]

Re: Right to see half siblings UK

As a matter of interest, Ashb, how old are the twins?

[MissFM]

Re: Right to see half siblings UK

Another couple of thoughts:

https://www.nyas.net/legal-services The National Youth Advocacy Service would be well worth contacting. If your friend does decide to follow the legal route then, as [MENTION=8640]leclerc[/MENTION] has said above, she will need expert advice and guidance. Anyone other than a parent needs to first ask the Court's permission to apply for a Contact Order and qualified legal advice is definitely recommended throughout the process. The criteria for the Court granting permission would centre around the best interests of the children concerned.

My other thought was - are they any grandparents or uncles/aunts that would facilitated contact on neutral ground (avoiding any further rift with the father and stepmother)?

The NYAS also has a helpline: https://www.nyas.net/helpline

[ashb58]

Re: Right to see half siblings UK

Thanks MissFM, the idea of contacting the team involved with the twins is a god idea and one to definitely look in to. Also the idea of family in neutral ground is s good idea as she is still close to her grandma on her Dads side, so that could also be s possibility. They are 2 years old as of last July but still easily recognise their big sis when shown pictures.

Thanks so so much for the help everyone