Social Services Core meetings are just a review of the progress that is being made regarding your case. Very simple, however they can be used as a means for you to put any concerns or worries you have to key workers and your Social Services manager.

Once again note the following advice, which may help you understand the reasoning behind Social Services core meetings, even if they are just an excuse for the gathering of your views and ideas.

1) Remember to think of yourself and your family as goldfish swimming in a bowl. The Social Services only have insight to your world from the outside. If you choose to let them see more, that should only be at the offer of titbits, like the easing of restrictions against you and yours, in writing.

2) The core meetings are another way for the Social Services to dig for gold, hoping to find a little nugget of information they can use to increase their salary.

3) Like all life, the Social Services get paid by performance, what exactly that means is down to budgets and funding issues, not what the wider perception is of value for money and protecting the vulnerable in our society.

4) Core meetings will only work as they are intended to if the group actually achieve something. Issues raised by you should be dealt with by caring professionals, however the response you get will be proportional to the information Social Services glean from you, never forget; SS workers are only interested in filling their bowl of the justice scales, with the debris of your life.

5) Social Services Core meetings should be held every six weeks. See the complaints section if this is not happening.

6) Meetings are normally kept to immediate family and key workers, usually social workers and parents, however other professionals like probation workers may be involved at first.

7) Discussions regarding assessments and reports, meetings to be arranged and the like are all part of core meetings, keep your answers short and to the point, never expand on your answers.

8) Always make sure you write everything down, said at core meetings and get an Social Services worker to sign for every sheet. If they do not like it, point out that you would like to make sure your answers are recorded accurately and you are within your rights. If they say you are being obstructive, put in a complaint. Unless they would prefer you to bring in a tape recorder, which they will not agree to anyway.

9) The writing down of everything will get home the point to the Social Services that you will not stand idly by and see them take your whole future and bury it in political cement. Whenever possible get a friend or solicitor to go with you, even if they say it is confidential you still can bring who you wish.

10) If in doubt, ask your solicitor, they get paid enough. Remember these people are not your friends and the first chance they get to nail your hide to the wall, they will.