Ask Sam letter

Hi there

Thanks for your letter.

It sounds like having to see dad when you really don’t want to is really upsetting you.  I can hear that this is making other things difficult for you too, like school and eating and sleeping.  It's important that no-one is forcing you to do something that is not in your best interests.

I'm not a legal expert, so I'm not sure how easy it would be for you to get the social workers to change their decision about you seeing your dad. How would you feel about starting by writing the social workers a letter letting them know how you are feeling? They should be there for you and listening to what you have to say about your life.

A website that you might find useful is Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS).  This organisation is separate from social services and they might be able to give you some advice about your situation. You might also want to look at the Children's Legal Centre website. Maybe a trusted adult can help you look through all the things that are written there for some ideas about what you might be able to do.

Thanks for being brave enough to write to me – and remember that there are people out there who can help you! You don’t have to go through this all on your own.

If you would like to talk about this a bit more or if you have any questions, you can always call and speak to a ChildLine counsellor on 0800 1111 (calls are free). They would talk to you about your feelings and help you to work things out.

Take care,

Sam