Parenting Support - Frequently Asked Questions
Parenting orders
Below are some of the frequently asked questions relating to parenting orders:
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A parenting order can be given to the parent or carer/guardian of any young person who has offended and made subject to an order of the court.
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This depends on your individual needs. It may be that you are offered information about other agencies which can assist you. Alternatively, you may have the assistance of the practitioner for only two sessions or you may receive support over a number of weeks or months.
Any decisions about reducing or extending the level of intervention will be discussed between yourself and the youth offending service practitioner.
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If the parent or guardian fails to comply with any of the requirements outlined by the Magistrates, the youth offending service practitioner will attempt to find out the reasons why these requirements have not been met.
It is the duty of the practitioner to inform the police of any 'non-compliance' with the parenting order. The police can choose to prosecute the parent or guardian and a hearing will take place in the adult Magistrates Court.
The Magistrates are able to impose a fine of up to £1000 for non-compliance with a parenting order alongside other orders or a community sentence, e.g. community rehabilitation order (formally a probation order).
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The plan is to reach your targets within the duration of your child's order. Where possible we seek to help you find support services outside our service when your child's involvement with us ends.
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You will be offered an opportunity to share your concerns with youth offending service practitioners. If appropriate, you may complete an assessment with a youth offending service practitioner. This will help us to identify the most effective way of helping you.
You may have concerns about your child, their offending or their possible drug and alcohol use or just want to learn more. If this is the case you can ask your child's youth offending service worker to put in a referral for you or, you can contact us directly.
In some cases the courts may use a parenting order as a direct result of young persons offending. This would result in an automatic referral and one of our team will contact you within 5 working days.
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Your youth offending service worker will meet with you discuss your situation and the support best suited to you.
Together you will agree a support plan to suit your individual needs. This will include things like the type of support, how often and for how long it will last.
It might be that you and the youth offending service practitioner identify other areas that need support and a more thorough assessment may be needed.