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You, your children and social work services
Many women who are abused by their partner fear that their children will be accommodated in care as a result of the abuse and/or if they leave their partner. Abusive men often threaten their partners that this will happen. This is not true. Very few children are accommodated in care without the consent of parents.

Although social workers know that there is a connection between domestic abuse and child abuse, they also know that the best way to protect children is to protect the mother. They are aware that women are good at protecting their children and go to great lengths to do so.

If the police are called to your house because of domestic abuse, and there are children in the household, a referral is made to the Children’s Reporter. In some cases this may lead to the child and parents appearing before a Children’s Hearing or the child being placed on the 'at risk register'. When this happens, a social worker from Children’s Services will become involved to make sure that the children are not being hurt by the abuse (see section 4). They will talk to you about what may need to change for the children to be taken off the register, and help you find support so you are able to protect your children from your partner’s abuse.

For details of sources of help and support see section 12

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