I am currently facing a harrowing situation where my ex-partner is using false allegations. creating constant barriers in my path to move forward. This has deeply impacted my life, causing me stress and immense emotional turmoil. My experience is not unique; many individuals endure similar struggles, particularly in domestic abuse cases where co-parenting is involved.

Social services often assess future risk to harm based solely on allegations, which can be flawed and misleading. In cases of domestic abuse, especially when involving children, these flawed assessments can result in unjust decisions that prevent a parent from moving on with their life and their children from receiving stability.

The government's role is to protect families and children, not to perpetuate suffering through misjudgments. Yet, the current system inadvertently enables continued harassment by unjustly placing more weight on potential future risks rather than actual evidence-based circumstances.

We urgently need mandatory training for social services in recognizing and addressing post-separation abuse, controlling, or coercive behaviour. Every social services professional should be versed in understanding the nuanced dynamics of post-separation abuse. With the right training, assessments can become more just and reflective of actual situations, reducing undue stress on individuals wrongly accused.

Statistics from Women's Aid and Refuge highlight the prevalence and complexity of domestic abuse, especially after separation, emphasizing the need for informed assessments and properly trained professionals.

We call on policymakers to institute rigorous training programs for social services employees, implementing evidence-based evaluations in co-parenting cases stemming from domestic abuse. By refining these assessments, we can foster a system that truly protects and supports victims rather than punishing them based on potentially misleading or false allegations.

Sign this petition to demand changes that will ensure fairness and justice within social services, to protect those of us who are genuinely suffering from manipulation and false claims.