sorry if in the wrong section i couldn't find where to post.

does anyone have any background dealing with social services after a conviction?
able to share your conviction and what restrictions you where given just so i have an idea what  maybe getting into later in time?

i read the smith case link and going from that i should only get restrictions on my devices been able to be looked at or software installed, but I've also read people with non contact conviction have restrictions put on them with a SOPO/SHPO which looking into i will most likely get.

a lot of things i have also read is that the social tend to go off what the courts decide, unless they dont give you any contact restrictions hen the social seem to, then you have to fight for the contact to your own child.

thank you in advance for any information or knowledge.

I have had many dealings with the Social, not just as a result of my conviction, but other issues as well which continue to raise concerns.
Soon as I was hit with my conviction (images) I was limited to having contact with my kids, I would be granted supervised contact with someone social designated. I was allowed telephone contact and assured this would be every 2 weeks but it was complete random most times.
Skip forward 7 years, I have had very little contact with them over the years, the biggest stretch being around 2 - 3 years just before covid hit. Since applying to have my SHPO discharged, I do see them more frequently. Seeing them for the first time after years really took me by surprise how much they had grown.
The social at one point attempted during various meetings (not as a result of my conviction) to accuse me of further offenses of which I was never charged or found guilty or even pleaded guilty to. Just kept stating I was minimizing my conviction. I complained and after finally setting the record straight, they finally stopped including these false accusations in their reporting. Of course, that did not help increase my contact with my kids.

After applying to have my SHPO discharged last year, I have got to see them more frequently but due to some health issues with family member who supervises, contact has been put on hold. Social refuse to give me unsupervised contact despite winning my application to remove the SHPO. I may challenge this at some point though.
I was given a non contact with under 18's, this I would later get lowered to under 16's as it was deemed disproportionate (even though it still is technically) but it did not matter in the end.

I am pleased to read you have read the Smith court case, unfortunately however, regardless of what the offense was. Unless you have a good solicitor, the courts will slap you with everything they can get away with.
Key thing you can argue is that the SHPO must be tailored to the facts of the case, if they have no proof you have / or intended to cause harm to your son then they can not, and should not infringe on yours or your son's rights to family life. However, given the state our justice system is in right now. Do not get your hopes up.

The best thing you can do now, not only for yourself but for your son too. Is to continue to get the help you feel you need, to not give up no matter how hard things might seem. Document everything you can to show what steps you are taking since getting the knock.

this is the issue, I don't care about not been unsupervised around others just my own child, in such a short time I've learnt a lot from myself and a lot to change, that I am actively doing, just only my son and his mum are the only ones who really see this.
i know social is different all over the UK (which shouldn't be the case) but where i am they are really massively different in what they do case to case, it really seems they take the easy ones to determine what they will or not allow and really drag their heels on other more complex cases.
I'm doing what i can and finding more and more what i can do to help, just a waiting game i guess at the moment(as i already really knew)
its just so hard, i really hope the investigation period is harder than after the conviction as i don't think i could do this for that long(however long that is, is to be seen)
thankyou Dan for your reply

Social services can make up their own rules and are not affected by any SHPO, so the Smith ruling is not really applicable. Of course the general principles of article 8, right to family life and proportionality still affect them, any legal decisions would be made through the family courts.

Oh so if i want to change any of their decisions i would have to goto family court to fight them?
Thank you