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Researching Reform

Researching Reform

Daily Archives: September 12, 2017

Interesting Child Welfare Questions In The House Of Commons

12 Tuesday Sep 2017

Posted by Natasha in Domestic Violence, Researching Reform

≈ 15 Comments

Some thought provoking questions about child protection and perjury were asked yesterday in the Commons. They came in the form of written questions, which were put to the Ministry Of Justice (MOJ).

The Conservatives have clearly got a bee in their bonnet about lying in the Family Courts this week. Two ministers broached the subject, each from a slightly different standpoint.

Hugo Swire MP asked the Ministry Of Justice how many cases brought before the family courts have been found to be based on false allegations over the last 10 years. Answering on behalf of the MOJ, Dominic Raab, who is the current Minister of State for Justice, confirmed that this kind of information was not held centrally.

With so much box ticking and form filling taking place within local and central government these days, you’d think these departments would store important information like this. Good record keeping is one of our big bug bears, but that’s another post for another day.

The second question on the topic of lying in court was sent in by Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who asked the MOJ how many people had been prosecuted for perjury in the family court since 2007, by gender. Once again, Raab is unable to offer an answer, citing unreasonable costs as a barrier to accessing this data.

It’s no coincidence that two, Conservative MPs have raised the subject of lying in family court at the same time, both asking for a ten year breakdown. The reference to gender, though apparently balanced, could be read as a hostile declaration of intent towards mothers, by two male MPs.

It’s likely that Families Need Fathers (FNF) have been busy lobbying Hugo and Andrew, as the Fathers’ Rights Group has strong links to the Conservative party.

You’ll also find Hugo’s signature on an FNF backed 2004 Early Day Motion calling for a presumption of shared parenting, which Fathers’ Rights Groups have been trying to force through for years. They are also notorious for alleging that women are the main perpetrators of dishonesty within custody disputes.

The last question moves away from perjury and looks at domestic violence. It comes from Plaid Cymru Westminster Leader Liz Saville-Roberts, whose impressive list of roles include  shadow spokesperson for Justice, Women and Equalities and Home Affairs.

Liz asks the MOJ whether the family courts take a child’s witnessing of domestic violence into consideration when making directions in child contact proceedings. Dominic answers with this information:

“The welfare of the child is the court’s paramount concern when making any decision about their upbringing, including with whom the child is to live or spend time. In all cases where a parent applies to the family court for a child arrangements order, the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) in England and Cafcass Cymru in Wales undertake safeguarding checks with the police and relevant local authority children’s services. Relevant information about risk, including from domestic abuse, is reported to the court in writing prior to the first hearing to inform safe decision-making.

In determining the child’s welfare needs the court will apply the factors set out in the ‘welfare checklist’ in the Children Act 1989. One of those factors concerns any harm the child has suffered or is at risk of suffering, which would include any harm from witnessing domestic abuse.”

Whilst it might seem like a simple question, it is anything but. The harm children experience witnessing domestic violence has up until recently not been factored into care proceedings in any meaningful way, with past court policy being very much that seeing violence is less detrimental than experiencing it first hand. (This is an area we are passionate about and have written on often. If you would like to see the latest findings, we have some available on our website.)

Liz’s question is important. As emerging research is now confirming, children who witness domestic violence are very badly affected by it, and this phenomenon needs to be more widely acknowledged and addressed in court proceedings. (Even if Dominic believes it is a foregone conclusion within the system).

Regardless of incentive or motivation for questions about child welfare, we are glad that ministers are talking about these issues. Those of us who began campaigning ten years ago will remember the silence surrounding child welfare – one minister even told us at the start of our journey, “Don’t go there – you won’t get one politician to talk about what is essentially a taboo.”

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Callous Council Ignored Mother As It Played God With Vulnerable Children’s Support

12 Tuesday Sep 2017

Posted by Natasha in Researching Reform, social services, social work

≈ 4 Comments

A local authority has been heavily criticised by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) for refusing to engage the mother in a review of her vulnerable children’s care packages. The support Packages were subsequently reduced, despite there being no just cause for their reduction.

The following is a list of breaches by the London Borough Of Lewisham:

  • Refusing to involve the mother in the reviews of her children’s care packages
  • Reducing those care packages without telling the mother why
  • Reducing the care packages despite there being no change in the children’s needs
  • Undue delay in dealing with the mother’s complaint, spanning many months
  • Taking a further 8 months to deal with the complaint after the Ombudsman’s intervention

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s role is to remedy injustice and improve social care services through shared learning.

The LGO has told the council to apologise to the mother, pay her damages of £550 and modify the care packages. The Ombudsman also recommended that Lewisham council should “improve its Care Panel decision-making process and review its procedures for identifying and dealing with complaints involving children and young people to ensure it meets its statutory duties.”

If you would like to complain to the Ombudsman about your case, you can find more information here. 

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Important Events For, And About, Care Leavers

12 Tuesday Sep 2017

Posted by Natasha in event, Researching Reform

≈ 2 Comments

There are several conferences and events taking place over the Autumn to give care leavers a voice, so we’re sharing them with you.

The Care Leavers’ Association is holding a conference and its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 18th November. If you’d like to get involved, you can reach them here.

The CLA is also hosting an event called, “Between Care and the Criminal Justice System: setting the agenda for the next decade.” The event takes place on 27th November. If you’d like to attend, you can contact darren.coyne@careleavers.com

Finally, The Child Care History Network has sent out a call for care leavers who would like to share their experiences of being in a children’s home, during a conference they are holding on 1st November. You can find out more about the event and what sharing your experience entails here. For more information, contact Darren at darren.coyne@careleavers.com.

Many thanks to Dana for alerting us to these events.

acaciawall

 

 

 

 

 

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