A Freedom Of Information request has revealed that at least 5,000 children in care in England and Wales, have been separated from their siblings.
The staggering figure was revealed after 50 councils responded to the request. The actual figure, however, is likely to be much higher. There are 125 ‘single tier’ authorities in England and Wales, which all function as billing authorities for Council Tax and local education authorities.
We could not find the Freedom Of Information request (please do let us know if you spot it), however data published by media outlets offer the following insights:
- Nearly 2,500 sibling groups, at least 5,000 children, are currently split up in care;
- In 30 of the 50 councils, more than 50% of sibling groups had been separated;
- In Islington, 73% of their sibling groups are split up;
- In Oxfordshire 68% of their sibling groups are separated;
- 60% of sibling groups are split in Cheshire West and Chester.
The debate over siblings being separated in care is not new. In August 2012, Martin Narey, who is also dubbed The Adoption Tsar and is currently the government’s senior advisor on all things adoption, urged policy makers to end the presumption that siblings should be kept together.
Narey’s reasons for calling on the government to end this presumption were so poor that we broke them down on this blog. Here are some of his views on the subject, which he aired in an interview with online magazine, Children and Young People Now:
“One of the instances where separation of siblings is probably wise, is where a particular child has started to parent a younger child, where they have compensated for the neglect and abuse they have received by a parent, essentially becoming a parent for the younger child.”
Surely the better solution is to support the older child in changing their behaviours towards the younger sibling? This can be done by showing the older sibling that there is someone there to support the younger sibling (the parent or carer), a measure which both prevents the siblings from being traumatised by a separation, and at the same time, allows the older sibling to readjust.
“Sibling groups have to wait on average a year longer to be adopted than individual children, due to a shortage of adopters willing and able to adopt groups of children.”
This doesn’t justify re-traumatising already vulnerable children. If we made our care homes loving, supportive environments for these children, waiting would not be an issue.
And whilst we have politicians and figure heads focusing on profit before child protection, it is likely that this kind of poor policy will continue to dog the system.
The data from this Freedom Of Information request is warmly received, and timely. We hope the government will stop looking at short term solutions and start thinking about the bigger picture.
Martin Narey is nothing but a festering boil on the backside of progress for Justice and reform within the care system and family courts and is desperately in need of squeezing.
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2018/02/09/fostering-stocktake-brings-back-dangerous-ideas-exemption-clause/
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2018/02/07/councils-choice-bin-independent-reviewing-officer-role-says-fostering-stocktake/
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https://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2018/feb/06/fostering-stocktake-review-narey-owers
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Social Services view happy UK families that want nothing to do with them or their services as “the enemy” to be crushed and broken up at all costs!
They split husbands from wives (or partners) ,separate siblings from each other, banish the grandparents,and promote more and more fostering and adoptions every year.
The system feeds on itself ,yes there are huge financial incentives for fostering and adoption agencies and special schools , but the expansion happens irrespective of these as more and more people make a living out of other folk’s misery !Foreign siblings are extra special targets as not only are their phones and laptops confiscated to isolate them from family and friends but they are forbidden to speak their own language even to each other. Only English allowed even if they do not know more than a few words !
All the above is usually quite enough to break the spirit of even the most rebellious children and that gladdens the heart of the child snatchers !
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A small boy in Foster care who had been severed from all contact with his family had been repeatedly asking to see them according to another foster carer. when the social worker was challenged her response was “i dont know where you get your information from but if it didnt come from me then its not true!”.
Proof that the SS are deliberately keeping children away from their birth parents and other family members with lies and deception.
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There can be no valid reason for separating siblings nor for denying immigrant children the right to speak in their mother-tongue – as long as the same children are given every opportunity to become proficient in learning English as a second language. I speak as one who has long enjoyed the ‘music’ of other languages as a teacher of English to students from many countries.
The impersonality of the ‘care-system’ has long been criticised. Above all things, children need love as part of their nurturing. When their birth-parents fail to deliver either or both of these, the state steps in and the child/children suffer. This is the time that support for the family is most urgently needed in order to prevent the breakdown that will necessitate a schism in the family unit.
A complete overhaul of the system is a necessity. It is currently not fit for purpose. This will be costly in terms of money, but such investment in the children, our hope for the future, will surely reward the initial expense.
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“Highest ever number of children in care leaves Wirral services at breaking point:
There are currently more than 800 youngsters being looked after by Wirral Council – a level which the authority has said it has never seen before.”
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/highest-ever-number-children-care-13765192
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Maybe they need to look more closely at their SS staff and they may find a great deal of those 800 children have been stolen with False case files etc.
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Reblogged this on HOLLIE GREIG JUSTICE : SUPPORTING FRESH START @FSFtruthjustice.
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Well naturally all paedophiles strongly support the “SS” and the family court system !
Where else would they get a constant stream of young children sufficient in numbers to satisfy even their perverted needs??
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Pingback: At Least 5,000 Children In Care Have Been Separated From Their Siblings | HOLLIE GREIG JUSTICE : SUPPORTING FRESH START @FSFtruthjustice
Reblogged this on World4Justice : NOW! Lobby Forum..
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Reblogged this on tummum's Blog.
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