Regulations that came into effect on 1st April, under the Children and Social Work Act (CSWA) 2017, aim to clarify the role of councils as corporate parents of looked after children and young people leaving care. They also place added responsibilities on councils to ensure that these children are properly looked after, which is an important development for families going through the child protection system who feel their children are not being cared for the way they should be.
The newly implemented CSWA regulations require local authorities to bear in mind the seven principles of corporate parenting whilst carrying out their roles in relation to looked after children and care leavers. This duty applies where the local authority is, or was, the local authority looking after the child.
The principles state that a local authority must:
- Act in the best interests, and promote the physical and mental health and wellbeing, of those children and young people
- Encourage those children and young people to express their views, wishes and feelings
- Take into account the views, wishes and feelings of those children and young people
- Help those children and young people gain access to, and make the best use of, services provided by the local authority and its relevant partners
- Promote high aspirations, and seek to secure the best outcomes, for those children and young people
- Promote safety and stability in those children’s home lives, relationships and education or work
- Prepare those children and young people for adulthood and independent living
Greater support for those leaving care also has to be provided. Local authorities now have to carry out an assessment of the needs of care leavers and put together a plan to provide assistance and services to meet those needs. Care leavers must also be given a personal advisor up until they reach the age of 25, if they ask for one. The local authority will also have to publish information on the services they offer which they think might be helpful to care leavers.
Whilst these principles are not new, they will now cover a broad range of areas, not just social care and education, and will apply equally to housing, libraries, leisure, recreation, taxation and any other areas that impact on children and care leavers.
We would encourage families, litigants in person and McKenzies to read the accompanying statutory guidance, even though it is written for councils. It offers a lot of useful information about the duties and responsibilities councils must take on, and provides a useful basis upon which to measure whether a council has fulfilled their duties towards your child.
“Corporate” parenting. Eugh.
Wishing you all a good weekend.
Researching Reform 
Here are 4 examples of the deliberately wooly vague and unenforceable principles proposed by thoughtless bureaucrats !!
The principles state that a local authority must:
1.Act in the best interests, and promote the physical and mental health and wellbeing, of those children and young people
BUT WHO DECIDES THE BEST INTERESTS,???
2.Encourage those children and young people to express their views, wishes and feelings
BUT WHO DECIDES TO GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT,????
3.Take into account the views, wishes and feelings of those children and young people
BUT THEN IGNORING THEM IF THEY DON’T SUIT THE “SS”…….
4.Help those children and young people gain access to, and make the best use of, services provided by the local authority and its relevant partners
But not helping them escape prostitution when they ask for help?
I suggest instead:-
1:-Allow them unsupervised contact with non criminal parents.
2:- Allow children to keep their mobile phones and laptops/tablets
3:-Allow foreign children to speak their own language
4:- Allow children in care to discuss anything they like with parents . Above all they must be encouraged to report any abuse they claim to have suffered in care and the police should take statements from parents or children if they request it;.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Encourage those children and young people to express their views, wishes and feelings.
Take into account the views, wishes and feelings of those children and young people”.
these areas will be of particular dislike to LAs as they dont want the wishes and feelings of children being expressed especially after parents have been cut off from any contact.
they will use any excuse to get out of this.one of the classics is “asking the child too many questions is bordering on psychological abuse so we cant do it”.
LikeLike
Much easier is simply to report only the answers the “SS” want to hear;
For example always report that children do not wish to see their parents (or grandparents) no matter how often the kids are actually begging for contact with them !!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Correct Ian,
the only way to stop this is to make it compulsory that LAs must allow independent Advocates access to children on the request of parents etc.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on World4Justice : NOW! Lobby Forum..
LikeLike
Maybe Natasha could put this forward as a recommendation to the Govt.
Independent Advocates must be allowed to go to the childs school and ask them first hand if they would like to talk about their parents or other family members.
Left to LAs they would simply say the child does not want to speak to anyone.and the Advocate would be brushed off. they Must be allowed to ask the child themselves with no LA interference.
LikeLike
Thanks DM. Not a fan of advocates or social workers turning up at children’s schools.
LikeLike
Natasha i have to strongly disagree as this is the only way for parents to obtain their childs true wishes and feelings. while the LA have complete control its all kept secret and the Abuse continues. outsiders must be allowed to get to the child and report their findings.
shurely you must see my point.
LikeLike
Sorry D, don’t agree. Children find this policy deeply embarrassing. They are my priority. Meetings can take place somewhere else that’s neutral.
LikeLike
Maybe a simpler way would simply be to allow parents to record the children’s views at contact !
FREE SPEECH is ruthlessly suppressed at present during contact sessions and so are photographs ,films,and recordings .
All these should not only be allowed but should also be encouraged !
LikeLike
Correct, but it wont be allowed while LAs are calling all the shots.
when they unlawfully sever contact with Lies they have to keep that a secret and they are very good at it.
LikeLike
Ok so where would the meeting take place if not at the school ?
as long as there is no LA manipulation thats fine.
the placement would not be a good idea especially if the carer does not have a good working relationship with the parents.
LA contact centre should be ruled out as they can use tricks to stop the meeting.
what would you suggest ?
LikeLike
Somewhere the child feels comfortable. If very small, another neutral place acknowledged as such by all parties.
LikeLike
This is a strong point for freeing children & parents of unlawful LA chains. it must be pushed forward as soon as possible.
LikeLike
Natasha.
when you say “Children find this policy deeply embarrassing”.
can i ask how you came to that conclusion.which bodies did that data come from ?
LikeLike
You can find feedback in articles, surveys and I’m also adding my ten years of assisting children and families to the evidence. I’ve also blogged about it before, so do look at the site.
LikeLike
Looking back to when i was 7 8 9 10 yrs old, if i had been kept away from my parents then someone came into my school asking if would like to talk about my parents i would have jumped at the chance. Embarrassment would have been the last thing on my mind and i would think many thousands of children in the same situation would feel the same.
LikeLike
Why complicate something so simple? Let kids in care have mobile phones so they can speak to their parents whenever they want . Contact centres would also be fine provided UK law authorised unrestricted free speech .
LikeLiked by 1 person
This must also include children on a SGO as schools are telling parents that only the special guardian can request this.
LikeLike
Dr Manhattan, all children are born innocent little souls and trusting now imagine being dragged away from the parents or family you love and you are all alone with strangers and being told lies like your family do not want you any more, you are now living with strangers and told more lies with no bedtime story’s hugs you are are all alone and start to speak out, it is imposable as we go back in time kids to be seen and not heard, and boy have i witnessed it, kids in care have no doors to open, no disrespects to different cultures many white kids are put with foster carers from all different cultures, same with Muslims etc., try asking kids in care why don’t you call your family from a telephone box and reverse the charge, no they are to scared, as for the schools they work along side the social workers they have to, the police is a no go as i said there are no doors to open not even for the families most get gagged if they speak out, the world needs to end and start again with justice for children.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maggie i agree with most what you said except the World doesnt need to end and start again, it just needs a new leader to make it a fare world for everyone but im afraid that would need to come from an advanced intelligence outside this world who cant be dictated to by our leaders.
LikeLike
The USA also has a corrupt child care system but at least it has a constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech.We should have the same freedoms in the UK for children in care and their parents.
LikeLike
Yes and the USA also jail Social workers who falsify case files and Lie on Oath. one SW was jailed for 5yrs.
LikeLike
Dr Manhattan you and Natasha would be great to lead a new law for the children and give the kids a voice
LikeLike
We can Dream!. the reality is quite different.
LikeLike
Article 19. United Nations Declaration of human rights signed by the UK ;
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers..
Surely it must be illegal to forbid parents and children at contact discuss “coming home “,” abuse in care and” “their legal case”, and also illegal to stop foreign children and parents conversing in their own language?
Will any parents suffering under such illegalities have the guts to report social worker lawbreakers to the police
LikeLike
Ian
its not a case of having the Guts.
the Police wont get involved with complaints against Social services or LA in their City.it seems to be a No Go area for them. instead they always advise people to make a Complaint to the Council.
LikeLike
Ian as we both know god knows how many parents have been to the police its a closed door , i know and hear so much, i was robbed of nearly half a million pound and the bloody fraudster Leslie Lesser did a deal with the judge so what does that tell you it is as i always say SO KID HAS A VOICE IN CARE
LikeLike
Mostly parents who go to the police report injuries which are ignored or passed off as accidental and MPs say they cannot deal in particular cases.
The flouting of the UN convention on human rights is general and MPs might be found to take the matter up if handed copies of the contract forbidding free conversation between children and parents at contact.Going to the houses of MPs and councillors,and raising the illegality in family courts, They must protest NOTabout children snatched but about free speech and the UN conventionand that will eventually have some effect.
LikeLike
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/children-in-care-residential-homes-missing-paedophiles-drugs-gangs-adoption-a8340006.html
THE KIDS CAN BE IN CARE NEXT DOOR TO THEIR FAMILIES BUT THEY STILL WILL NOT HAVE A VOICE
LikeLike