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The National Youth Agency
Size of children's homes
Can you provide information for these students
from Belgium?
Help for a job?
Help for another job?
Web site by young people in care
Sexual Abuse by my father
Gus Greene
Season of Lunacy
Our next door neighbour is a paedophile
Gay Adoption
Social worker committed perjury
Nasty Neighbour problem
Can you help with my MA?
Dear
Editor
An offer I hope
your readers will consider.....
The National
Youth Agency publishes Volunteer Action once a year, with a distribution
of over 100,000. While called Volunteer Action, it really covers all
to do with youth action and children and young people's participation.
It covers children and young people's groups and projects from across
the UK. Below is the brief from the editor, Carolyn Oldfield. Most
articles are written by children and young people themselves and are
between 250-400 words long. Some are written with the help of the
adult workers. You can go to our website www.nya.org.uk and check
out the 2002 one if you like. (it's a big file, so takes a while to
open.)
If you are interested,
then you can email Carolyn by 28 February - sooner the better - carolyno@nya.org.uk,
expressing interest and giving a couple of lines about the nature
of the project. Carolyn will then be getting back to those of you
she will commission article from. This will be based on overall shape
of the journal, getting a wide range etc.
I hope to see
your work in there!
With best wishes
Bill
Bill
Badham
Development Officer
National Youth Agency
0116 285 3742
mailto:billb@nya.org.uk
Dear
Editor
Size of
children's homes type of input is also significant.
I found
this and all the articles on the size of children's homes interesting,
but though outcome is of paramount importance, it is disappointing
that so few studies have managed to come to any authoritative
conclusions about the most efficacious size for children's homes.
In my view this may be because the type of input, - i.e. the
rationale of the methods used by different children's homes to
meet the particular needs of the young people they admit - is
not being considered carefully enough, although I thought the
Dartington research project concerning the Caldecott Community
made some attempt to do this.
I am of the view that, their is no optimum size for a children's
home - each resource should be needs led - although I believe
given the current quite valid expectations of care make any number
over 10 unviable.
Charles Sharpe, Trainer and Consultant in Residential Child
Care.
ANTWERPEN
Dear
Editor
We are
second year students in Orthopedagogie at the Plantijnhogeschool.
Our teachers want us to make our own study trip abroad for the
academic year 2002-2003.
We are with seven students and our choice was to visit Oxford.
We think this is a very interesting city with a lot to offer!
Now, we
have a few tasks to fulfil and we want you to ask for help, if
possible.
- During
the trip we have to visit a high school, which also has the discipline
we follow.( orthopedagogie, social care work). Could you help
us to find some addresses?
- We also
have to make contact with institutions for persons with a handicap
or an other disability, an institution for children,&
- We have
to find the policy paper concerning the social care work, the
policy about drug, handicap,& This, we find a hard task and
its rather urgent, because we have tot deliver these to the teacher
on the 20th of December. We would like to get these as soon as
possible.
We hope
you can help us out!
With thanks
and hope of any reaction,&
Greetings
Nele,
Marijke, Kathleen, Kristien, Lieve, Caroline en Katrien
Contactadresses
:
katrienemientjen@hotmail.com
or
reisje2004@hotmail.com
Dear
Editor
Hi, I
am a post-graduate Christian woman in Hove, Brighton, East Sussex,
with a natural rapport with children and teens. I am at present
seeking work which would 'fit in' with my daughter's school times
as I am also a lone parent. Ideally I would enjoy a varied role
as my work experience is quite vast, but I do need to be home
for my daughters return from school as she is still only 11 yrs
old. Can anyone out there help?
Sincerely
Ms
S Freeman
- click here to send an e-mail
to Ms Freeman
Dear
Editor
My name
is Melanie Lewkowicz, i am from Sydney Australia, and i will
be
arriving in London on the 9th January, Thursday 2003, on a two
year working
holiday visa.
I have completed a Four Year Health Science Degree, in Rehabilitation
Counselling. Very similar to Social Work/ Occupational Therapy/
Psychology.
The official degree is called; Bachelor Health Science in Rehabilitation
Counselling. I completed this degree at Sydney University / Health
Sciences
Cumberland Campus over a four year full-time period. I have extensive
experience in working with children, as i have worked in child
care before,
before and after school care at schools and working on holiday
camps with
children for up to 6 weeks each school holiday period. In my
tertiary
experience, i have been exposed to a wide variety of clientele,
during my
practical work experience at university, over the 4 year period.
Children
being part of that group, young-middle age and older people too.
I have
developed excellent communication skills as part of this experience.
I am
very well organised, and i have great time management skills.
I am a
motivated, mature-minded individual, who works well independantly
and in a
team environment. I am a responsible, enthusiastic, empathic,
focused,
hard-working person, who is looking to work in a contract/permenant
position.
Please do not hesitate to contact me via email, as i look foward
in hearing
from you. Hopefully a reader will be able to assist me in obtaining
work in
London.
Thankyou,
Kind Regards,
Melanie Lewkowicz.
If
you can help, e-mail Melanie here
and we will pass the replies on to her - Editor
Dear
Editor,
I feel
that a large number of your readers would be interested in hearing
about a website written by young people in care. The website
was written as
a means for them offer information that's based on their experiences
of
foster care. They wanted to say the sort of things they would
say if they
had a friend who was thinking about taking up fostering a young
person. The
site has been published in Nottinghamshire's local fostering
magazine and
has had a very positive response from professionals and carers
alike.
The contents
of the site are unedited and written entirely by the Group
(apart from one of the poems they wanted included and the social
worker
humour). What they've written would challenge any stereotypic
view of young
people in the care system, it's warm, honest and full of very
individual
insights.
I might
be biased because I was there when they were writing the site
-
however judging by the response of others it is both surprising
and
informative. It's important that this gets read by as many people
as
possible. The more feedback we get the easier it will be push
for more
opportunities for young people to be involved in seeking and
training future
carers. I've put the address below if anyone is interested.
http://www.nottscc.gov.uk/socialservices/fostering/listen4achange/index.htm
Thanks
Ruth Mercer.
Support Worker
Nottinghamshire Social Services.
Dear
Editor
As I'm
a victim of 10 years of sexual abuse by my father, the information
in the TV programme was not too surprising to me and did not
go far enough. I would like to see follow up programmes looking
at:
1) how and what makes a paedophile and the system of treatment
of them.
2)how to teach your children to protect themselves
3) why paedophilia is so taboo
4) the damage of a lost childhood and if you dare, accounts of
the silence being broken.
I have
only recently broken my silence to protect my daughter and even
though my father confessed, only 2 of my close family supported
me out of 30. They support my father and I know of 1 other victim
and suspect 1 more within my family he has abused but they are
too afraid to speak out.
Name
and e-mail address supplied
Dear
Editor
Gus Greene Column - Children's Home
Thanks for a great article with the real meaning of Christmas
in it.
Jill M
Dear
Editor
In this season of goodwill, the lunacy has started already. I
took my grandchildren to our local swimming pool in Leeds and
proudly took a video of their early swimming efforts. I was approached
immediately by an attendant who informed me that this was not
permissible in case the film "got into the wrong hands."
Then, a school in Luton had the crazy idea of stopping parents
taking photographs of their children in their nativity play "in
case the photographs were used by paedophiles." This surely
left all sane-thinking people in the country shaking their heads
in sorrow for the probably warped minds of that school's governors.
Now today, Edinburgh City Council have announced that no parents
will be allowed to take photographs of their children in nativity
plays or any school functions "in case the pictures are
used by paedophiles."
Has the world gone stark raving mad? A nativity play SEXUAL?
I honestly wonder at the sexual persuasion of the people who
bring out these rules. If paedophiles want to get photographs
of children, they are readily available in newspapers, television,
magazines, mail order catalogues, the internet, advertising hoardings
etc etc etc.
Any adult who really thinks that a nativity play could be sexually
exciting should seek medical help.
Diane S.
16 December 2002
Dear
Diane
Thanks for your e-mail. We are now pleased to see that, following
the threat of legal action by some parents in Edinburgh, the
council have reversed their ruling over photographs and videos.
Editor - 18 December 2002
Dear
Sir,
I am writing in the hope you may be able to advise on any precautionary,
legal or other information / advice regarding the above.
My wife and I have recently been reliably informed that our next
door neighbour, married with 2 young children is a convicted
paedophile. This selfishly or not has rocked us significantly.
I have 3 young daughters of whom this man has had regular verbal
contact.
The home they are living in is a council home, where they have
lived for some years.
Can I in anyway object to having a convicted paedophile living
next door to me? I own my home and was unaware of our neighbours
history, if I had known I would have not have bought this house.
I am strongly considering selling up & moving, but feel I
should not have to and doubt any body else would want it, as
I would inform them.
This will im sure sound very narrow minded and selfish, however
the thought of this man watching from his upstairs windows into
our garden in summer months for example, distresses me greatly
be it the case or not.
As yet I have not bumped into him in the street, but when I do
I am sure I will let him know my feelings and where he stands
in relation of contact with my family.
I am however concerned of the implications of this, be it verbal
confrontation or physical.
Do I have any legal grounds to pursue this matter further or
am I always going to have to ensure our children are covered
whilst playing in our garden and accompanied whilst out the front
of our home?
I have read other advice letters and understand the need to re-habilitate,
and keep tabs on these people, be they non active or still high
risk. But until it is on your doorstep its easy to agree with
such humane and understanding values.
I would appreciate any advice you may have.
Yours sincerely
Mr JM
Dear
Editor
I agree with the christian association (November isue) who brought
out the card to say that homosexuals shouldn't adopt children.
It's not natural.
Robert G
e-mail address supplied
Dear
Editor,
I can prove that a social worker lied through a court, that a
care order had
no truth and that the social worker involved also committed the
act of
perjury. Please advise.
Name and email address supplied.
Dear
Reader,
In raising this matter, you are obviously aware of its seriousness.
From the social worker's point of view, it is serious because
if the allegation is followed up, s/he could well be subject
to disciplinary action, and his/her career could come to an end.
It is serious from the point of view of the child and his/her
family because an unjust decision may have been made by the court,
and suffering could have been caused.
If you are one of the people involved and you want to take action,
you will need to consult a solicitor, who will be able to advise
on the best course of action, and who will be able to comment
on the strength of your evidence in proving perjury.
However, first, the most important question is what you personally
want to get out of such action, and it is worth talking this
over with someone whose judgement and advice you trust. Do you
want a court decision changed? Do you want to take action against
the social worker in case they behave the same way with someone
else? Do you simply want to tell people how angry you are about
the situation? The best action will depend on what you really
want to achieve. Changing a court decision, for example, will
take clear thinking, the presentation of evidence and level-headed
arguments, and being angry will not help your case.
Solicitors will often give initial advice free in weighing up
your situation, but after that, if you are to proceed, you will
need to pay or get legal aid.
Yours, Editor
Dear
Editor,
My
granddaughter Chloe lives with her mummy in a house which has
an alley way between their home and the next door neighbors.
The family next door had been friendly with my family 1994 and
the little boy (L) who lives there who is the same age as Chloe
were friends and played together. However recently, L's father
had become rather aggressive to wards Chloe and started calling
her spoilt and then his wife joined and said that Chloe was neglected
by her family. This I can assure you is unfounded. One Saturday
I was looking after Chloe at her home, my daughter was at work
Chloe was playing outside in the front garden and down the alley
way. L's father kept coming out of his back garden and shouting
at Chloe to stay away from his garden and his son because she
was spiteful. He kept on using very strong language to Chloe
calling her an F in bitch, a spoilt F in and so on. This threatening
behavior escalated and he repeatedly threatened to kick her in
the privates only he used the word beginning with C. Chloe was
very distressed by his behavior and so was my daughter and myself.
I telephoned the police and they went to see him. Of course he
denied he had said any thing.
His wife then wrote to the housing association and complained
about my daughter and her behavior and my daughter was visited
by an officer. She was told what had happened and given the police
log numbers, but said there was nothing she could do even though
this man and his wife had been found guilty of GBH towards another
neighbour. I have asked everyone I can think of for help with
no avail. No one seems to know what to do even though the police
have stated that he has committed a serious offence on Chloe.
Please can you advice me what to do? HMB
A concerned grand mother
Dear
HMB
Problems
with neighbours are not only very worrying and at times frightening,
but they are also often very difficult to deal with. You have
given us a graphic picture of the problems which you face, but
I guess that you have only told us half of the story, and that
you will have been going through quite a catalogue of other events
as well.
The
correspondence page of a magazine is not the best place to resolve
your problems. You need someone to talk to - someone who can
go over events in detail, and maybe go over them more than once
to get a really clear picture. That person then needs to know
what the options are - what you can do, and what the consequences
may be of the different possible lines of action. For example,
you could take legal action, but it could be expensive and it
could make your neighbour more antagonistic.
I
recommend that you contact your local Citizen's Advice Bureau.
They are independent, impartial and give free advice. They are
good at listening and they have all the detailed information
at their fingertips about the law and other action which you
might consider.
Yours
sincerely,
Editor.
Hi,
My name
is Mikki and I am in my final year on the MA in Counsellling
Studies at Nottingham University.
I am doing
a theory/Research module into why young people in the care system
do not take up counselling, this I realise is a very broad subject
but any info would be appreciated in the field of care systems/stats/counselling/etc
Thank
you
Mikki
Tanton
click here to e-mail Mikki
direct
