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Congratulations to you and
everyone who is helping you with this Meredith Kiraly |
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Dear Editor I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate and support MP for Taunton Jackie Ballard's comments during the 'Safeguards for Children' debate at the House of Commons on 17th March. Firstly I would agree that there have been "too many reports and too many investigations that have all identified actions that could be taken to safeguard our children". I recognise that investigations and reports are necessary after cases of abuse, but the question must be asked 'Why after all these reports and strategies is there still premeditated abuse and abusive bad practice being perpetrated ?' When Jackie Ballard went on to say that " … we all want to believe that the abuse had happened 10,20 or more years ago could not happen now". I fear that she has made a very accurate observation. We are deluding ourselves if we hide our heads in the sand and say that everything is better now. Premeditated abusers have not gone away. I would agree wholeheartedly with Jackie Ballard when she said that " many actions are still needed in many care settings to drive up standards". Training and staff development are vital in order to provide a professional and safe resource for children being looked after away from home. I would also give my support to the new proposals in the Criminal Justice and Court Services Bill. However I feel strongly that all these initiatives will not safeguard children and young people unless there is a National Register of child care workers linked to a National Database. I recognise Stourbridge MP, Ms Shipley's reservations about the possibility of a positive National Register allowing for devious premeditated abusers to infiltrate it and therefore being allowed to continue in practice. As Jackie Ballard pointed out the ICSE has spent considerable time producing a framework for a National Register of Child Care Workers, which includes safeguards against just this problem. The Register could quite clearly stop the present ease with which abusers can change identity and move into new situations to abuse again. Given the proper resources and back up this Register could be set very quickly by ICSE. Then hopefully we would not be faced again with the outrageous scenario of the twenty eight care workers being searched for all over the country after the North Wales inquiry. In my view we have a simple choice to make. Either we allocate resources for training which is realistic for proper staff development and a National Register with a database and sufficient resources to operate it efficiently or we allow the abuse of children and young people to continue. I urge readers of children.uk to give their full support to the campaign for the registration of workers with young people and children which the magazine supports. Yours sincerely |
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Dear Editor, Thanks for an excellent and informative Webmag. At CfC/FICE we are beginning to think about producing our second "White Book". This is a tool more widely used on the continent, for influencing the main political parties as they near a General Election. We created such a "Book" at the last Election and sent it to all the main parties where it was warmly received. As the next Election is not too far away we wanted to begin this process again and are gathering ideas and specific issues for inclusion. Our focus tends to be on developments that will improve conditions for all children where ever they may live, but we are also keenly interested in developments in professional practice. If any Webmag readers are interested in contributing to this process we would be very happy to hear from them, Yours, John Blythman CfC Committee Member. March 2000 |
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Dear Editor I worked in the care system for many years, mainly in an adolescent unit designed for young people leaving care. The unit was run on the lines of "you are responsible for your own actions" and could prove quite painful for the youngsters on occasions. I have been retired for some years now and have remarried and moved to another town in the North of England. Imagine my surprise when my husband received a telephone call from my ex-neighbour saying that a man called George (name changed to preserve his anonymity) had called asking for me. She had his telephone number and if I felt so inclined, would I phone him. Curiosity got the better of me and I made the call. It was from a young man now in his thirties who had been resident in my unit in 1982 and for whom I had been the key worker. Initially he was disappointed that I could not remember him, but as we chatted, memories came flooding back. I regret to say that my first thought was that he wanted to touch me for a hand-out, but it transpired that he really wanted to contact me to say thank you for the time he had spent with us. He had recently divorced and had time to sit and analyse his life and felt he must put things in order. He had gone to his old school, seen the headmaster and apologised for the things he had done there. He expressed his thanks for the time with us and having given it a great deal of thought, had decided to see if he could become employed in the 'care system.' I gave him what limited advice I could. Two months later, George contacted me again to say that in addition to his full time job, he was now doing an evening course at college and was helping in the running of a local youth club. He has his sights firmly set on working with children in care, feeling that his experiences may help others through this traumatic time in their lives. My old officer in charge frequently said that we should always be conscious of the effect we had on the young people in our care and it seems that he was right. MT March 2000 P.S. I discovered your internet site by accident - and am very pleased I did. |
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY "CHILDREN.UK"! The German FICE-Section called
"Internationale Gesellschaft für erzieherische Hilfen"
sends its best greetings to the new Web Magazine of the FICE
UK Section. It is a great idea of our colleagues to launch such
a brillant medium for trans-national communication! |
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Dear Editor I have just visited children.uk.
Not only am I very impressed by what you are doing, but I have
clicked on to the FICE Germany Section Home page. They have lots
of useful information in very good English. For the first time
I have the feeling that I belong to a living international organisation.
Keep up the good work CfC. It is very exciting. What other stimulating
developments can we look forward to in future ? |
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Dear Editor Like your mag. Here are a few thoughts to cheer you up! A bus station is where a bus
stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I
have a work station. Regards |
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Dear Children.uk I've now been able to hit the
WebMag from my own computer for the first time. I've had a lengthy
browse and continue to be very impressed at the quality of the
content, layout and variety of material. Continued congratulations! children.uk would be happy to publish his dissertation - Editor |