Social worker of 40 years fails to notice the difference between the role of social worker and Named Person

Colin Turbett, a retired social worker, has written in CommonSpace in favour of the Named Person scheme. Perhaps, because of his forty years experience in this field he presents a grim view of ordinary family life. Beginning his account by recalling an isolated community in Newfoundland he tells how social work services began targeting the area with state interventions, using frontline staff in schools and health settings, to root out the sexual abuse that had been going on in poor families for generations. That`s the story.

It is difficult to understand why he would confuse a serious child abuse matter in an isolated region in Canada - which he sees as a class issue - with what is going to be happening in Scotland regarding the Named Person service. It is as if he is suggesting that behind many closed doors in poor homes there lurks similar dark secrets. That is grotesquely insulting. Even so, Scotland already has its own child social work service, and teachers and health visitors already have a responsibility to look out for signs of abuse. So far, no different, and no need for a Named Person.

At this stage, Mr Turbett has failed to make a case for the Named Person which, after all, is a service to promote, support or safeguard the wellbeing of the child or young person.

Mr Turbett then recalls Paula, who at four years old, had been pushed down the stairs by her father causing her face to be permanently disfigured. Because of this and her difficult background, she grew up lacking confidence, left school to be jobless at sixteen and was pregnant at seventeen. With a referral from the midwife, there followed a social work assessment which judged Paula to be lacking the basic skills required to take care of her baby. The child was then removed at birth.

"We offered her as much support as we could – this even involved taking her out and purchasing underwear – something her mum had never done as she grew up and she had never experienced herself, and trying hard to improve her sense of self worth."

 

I cannot imagine a set of circumstances less likely to inspire confidence or a sense of self worth in a young woman.

The point Mr Turbett is making, of course, is that had there been earlier intervention in Paula`s life, things may have turned out differently. But that is impossible to know. What we can infer is that action was taken in the life of this seventeen  year old girl, instigated by the midwife - a potential Named Person - and the only intervention on offer was forced adoption, which is no support at all. That actually means there is a good case to be made for putting resources where they are needed, that is with the Paula`s of this world, rather than with a universal system that most people do not need.

The rest of the article is a disjointed mish mash about the inequalities created by capitalism and neoliberalism that does nothing to illuminate the role of the Named Person or why anybody should support it.

"Capitalism and its inequalities create such circumstances and state interventions are needed all too often in Scotland’s poorer communities. This is certainly a class issue and one where state intrusion into family life should take place in order to look after the most vulnerable."

Confusingly, he goes on to say: 

"NP will no doubt focus on working class people for obvious reasons but it should also pick up on the less visible middle class child victims who are largely absent from social work caseloads."

https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/8653/colin-turbett-lets-make-named-person-work-radical-social-work-view

 Like many supporters of the Named Person scheme,  Colin Turbett, despite his experience of forty years, fails to acknowledge that the role of social workers and Named Persons are different. [One wonders if he ever got around to reading the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014] The former is set up to rescue children from abuse, whereas the latter - to put it in a nutshell - is a tool to monitor the `happiness` of all children.

As for Named Persons and their potential to intrude at an early stage, the workforce itself is worried about the extra responsibilities.

"We are becoming social workers and the named person role will add responsibility and stress to experienced health visitors and probably greater stress to newly qualified health visitors. The amount of information that will be passed to health visitors will be like an avalanche. Education has already been told that the health visitors are the named person and are passing information which isn't health issues on a regular basis. The assessments which will be linked to the named person will be time consuming and complex at a time when core business is increasing with a computer system which isn't fit for purpose."

http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/HealthVisitorSurvey_UNISONScotlandReport_Jan2016.pdf

Like all supporters of the Named Person scheme, the data grab that underlines the legislation is never mentioned.

Nobody explains it better than Alison Preuss. See her `must read` article in TES below:

https://leahurst66.wordpress.com/2016/06/20/alls-not-well-with-the-legal-duties-on-wellbeing-tes-scotland/

 

 

John Swinney`s astonishing performance at Holyrood while dodging answering a legitimate question.

Joined up services ?

What the Scottish Government proposes is joined up services - data sharing - and the total view of the citizen.

Total view of the citizen ?

That is unpopular, so they are going to begin with data sharing in the name of children`s wellbeing.

Let`s think about that.

Keeping the child at the centre

"An ambitious plan to ensure children across North Ayrshire get the best possible start has been launched. Called “Getting it Right For You”, the far-reaching strategy will be implemented over the next four years to improve children’s services and is a North Ayrshire first. It is based on the life of a child, covering the early years, primary and secondary school and contains a range of `promises`."

"The plan is the strategic response to the Children Count survey – one of the most powerful pieces of work carried out in developing children’s services in North Ayrshire. Almost 8000 young people and 630 families with young children took part in the survey which was designed by the Dartington Social Research Unit – a pioneering independent charity using data and evidence to influence policy to improve children’s outcomes."

Read more at http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/north-ayrshire-council-launch-ambitious-8208071#IW4aKvFGu72owBkf.99

All very positive until you look at some of the promises which have resulted from the Children Count survey:

• your mum will have a named midwife who will look after both of you

• if your mum smokes, drinks alcohol or takes substances when she is pregnant with you, we will offer her a programme to help her to stop

• we will help your mum if she wants to breastfeed, as this is best for you

• we will support your dad and family members as they will be of great support to you and your mum

• you will have a named person (health visitor) who will be there for you and your family

• we will help your mum and dad learn what is important to be a supportive and confident parent.

In other words, there is little confidence in the quality of parenting in North Ayrshire and for the next eighteen years the Named Person will  keep a firm grip of mum and dad.

It`s called keeping the child at the centre. If ever a policy was designed to build a wedge between parents and their children, this is it.

Transforming children`s services conference Perth march 2016

 

John Swinney MSP, speaking at the `transforming children`s services conference` explains the thinking behind the data driven `learning journey` that is GIRFEC.
 

It means professionals working in collaboration, planning and designing early interventions and preventative services so that problems within families are nipped in the bud now, reducing the expenditure of more serious developments in the future. Since nobody can say what will happen in the future, that has got to be an act of faith.

Regardless, Mr Swinney feels that progress has been too slow and urges service providers to get on with it.
 

Knowing that the child is at the centre - for who does not support children`s wellbeing? - practitioners should have the confidence to break out of their silos, join together, and deal aggressively with objections from people and organisations who would set up barriers to this unified endeavour.

=================================

 

A unified endeavour that must deal with objectors aggressively; but that has got to include parents. Scary.

 

Highland Council`s deputy leader has broken ranks

 

"Highland Council`s deputy leader has broken ranks condemning the Scottish Government`s so-called named person policy as `intrusive nonsense` imposed by `SNP dictators`."
 

"Ross-shire councillor Alasdair Rhind, a member of the minority independent-led council that has piloted the initiative is horrified by its involvement in the project."
 

"The father of three adult children said: `I`m totally against it. It`s an intrusion of government into family life. The government is way off the mark`."
 

"`The best people to look after children are their parents`."
 

"`Children are monitored from their nursery days into primary education and secondary education. Parents may not know that, but they are monitored at all stages within the education system and that is adequate enough`."
 

"He said countless constituents in his Tain and Easter Ross ward had criticised the named person scheme as `ridiculous`."
 

"He added: `This government are wanting to intrude into people`s personal lives and be dictators to people and we can`t have that, really. They should back off that scheme. And I`m pleased to see some of the opposition parties opposing it`."

 

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 To get an idea of how authoritarian the named person approach will be, have a look at North Ayrshire Children`s Services Plan 2016-2020 Getting it Right for You

http://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/Documents/SocialServices/childrens-services-plan.pdf

What should be the role of social workers in adoption?

 

"The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) has established a UK-wide enquiry to consider the role of social work in adoption..."

"This enquiry will examine the role of the social worker in adoption, with a particular focus on how ethical issues and human rights legislation are understood and inform practice, and how these relate to pursuing good long-term outcomes for children and their families. It will gather evidence from families and young people involved in the adoption process, social workers and managers, family justice professionals, policy makers and academics using a variety of methods."

Read more https://www.basw.co.uk/adoption-enquiry/

A review of child protection is to be carried out in the Highlands

"A review is to be carried out into child protection safeguards in the Highlands following the death of a two-year-old boy in Inverness."

"Clyde Campbell died in February 2014, in a case of sudden infant death, or cot death."

"His mother, Amanda Hardie, was jailed in May after admitting to neglecting him over a five month period."

"Highland Council said she refused to give her consent to work in partnership with the named person scheme."

"The Highlands is among the areas where named person has been operating ahead of it coming into force across Scotland in August."

"In a statement, Highland Council's director of care and learning, Bill Alexander, said the review would be carried out by the Highland Child Protection Committee..."

"A named person works with the consent of parents, and would have been there to support Ms Hardie, if she had been willing to work in partnership."

"However, while Ms Hardie chose not to seek support from her health visitor, other services continued to engage with her and her family."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-36539514

 

We are not informed which services continued to engage with Amanda Hardie or if Clyde Campbell had a child`s plan. If he did, the Named Person would have had a role, with or without consent.

"The link to the Named Person is important as they may have information about the child and family and will know if a Child’s Plan is already in place for the child. They will have a key role in contributing to any on-going planning to support the child’s wellbeing."

http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0046/00465711.pdf

Blanket surveillance is out of proportion

"John Finnie, Justice spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP for the Highlands & Islands, [yesterday] used Topical Questions at Holyrood to question Ministers about the latest revelations concerning mass surveillance."

"Documents released by US whistleblower Edward Snowden show that a policing body called the Scottish Recording Centre was given access to swathes of communications data including phone activity, internet histories and social media behaviour."

John Finnie MSP said:

"This sort of blanket surveillance is out of proportion, inefficient and incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.."

"There is clearly a culture of bulk collection of data that needs reined in. I will continue to challenge such over-reaching activities."

https://greens.scot/news/blanket-surveillance-incompatible-with-human-rights

OK, but how does John Finnie not recognise that blanket surveillance by Named Persons is out of proportion, inefficient and incompatible with the ECHR?

Fighting for SEN services

"A law firm that specialises in contesting claims for children with special educational needs (SEN) has apologised after publishing a series of tweets that appeared to gloat at parents."

"Baker Small, a law firm that acts for local authorities, triggered widespread anger among parents of children with disabilities with the remarks made on social media on Saturday. The firm subsequently deleted them and made a donation to charity."

"One of the tweets said: `Crikey, had a great ‘win’ last week which sent some parents into a storm!`"

"Another referred to a tribunal victory over an attempt by parents to get funding for an intervention that can help autistic children, called Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA). It said: `Great ABA Trib win this week … interesting to see how parents continue to persist with it. Funny thing is parents think they won.`"

"Several people reprimanded the law firm for its remarks. `Probably not that funny on reflection?` tweeted Daisy Russell in response."

"But the person writing on behalf of Baker Small replied: `Whenever someone thinks they have won and they have conceded 90% of their case, it does make me smile`."

"`A little more gravitas might be in order, you are dealing with vulnerable children’s lives,` a campaigner for ABA wrote."

"Later the Baker Small Twitter account posted another message with a picture of a kitten laughing, beneath the words: `Some great tweets received today from people who just see a one-sided argument … just shared them with my cat`…"

"The law firm’s tweets were later deleted, but were still visible on the Special Needs Minefield blog.  Debs Aspland, the blog’s author wrote: `This company was not just celebrating a win, they were laughing at the parents who had lost. Somehow, the child at the centre of this didn’t appear even to be considered`."

"The anger over the law firm’s flippant postings has roots in a deeper unease at local authorities’ increasing determination to fight parents at tribunal for funding of their children’s special needs provision."

"Baker Small is, or has recently been, contracted to provide legal services in relation to contesting SEN and disability tribunals to a number of local authorities including Buckinghamshire, Norfolk, Hertfordshire and Gloucestershire, with total contracts estimated as being worth up to £1m."

http://www.theguardian.com/law/2016/jun/13/baker-small-law-firm-parents-tweets-children-special-educational-needs

The situation is unlikely to be better in Scotland; not when there is a Named Person with the power to decide what is in the best interests of a child`s wellbeing.

The Named Person scheme is borne of a corrosive suspicion of ordinary people

From Simon Knight, a senior youth work practitioner living in Glasgow:

"Today, we tend to think that there is no such thing as an accident. Anything bad that happens ‘could have been avoided’. Of course, it’s easy to be wise after the event, but the methodology of early intervention means that Named Persons will be tracking concerns forward and predicting future outcomes… for every child in Scotland. It is a trapdoor to the absurd."

"Workloads will also inevitably increase. Add Named Person duties for a handful of kids to meetings, case conferences, follow-ups and consultations, and my day job will suffer, as will those of other Named Persons."

"What’s more, because being a Named Person is a legal obligation, and because no one wants to get blamed if anything goes wrong, minor issues will be prioritised over other work. Those of us who work with children will lose our sense of where interventions are necessary. And the children who are at significant risk of harm will inevitably get lost amid all the clutter."

"The Scottish government has been forced to recognise the pandemonium that it is about to unleash, and is looking for ways to water down the proposals. It was no accident that first minister Nicola Sturgeon used the term ‘entitlement’ instead of ‘obligation’ when she was setting out her plans recently. But that doesn’t change the fact that the whole scheme is rotten. Even if every practical problem with the Named Person scheme were resolved, the new threshold for state involvement in family life would still be unacceptably low."

"The Named Person scheme is borne of a corrosive suspicion of ordinary people, led by politicians who desperately want our votes but don’t trust us to bring up our own children. It would be farcical if it wasn’t so pernicious."

Read more http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/a-named-person-speaks-out/18451#.V2DxLjL2bIU

Researching GIRFEC

Francesca Kimberley - "Love Is Like Wings" Aberlour charity single

 

Aberlour is a children`s charity which claims to be there for young people and families across Scotland, helping transform lives for the better. It supports children and families through challenges like:

living with a disability

growing up in and leaving care

the impact of drugs and alcohol on families

It is also very much in favour of GIRFEC and the Named Person scheme and was one of the major charities which urged the Supreme Court to throw out the appeal against the Named Person legislation. 

More recently, Aberlour has signed an agreement with the newly created Centre for Child Wellbeing and Protection at Stirling University.

The centre "undertakes original research and engages in a range of educational and knowledge exchange activities focused on enhancing the lives of children who are vulnerable to compromised development because of a range of personal, familial and social adversities"

I think it is worrying when charities collaborate with research institutions in this way, especially when they put forward such strong political views as they did regarding the Named Person scheme.

In addition, the term `compromised development` does not refer to any particular difficulty or specific set of circumstances. Taking such a broad sweep of the effects of a range of personal, familial and social adversities could bias the research in favour of the GIRFEC ideology by smoothing out individual differences.

Nevertheless, Brigid Daniel, who is Director of the Centre for Child Wellbeing and Protection has said:  

"I am delighted to be working closely with Aberlour and very much appreciate their support and involvement, along with other organisations, in the Seamless Services` research project which is researching the effectiveness of Scotland`s framework for child wellbeing Getting it Right for Every Child." http://www.stir.ac.uk/social-sciences/news/news-archive/2016/promotingthewellbeingandprotectionofchildreninscotlandandbeyond/

Already there are indications that much of the GIRFEC ideology is taken as a given:

"With policies such as Getting it right for every child, The Early Years Framework, National Parenting Strategy, Curriculum for Excellence and Better Health: Better Care, Scotland is in a potentially strong position to improve the lives of children. The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 has now enshrined the concept of wellbeing in statute, within the overarching framework of the SHANARRI Wellbeing indicators. Central to the Act is the aspiration that children’s wellbeing is promoted, supported and safeguarded and that they receive seamless services, provided as far as possible by practitioners in education and health services who will assume the role of named persons’ for children.."

"These policies are being implemented against the background of the full scale reorganisation to integrate health and social care services across Scotland. There is, therefore, a unique opportunity in Scotland for in-depth critical analysis of the impact of these developments as they unfold in a changing and challenging real – world context."

https://www.stir.ac.uk/scholarships/social-science/to-critically-examine-the-impact-of-scotlands-framework-for-childrens-services-upon-the-wellbeing-of-children-in-scotland.html

Sometimes it is difficult to get a handle on things in order to express discomfiture with this type of project but then along comes an article which crystallises the problem.

John Wallace writing in Third Force News has said: "Named person is the one thing that keeps me awake at night."

 

"People living with a rare disease and their families amount to 300,000 in Scotland according to the Scottish Government and they face significant social and daily life challenges which affect their autonomy, their dignity and their fundamental human rights."

"Integrated care provision and coordination between medical, social and local support services, via multidisciplinary care pathways and innovative care solutions, is a crucial game changer to tackle the unmet social needs of people living with rare diseases and none of this was even considered in coming up with the named person legislation. Nobody asked anyone in the rare disease community or indeed the disability or carer community."
 

"Families of children with rare diseases represent a motivated group striving to find what is best for their loved one, make the time and find the energy to sift through thousands of pieces of information to find that one pearl, no matter how small. They dedicate their lives to researching their children’s condition."

"This dedication, in turn, can mean that even as they turn to medical professionals for help, it is those same professionals that in fact look to the parents for guidance..."

"We go out of our way to enable everyone dealing with my son to work together, whether that be professors, consultants, GP, rheumatology nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and all the other medical professionals and the educational professionals in school." 

"I am the named person and I can do it better than his headteacher or anyone else because I live with it 24 hours a day, 365 days a year I don’t take school holidays nor weekends off. I am with my son whenever and wherever he needs me."

Read more at

http://thirdforcenews.org.uk/blogs/i-am-my-sons-named-person-and-i-can-do-it-better-than-anyone 

Collaborative endeavours and research projects which ignore this

challenging real – world context will skew results.

The `single point of contact` myth has been exploded

From Iain MacWhirter of the Herald:

"John Swinney turned the indignation meter up to 11 in his defence of the Named Person scheme in Holyrood yesterday. Critics should be `ashamed of scaremongering` he roared and `creating a climate of misinformation`. But there`s been no need for the opposition to do that. It was after all Nicola Sturgeon who said that the NP scheme was not compulsory, when it emphatically is."

"Mr Swinney added to the confusion by comparing the Named Person with a family doctor - a `service` to be accessed as Mr Swinney put it `only when the family needs it`. But GPs are not responsible for preventing child abuse. The Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, Tavish Scott, insisted that `parents and carers can say thanks, but no thanks` to a Named Person. He then contradicts himself by saying that families will `no longer be allowed to hide abuse.` Exactly."

"Child protection is not optional. This has to be made clear, whatever side you take on this issue..."

"Inevitably the shadow of two-year-old Liam Fee, who was murdered by his mothers, hung over the debate. The SNP MSP Jenny Gilruth accused the Tories of `using the death of a child to score political points`. The Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson had tweeted that Liam Fee already had a Named Person, which was half right. Fife Council admitted that Liam had indeed been assigned one as a `point of contact`. But they went on to say that this wasn`t a fully operational, all-seeing NP with all the extensive powers that go with the post."

"The trouble here is that a `point of contact` is precisely how the Government has been selling the scheme. The phrase was used repeatedly in Holyrood yesterday by MSPs. Yet it is clearly very much more than that. The SNP furiously object to the term `state guardians` but that is exactly what a Named Person is turning out to be, whether they intended this or not."

"They are appointed by the state for every single child in Scotland from the moment they are born, without exception. This is an entirely new proactive approach to child welfare that is called Getting It Right For Every Child or GIRFEC..."

"The Named Person is `a key part of the early warning system we need to make sure that every child in Scotland is protected` according to Barnardos. An early warning system only works if it has an unrestricted view. Named Persons will be expected to spot the early signs of abuse and exchange information with GPs and police - in other words to create a database in which abnormal behaviour will be monitored, recorded and assessed. This could create a bureaucracy of state intervention in family life that is unprecedented anywhere in the world."

"The responsibility on the named person will be onerous. When the next Liam Fee happens - and it certainly will happen - the finger of blame will first of all point, as it did last week to the Named Person who is suppposed to be the protector of the child."

https://twitter.com/iainmacwhirter/status/740507667425300481

Sad to say, the Liam Fee murder has brought to the surface serious questions about the Named Person scheme that are not going to go away.

As the writer makes clear, it has been the Scottish Government which has been misinforming the public about the role of Named Persons.

The Named Person scheme is much more than a `single point of contact` - it `s a surveillance system - and anybody who reads the ACT and the guidance can see that.

Meanwhile the Scottish Government intends to waste more taxpayer money inventing refreshed `spin` about it, for what they hope will be a still ignorant or gullible public.

`Digging a bigger hole` comes into mind at this point.

In order to understand the powers of the Named Person, a good place to start is with the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, paying particular attention to Part 4.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2014/8/contents/enacted

Review of child protection: is a joined up approach best ?

"In April 2004 the Scottish Executive published a consultation pack entitled `Getting it right for every child` as part of the first phase of the review of the Children's Hearings system."

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2004/10/20021/44106

Out of that grew the Named Person.

Child Protection Improvement Programme

"On 25 February 2016 the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Angela Constance, made a statement to Parliament announcing a programme of action on child protection." This would include consideration of the "impact of changes of legislation and practice in the Children’s Hearings System."

As part of her statement she said:

"We have also modernised our unique children’s hearings system through legislation that was passed in 2011, and we have invested in professional development for social workers and all those who work with vulnerable children and families."

Recommendations will be made by the end of 2016.

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Young-People/protecting/child-protection

Later in the year it was announced that as part of the Child Protection Improvement Programme: "an independent child protection review chaired by former Crown agent Catherine Dyer is to be commissioned in Scotland."

"This followed the conviction of a mother and her partner for the murder of her two-year-old son, Liam Fee."

"National outcry erupted over why the social work department allowed his case to slip through the system and failed to act upon concerns for the safety and welfare of the boy."

"Deputy First Minister John Swinney announced the appointment of Ms Dyer at a summit held in Perth."

"Mr Swinney said: `An essential part of the child protection improvement programme is a review of policy, practice, services and structures so that we can identify strengths, achievements and priorities for change`."

"`We will look at child protection committees, initial case reviews, significant case reviews and the child protection register to ensure that they work together to create a holistic, coherent and responsive child protection system that optimises outcomes for children`."

http://www.scottishlegal.com/2016/06/08/catherine-dyer-to-chair-child-protection-review/

Given what we know about Alan Small`s involvement in GIRFEC`s  implementation, i.e. named persons,  and his later appointment to Fife`s child protection committee, how much of a coherent and holistic response to a child protection review should we really be looking for ?

Perhaps a less joined up, less coherent approach, would be more reassuring.

Refreshed guidance about Named Person on its way

"The Scottish government is to `refresh` guidance about its named persons scheme after acknowledging `concerns`."

"MSPs debated the system, which will assign a named person to everyone under 18 in Scotland from 31 August, in a Conservative-led session at Holyrood."

"The Tories sought consensus by calling for a `pause` in the policy, despite backing scrapping it altogether."

"This was rejected by MSPs, who amended the motion to one backing the policy but agreeing `more must be done`."

"However, the Scottish Conservatives question whether the policy is `deliverable in the proposed format`, and whether it is `in the best interests of children and families`."

"Education spokeswoman Liz Smith said the Tories had `deliberately steered clear` of explicitly opposing the policy as a whole in the debate, although the party still wants to see it scrapped."

"She said: `The Scottish Conservatives believe there is growing parliamentary consensus for a major rethink`."

"`But there is also growing concern expressed by many frontline professionals - many of whom have no party political affiliation`..."

"Labour has also called for a `pause`` in the roll-out of the named person system which has been trialled in some areas including Fife and the Highlands, to reassess public support for it."

"The Lib Dems offered `cautious support` for the policy, while the Scottish Greens spoke strongly in favour of it - and against any pause - in the Holyrood chamber."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-36472883

John Swinney bellowing across at opposition

The latest public poll shows:

"Almost two-thirds of Scots believe the plan to introduce a named person for every child in the country is an `unacceptable intrusion` into family life, according to a poll."

"The Survation poll of 1,024 adults for a national Scottish newspaper found 64 per cent thought the policy - which will assign a single point of contact such as a teacher or health visitor to look out for the welfare of children under 18 - was intrusive." 

Read more: http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/poll-64-of-scots-think-named-person-is-unacceptable-intrusion-1-4147256#ixzz4B0ucZWHy

What does that make the 64% who worry about state intrusion into family life: misguided twats?   Russell and Swinney seem to think so.

Named persons will decide needs of the child

 

The NO2NP campaign group has snipped part of the debate about the Named Person scheme led by Kaye Adams for which Kenneth Roy has provided a transcript of the salient parts of the conversation. It takes place between Kaye Adams and Alan Small, chair of one of Scotland`s child protection committees.

AS (the caller): "I don't think it's helpful that the media – and Radio Scotland are involved in this as well – continue to use the phrase 'state guardian'. I think that gives the wrong impression. In fact, what we're talking about is a teacher or a health visitor. We're not talking about somebody who will intrusively inquire into people's lives. They're there to help and support."

Kaye Adams: "But I mean that's what we don't exactly know at this point – as to what extent an individual – call them what you will – will have the power or indeed the inclination to interfere or get involved or pry or inquire into people's lives. I mean, is that controlled?"

AS: "Yes."

KA: "I mean, can you hang up the phone and say, 'Go away, I'm not interested'? You know, they phone up and say, 'Hello, I'm your child's assigned Named Person. I'd like to.....'. 'No, bye'. Can you do that?"

AS: "No."

KA: "Oh? You can't do that?"

AS: "Yes and no. Well, it is – it all has to be taken into context with the needs of the child. So it's not right and proper..."

KA: "But who decides the needs of the child?"

AS: "Well, that will be up to services and the Named Person. However, the legislation is completely covered by..."

KA: "Where's the parent in that?"

AS: "...and the word that should be used is 'proportionality'. The parent will be involved throughout."

KA: "But these words are so open to interpretation. 'Proportionality' – define for me 'proportionality'."

AS: "I actually don't think there is a definition that's suitable for 'proportionality'. 'Proportionality' is fairly well understood in public service. It's not intrusive, it's not being overly heavy handed and it's working with parents and families and I think that's what I think Named Persons will do."

Kenneth Roy then goes on to analyse the contributions from AS before saying: "Sparing the blushes of all concerned, there would have been no need to publish the transcript of this woeful exchange but for one salient fact: the caller on the other end of the telephone was a retired superintendent of police called Alan Small. In 2011, having left the police after 31 years' service, Mr Small somehow found himself 'leading' the Scottish Government's information-sharing team at GIRFEC (Getting It Right for Every Child), the project that has spawned the Named Person scheme."

"He left the Scottish Government in January 2015, but not to take up gardening. Only three months later, he was appointed chair of the child protection committee for – of all places – Fife. In that important role he will be directly responsible for the significant case review into the death of Liam Fee."

Read more http://www.scottishreview.net/KennethRoy55a.html?utm_source=Sign-Up.to&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=8427-359029-Special%3A+A+revealing+interview+with+the+man+in+charge+of+the+Liam+Fee+inquiry

It should also be remembered that in his earlier role, Alan Small had said that Fife already had the Named Person in place since April 2013 and offered it as an example of good practice on information sharing.

Child protection warnings ignored in Fife

"MULTIPLE warnings about staff absence and other child protection dangers in Fife were repeatedly overlooked in the months before the murder of Liam Fee."

"Senior figures from Fife Council, NHS Fife, Police Scotland, the Scottish Government and children's charities were all made aware of the long-standing concerns."

"Yet, despite being the potential for `severe consequences` being made abundantly clear, the matter was simply batted back and forth between various panels for more than a year before the two-year-old's death."

"During the murder trial that horrified Scotland, Fife's child protection team manager Karen Pedder admitted Liam had `fallen off the radar` after his social worker went off sick on April 1, 2013."

"Just a few weeks later, on June 26, 2013, the Child Protection Committee discussed an `amber alert for child protection` that had been triggered by a `staff absence`..."

"The amber alert was also discussed by the Fife Chief Officer's Public Safety Group on the same day at the council headquarters in nearby Glenrothes."

"John Myles, the chairman of the CPC, again told the meeting it had been triggered by a `staff absence` and added: `This was a recording issue not an information sharing issue`."

"Ken Greer, chairman of Children in Fife, even warned `that it was important to remember that the cumulative effect of staff absence does impact on service provision`."

"Among those present were Fife Council chief executive Steve Grimmond, Police Scotland commander Garry McEwan and NHS Fife chief executive John Wilson."

"The alert was also flagged up to the Fife Partnership Board on August 28, 2013, when Scottish Government head of resilience Michael Kellet was in attendance."

"At a further meeting of the CPC on October 9, 2013, Fife's nursing director Dr Scott McLean said `that he had spoken to the Lead within Police Scotland and the Social Work lead and our arrangements around Child Protection are deemed safe`."

"However, the alert remained in place until December 2013, just three months before Liam was killed by a blow that ruptured his heart on March 22, 2014."

"In a terrible year for children in Fife, Mikaeel Kular, three, was beaten to death by his mother and his body dumped in woods in Kirkcaldy in January and Madison Horn, two, was murdered by her babysitter in Kelty in April."

"Incredibly, however, the minutes from 2014 show these three tragedies were never even considered by the Child Protection Committee."

"Instead, most of the time was spent discussing the Scottish Government's Girfec - or 'Getting it right for every child' - approach, including the Named Person for every under-18."

"Meanwhile, further evidences shows that yet another expert panel - NHS Fife's Clinical Governance Committee - was aware of child protection problems from at least December 2012."

"In April 2013, the committee members were told: `There is a risk the Child Protection systems and processes are not routinely updated, widely understood, used or adhered to by NHS Fife staff, potentially placing children at risk in Fife`."

"Chillingly, the papers also warned `the consequences of an incident occuring would be severe so the risk remains high`."

"In February 2014, just a few weeks before Liam's murder, Fife's lead child protection nurse revealed the `impact` of red tape created by the Girfec reforms."

"Fiona Lornie said: `Inter-agency Referral Discussions (IRDs) continue to have a significant impact on the workload of the Child Protection Nursing team despite an internal review and changes to processes. Whilst this is an important function of the team it also causes a delay in development of the Child Protection service`."

"Dr Gordon Macdonald, Parliamentary Officer for CARE for Scotland, said social work departments had borne the brunt of council spending cuts in recent years..."

"They have created a huge amount of extra work without resourcing it properly and the danger of making the haystack so big is that you don't catch the needle."

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/676898/warnings-regarding-child-protection-Fife-overlooked-before-Liam-Fee?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium

Advice from Jim Sillars to SNP: stop digging a hole

 

For those without zoom:

 

"When in a hole, stop digging. It`s sound advice, yet seldom taken by governments in self-inflicted trouble, as is the case with the SNP today over the Named Person law."

 

"I do not doubt for one minute that the idea supported by more parties than the SNP in its passage, was well meant. But it has proved a colossal political hole in which only the SNP finds itself, while the others have slithered out of responsibility.  It seems they knew not what they were supporting."

"A well-meant idea is not always easy to translate into law. Something affecting the privacy of the family in particular requires time for minute scrutiny that examines every angle, every possible objection, and removes the legal uncertainty that arise out of ambiguity in language."

"The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 fails on all counts in respect of the Named Person. Its passage and subsequent controversy also raises serious questions about the Scottish parliament`s legislative system, including the role of its committees..."

"During the Aberdeen Question Time earlier this year, I advised my Nationalist MSP colleagues to take it back for review because in the Named Person sections the language is riddled with ambiguity."

"The apparent contradictory statements by SNP ministers about its application should surprise no one who has actually read it."

"Missing, by the way, is any allocation of legal liability to the organisation, be it a health authority or any other relevant body, if a child is failed by the Named Person."

"Is the child able or unable under the Act to sue the Named Person authority for serious failure in looking after his or her `wellbeing`? The Act is silent."

"The word `wellbeing` takes us right into the fatal ambiguities. It is key to the Named Person section."

"This seems easy to define, doesn`t it?  But what does the word actually mean?"

"The Act tells us that it is made up of a combination of meanings (other ambiguous words) because it has to be assessed on whether wellbeing is being `promoted, safeguarded, supported, affected or subject to effect` and, further, that the assessment must be done in relation to whether the child is `safe, healthy, achieving... and included` (lots more ambiguous meanings)." [SHANARRI]

"But that is not all. In measuring wellbeing, there must be regard to the Government`s guidance to be issued later, and not in the Act itself."

"Every one of those words quoted is capable of very different interpretations and tests."

"Take `achieving` - does it apply to reading level, maths, sports, hobbies, mastery of a computer?  Or take `included` - does it mean by the parents, other family members, friends, school, peer group ?"

"That the Act requires guidance is an implicit admission of the flaws in its language; and that guidance itself, written in even broader language, will be inherently flawed with ambiguity."

"Pity the judge who ever gets a case of negligence arising from this Act..."

=================

Many people believe that Named Persons are putting their heads on the block should things go wrong;  they are not. Note how well any potential Named person in the Liam Fee case has been protected. It is the body which appoints the Named Person which is accountable, according to the law.

I am glad Jim Sillars has pointed that out.

 "Is the child able or unable under the Act to sue the Named Person authority for serious failure in looking after his or her `wellbeing`? The Act is silent."

 

The layer of complexity is a mile thick.

It will be interesting to see how the SNP digs itself out of its hole, this Wednesday in Holyrood.

NOT TO BE MISSED.



The lack of transparency around the Named Person scheme

Tam Baillie, Children`s Commissioner

Gordon Brewer interviewed Tam Baillie, Scotland`s Children`s Commissioner, on Sunday Politics Scotland earlier today.

He began by mentioning that questions about whether Liam Fee had a single point of contact had been met by accusations of political posturing.

"You wrote an article in the Sunday Times about it today," said Gordon Brewer. "The third sentence of that says and I quote: `that Liam`s death has been used by some as a means to furthering a campaign against the Named Person service. It`s unforgivable. Because the tragic loss of a child should be above political posturing.` What do you mean?"

"There`s two reasons.  First of all I mean Liam Fee`s death is an absolute tragedy and it affects the individuals involved, communities and indeed the whole workforce that`s involved in that; and the sad fact is that no child protection service in the world can offer assurances that it will be fail-safe. So that`s the first thing..."

"The second thing is... the Named Person service is really a low level early warning system for where things are at an early stage of going wrong in a child`s life; and I can`t comment on the details of the Liam Fee case but what we do know is that this was a child that was going to social work and that puts that case, that incident, that child, way beyond the level of the Named Person."

"I do understand that. I do take your point. But what about the facts of this case? Fife was a pilot area for the Named Person wasn`t it?"

"Yeah, but regardless whether Liam Fee had a Named Person or not... I can`t say, because I don`t know the ins and outs of the case. But what I would say is this is a child who was in a system where it was obvious ... he was way beyond that early intervention and that early warning..."

"Why don`t you know?" the presenter asked Tam Bailie.

"Well, because I can`t comment on the details of the case..."

"You could have contacted Fife Council and said what exactly were the arrangements in place?"

"Well, it wasn`t my job to try and to find the arrangements in place for that. There`s going to be a significant case review and I also said in the article we have to let the people who are running the significant case review... look at the totality of the actions that were taken which identify where the errors were made..."

Gordon Brewer persisted: "Don`t you think that before you wrote an article in a national newspaper saying people were indulging in political posturing and that their behaviour was unforgivable, as the Children`s Commissioner for Scotland it might have been a good idea for you to have contacted Fife Council and the Scottish Government and ascertained the facts of the case?"

"But even if there`s a Named Person for Liam Fee that is really not the point in terms of that child being known to social work which means that there should have been systems in place to ensure the safety of that child rather than ... the Named Person."

"Yes I understand that .... John Swinney, the other day, the deputy First Minister - he said there was a person, a point of contact, but not in terms of the legislation - Do you know what that means?"

"Mm er ... I presume he`s saying there was a person appointed as a contact somewhere with regard to the handling of the child protection case but I can`t comment ..."

"Many people watching will say, well hang on a minute this guy is the Children`s Commissioner for Scotland, he`s writing articles in national newspapers condemning people for asking questions apropos to this case about the Named Person legislation and he hasn`t even bothered to find out what the facts are."

"I`m saying that it`s wrong for us to link the Named Person with instances of children who are well enmeshed in the system and whether there`s failings there or not.  Now there are debates around Named Person whether it`s a good thing or a bad thing or not; but that`s quite separate from those children who are already identified where there are serious concerns and we`ll find from the significant case review as to where those failings actually took place in this instance."

Gordon Brewer pressed further: "The bottom line here is that the Named Person scheme is being piloted in places like the Highlands; it`s being piloted in Fife. If there was a Named Person in this case, even a Named Person but not in terms of the legislation as John Swinney put it, quite clearly it has not worked."

"But the Named Person as I said earlier is not meant to be dealing with those children who have already been identified; where there are serious concerns; where there could be a children`s plan around it; where there should be a number of different agencies. The Named Person is really that early point of contact."

"Again I accept your point that it might not be strictly relevant in terms of this case because this child was known to social services but the fact is what`s at stake here is a flagship policy of the Scottish Government and I fail to understand why first of all, you haven`t tried to find out what is actually happening here, and secondly why it`s simply not relevant to talk about the Named Person. I mean you describe people who`ve been talking about this as behaving unforgivably. What on earth do you mean?"

"In the first instance, it has to be left to the significant case review to establish the facts of the case. Now I also make that point in the article. The second one is that we know, and I repeat, the Named Person is not designed to try to assist those children where we already know there are very serious concerns; that there should be people working around the case who should actually have vigilance in terms of protection of that child."

"As the Children`s Commissioner, had you contacted Fife Council and said I want to know exactly what happened here, of course, quite rightly they would have said -  and you would have agreed with them - no there`s a significant case review ... we can`t prejudge that.  However, if as the Children`s Commissioner you had said: `look, one of the main issues coming up here is the Named Person legislation, can you just tell me what the situation was here?  I`m not prejudging your review...was there a Named Person in this case ? Was it the full service?  Or was it, as John Swinney says, a limited version of it, whatever that means?`  But you don`t seem to have done either of these things."

In response, Tam Bail merely repeated the same arguments he had made already.

"The point I`m getting at," said Gordon Brewer "is lack of transparency. This is a flagship government scheme. Why can`t the government just say this is exactly what the situation was, and that`s that."

"... I think there`s been a lot of expectation placed on somehow Named Person being able to deal with all instances of concern around children and part of the reason I`ve written the article is that it`s just not the case. What it will do is it will flag up at an early stage..."

"I still don`t understand who`s behaving unforgivably by the way."

Tam Baillie seemed to suggest it was those people who had been linking the Named Person with the Liam Fee case.

"Last point: Some charities have claimed that the Named Person scheme, at least in the Highlands area has been a success... How are the public supposed to judge whether these pilot schemes are a success or not? How on earth can we know?"

"I think there is an issue about presentation about what the Named Person service is meant to do. It`s there as an early pick up."

"But how are we the public meant to judge if it is a success or not?"

"I think there is a presentation issue that the government needs to address in terms of presenting the expectations of the Named Person and what it will reasonably do. We have concerns about children who we don`t pick up early enough and problems then  exacerbate. We get in early then we can actually assist children and families at that stage."

The interview begins  about 59 minutes into the programme.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07czl50/sunday-politics-scotland-05062016

It`s a bit clearer why the publicity campaign to win over critics needs a lot more work.