A predictable response to the Rowntree ‘Database State’ report:
But the government says the report contains “no substantive evidence” on which to base its conclusions.
As we’ve observed in the past, this is pretty standard stuff. Some of you may remember the exchange on the letters page of the Daily Telegraph when FIPR brought out the Children’s Databases report 18 months ago. The Minister for Children said that our research was flawed and this was our reply.
We’re in good company: the Audit Commission didn’t half catch it when it dared to suggest that the ‘Every Child Matters’ reforms weren’t working.
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ARCH might like to closely scrutinise the Bill of Rights Green Paper published by the Ministry of Justice 23 March:
Rights and responsibilities: developing our constitutional framework
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/rights-responsibilities.htm
The following is put forward regadring ‘Every Child Matters’:
A right for children to achieve wellbeing
3.71 Considering the UK’s ratification of and commitment to the UNCRC, and drawing on the general principles and articles of the Convention, the Government considers that a future Bill of Rights and Responsibilities could contain a right for children to achieve wellbeing, whatever their background or circumstances. A new Bill of Rights and Responsibilities could help to emphasise that Government and wider society should both play a part in prioritising the needs of children and improving outcomes for them. In England, Every Child Matters aims to make a reality of children’s rights by setting an ambition of wellbeing for every child, described in terms of five outcomes, and by setting an expectation that services should work together to promote this.
3.72 The ambition is for every child, whatever their background or circumstances, to be healthy; stay safe; enjoy and achieve; make a positive contribution; and enjoy economic wellbeing. It would be necessary to explore how these aims could be reflected in a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities without placing unrealistic and unsustainable burdens on public bodies and others and without interfering in decisions as to resource allocation which are the preserve of elected bodies including Parliament.
3.73 Any provision on a right to achieve wellbeing could be based on broad aspirations such as those captured in the five Every Child Matters outcomes, as set out above, underpinned by the general principles of the Convention and reflected in policy schemes across the UK. These goals could form the basis of provisions in a future Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, articulating principles to guide public authorities and lawmakers when making policy and legislative decisions concerning children, and by the courts when interpreting legislation and reviewing executive and administrative action relating to child wellbeing.
The Conservative Party have published their response to the 2009 Lord Laming Report:
Conservative Party Commission on Social Workers
Response to Lord Laming’s Inquiry
http://www.conservatives.com/News/Blogs/~/media/Files/Downloadable%20Files/SWC_Submission_to_Lord_Laming.ashx
Recommendation:
>>1. CHILD DATA
a. The template for the Integrated Children’s System should be abolished to reduce the amount of time social workers spend filling in forms.
b. ContactPoint should be scrapped.<<
This looks to me like a ringing endorsement of the Archrights capmaign.