Child protection for profit! | Vital Football

Child protection for profit!

Juan Mourep

Juan Mourep

Vital 1st Team Regular
Would you trust private companies like G4S, Atos or Serco to look after vulnerable children? Or to influence decisions about taking children into care? Protecting children is one of the most difficult and sensitive roles for a government to perform. But education secretary Michael Gove is consulting on whether to outsource this role to profit making companies. [1]

If we want to stop this, we don’t have long - the consultation closes this Friday. So far, the issue’s had very little media coverage, and the consultation has barely been publicised. If thousands of us write in today, we can show Michael Gove that we’re watching - and make sure he drops these plans.

Please can you write to the consultation today:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/childprotection

Decisions by child protection professionals affect lives and can break up families, these decisions should be kept miles away from any hint of a profit motive. Adoption services have already been protected from privatisation. And there’s no evidence to suggest that outsourcing services is a good idea anyway. [2]

The government’s proposal argues that letting private companies provide children’s services will encourage innovation.[3] But we all saw the mess that G4S made of providing security at the Olympics, would we really want them to care for vulnerable children’s lives?

Experts have already voiced outrage at the plans, now we need to hammer the message home with people power. [4] Previously when 38 Degrees members have responded to Michael Gove’s consultations, our voices have been heard loud and clear. Last year, he dropped his plans to remove climate change from school curriculums after we wrote in our thousands to oppose them. [5]

Can you write into the consultation and help stop these plans today:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/childprotection


NOTES:
[1] The Guardian - Privatise child protection services, Department for Education proposes: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/may/16/privatise-child-protection-services-department-for-education-proposes
[2] Public Finance - Child protection: not for sale: http://opinion.publicfinance.co.uk/2014/05/child-protection-not-for-sale/
[3] The government proposal: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/304660/Powers_to_Delegate_Con_Doc.pdf
[4] The Guardian - Child protection services too important to be privatised: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/may/16/child-protection-privatised
[5] 38 Degrees blog - Victory: Climate change will stay in the curriculum: http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2013/07/09/victory-climate-change-will-stay-in-the-curriculum



Did anyone actually notice this in the media? Another slight of hand move by your caring sharing Gov


C'mon Feario, we need that ****** emoticon.
 
Jeus f Christ, Juan. The system is bad enough as it is, without privatising it. The system is needed but doesn't work, well, as it is now.

I think I heard something about this recently. I will go and read and put my bit in.

I can just imagine the things that would happen with this in the hands of privatisation. I have seen enough of the system as it was years ago, without privatising it.

It was all about open and shut cases, saving as much money as possible with no thought for those involved. This would make it worse
 
It sounds remenicsent of the American system described in Capitalism: A love story. Scary stuff!
 
more mistakes imposed by gove. the man is a joke. social services are pretty shocking and alot of resources to help families such as intergrated family support workers have been shut down. social services are stretched but are crap anyway. some of the social staff are work with are terrible.... the whole system needs changing but defo not to this. another massive mistake that will cost lives and well being
 
No not at all Kat, I dont see what the problem is. Private sector bashing again yet without any substance to actually say where it produces any worst results than that of the public sector. Try going private for hospital care, then take the care the government provide and you tell me which service was better. Why do you assume that government fingers poking around are "always" better than private companies?

So my question really still stands, What is the problem?
 
I do NOT bash all privatisation GT. Private hospitals is very very different to Children social services. For starters there is a choice over private and NHS. Also you pay for private hospitals. The person not the government.

ATOS to be involved with children's social services. God help anyone involved in them then. We only need to look at what ATOS have done with welfare and the screw ups they have made of peoples lives to know why they should not be involved with anything.

This would be another system that would be about money 1st, as of ATOS with welfare.

Do you know anything about Childrens Social Services?. Unfortunately ( or fortunately depending on how you look at it) I know far too much. I have had 1st hand experience and I am not ashamed to admit it. I know more about the system than they know about themselves.

Have fled the ex 14 years ago, this September, I begged the system for help. We had never had a social worker. My youngsters were properly bought up. Yes they had seen things youngsters shouldn't see however if every child was in the care system that was seeing things they shouldn't see, there would be very few children living with there families and there would be more children in care than lived with their parents.

They wouldn't help us: Why? Because I spoke to well, I was educated, my children hadn't been dragged up, they had no social worker, they weren't involved with the police, they were educated, fed, clothed etc. All the basics. After a life time of abuse I was struggling to keep the face on. My children were 15, 13, 11 & 4 at the time. I needes serious help as we were all emotionally fcuked up.

Going back I begged the system for prevention work. They said they couldn't afford it. Prevention work turned to crisis and the children had to spend a short period in the care system. I can tell you now that it cost this country a 100 + % more than it is should have.

Even then back in 2001 it was about children in care/open and shut cases, clear it up, fast, get a full care order and send the children back home when they are 18 even more messed up.

You couldn't make the system up if you tried. Somehow I managed to fight the system appropriately to get this family out of the system and back together, certainly added to the detriment of my health.

My mental health was fcuked. My drinking before anyone asked took off when I had the breakdown and the children weren't with me.

The expectations, timescales, spotlighting and the amount of professionals we were involved with is beyond. I had 3 upheld complaints against the system. Believe me just complaining about the system is a job in itself. I could fill a book with what they were like, where we were. I also had the acknowledgement that they could have prevented it if they had given me the helped I had begged for.

The rewriting of the childrens act in 2005 time to update it from the 70's draconian laws has improved things somewhat. Alot of the old style social workers have been wheedled out.

So before we say 'well the privatisation would stop this' NO it would NOT. It would become even more about money and cost cutting.

The children who should be in care, aren't in care. Those that shouldn't be in the system are. The system is needed. The system doesn't work GT. It will certainly be worse under the private sector.

I expect you to argue it, however it will make no odds. Unless you have been involved you haven't got a clue.
 
I do NOT bash all privatisation GT. Private hospitals is very very different to Children social services. For starters there is a choice over private and NHS. Also you pay for private hospitals. The person not the government.

ATOS to be involved with children's social services. God help anyone involved in them then. We only need to look at what ATOS have done with welfare and the screw ups they have made of peoples lives to know why they should not be involved with anything.

This would be another system that would be about money 1st, as of ATOS with welfare.

Do you know anything about Childrens Social Services?. Unfortunately ( or fortunately depending on how you look at it) I know far too much. I have had 1st hand experience and I am not ashamed to admit it. I know more about the system than they know about themselves.

Have fled the ex 14 years ago, this September, I begged the system for help. We had never had a social worker. My youngsters were properly bought up. Yes they had seen things youngsters shouldn't see however if every child was in the care system that was seeing things they shouldn't see, there would be very few children living with there families and there would be more children in care than lived with their parents.

They wouldn't help us: Why? Because I spoke to well, I was educated, my children hadn't been dragged up, they had no social worker, they weren't involved with the police, they were educated, fed, clothed etc. All the basics. After a life time of abuse I was struggling to keep the face on. My children were 15, 13, 11 & 4 at the time. I needes serious help as we were all emotionally fcuked up.

Going back I begged the system for prevention work. They said they couldn't afford it. Prevention work turned to crisis and the children had to spend a short period in the care system. I can tell you now that it cost this country a 100 + % more than it is should have.

Even then back in 2001 it was about children in care/open and shut cases, clear it up, fast, get a full care order and send the children back home when they are 18 even more messed up.

You couldn't make the system up if you tried. Somehow I managed to fight the system appropriately to get this family out of the system and back together, certainly added to the detriment of my health.

My mental health was fcuked. My drinking before anyone asked took off when I had the breakdown and the children weren't with me.

The expectations, timescales, spotlighting and the amount of professionals we were involved with is beyond. I had 3 upheld complaints against the system. Believe me just complaining about the system is a job in itself. I could fill a book with what they were like, where we were. I also had the acknowledgement that they could have prevented it if they had given me the helped I had begged for.

The rewriting of the childrens act in 2005 time to update it from the 70's draconian laws has improved things somewhat. Alot of the old style social workers have been wheedled out.

So before we say 'well the privatisation would stop this' NO it would NOT. It would become even more about money and cost cutting.

The children who should be in care, aren't in care. Those that shouldn't be in the system are. The system is needed. The system doesn't work GT. It will certainly be worse under the private sector.

I expect you to argue it, however it will make no odds. Unless you have been involved you haven't got a clue.
 
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