CHILDREN'S SERVICES UK ( CARE HOMES )

      ' vulnerable' Children in Care Homes.

 The UK Government will today announce plans to end the ' export trade' of vulnerable children around England who find themselves in Care Homes.


I worked within Children Services for almost twenty years , this was in community care homes and Secure Units , mainly on the front line of dealing with young people and coming across the various dilemma's this entails . I no longer work within this field as it was mentally and physically exhausting work apart from the reams of red tape that you had to wade through and as for political correctness ,don't get me started.


I totally agree that finding suitable placements for 'vulnerable' children can be a nightmare and a change has been long overdue. Especially at this time with the increase in sexual exploitation among this group and the sad case that happened in Rochdale . There are many questions to be asked from the top and filtering down to the front line staff.


Firstly , do you place a child closer to home knowing they are 'vulnerale ' by being in contact with undesirable people through there peer group and local friends ? Or do you remove them  from the area and it links completely?


Or do you place them further away from home knowing that they could be a danger of absconding back to there local area or into another area that could be equally as dangerous.
On this point I notice that security around children's homes is to be increased from perpetrators making contact with children. Which is great but who funds this and is this a private security firm ? Also say for instance your a care worker on duty and you are aware a child is saying that they are going to leave . Fine in a Secure setting you have physical objects fences , walls ,locked doors etc. In a community setting your left with words of discouragement and making them aware of the dangers and for there safety. But the child is adamant they are leaving , you cannot physically stop them as this is deemed as assault so you phone the police and make them aware of the situation . Whilst the child walks out , is this adequate ? If you have children at home what would you do ? knowing that they are heading for a group of men aged 30 to 50 years old???


Children being placed in locations near known sex offenders ? this does not take a genius to work out that this is totally unsuitable and destined for god knows what.


Tim Laughton the Children's minister says that police have produced 'heat maps' showing the location of care homes and known sex offenders being on the same street . He then continues 'can Social workers look me in the eye and say this is suitable' So Social workers are involved in the planning and building of care homes and are responsible where sex offenders are placed, not the courts? not the police?
Mr Laughton appears to have a problem with his figures too , according to him the government data recorded only 930 ( only ?) children disappearing, whilst Police figures estimate 10,000 children go missing from care every year . ( Bit of a difference don't you think .)


Mr Laughton does feel that local authorities should be able to share information with the police in these matters , which you would think should be happening as a matter of course.


Perhaps some of the communication problems could do with three-quarters of care homes being in the private sector . I take nothing away from these  homes as they obviously ease the pressure on the local authorities , but at what cost?


I agree that the ' sexual exploitaion' of these vulnerable children does appear to have increased. But what does that say about our society in general ???


"The recent exposure of horrific cases of sexual exploitation,trafficking and other shocking crimes leave no room for doubt that there are huge gaps in the system that must be closed urgently"