Over the last few months I have chaired a parliamentary inquiry into the support provided to children in care who run away or go missing.
We know that running away or going missing is a key indicator that a child might be at risk or in need. Children in care are three times more likely to run away than children living at home. When they go missing, they place themselves in great danger of being sexual exploited or physically abused.
In our evidence sessions we heard harrowing stories of what happens when children go missing from care and the physical and sexual abuse they encounter. The stories spoke for themselves and it is clear that these vulnerable children - who have already been failed by their parents and guardians - are not getting the support they need from the very systems and people that are there to protect them.
We also heard from a number of witnesses about what they know and do to help protect the children in our land, including ministers, national agencies, charities, social workers, police forces and local authorities up and down the country.
Witnesses unanimously agreed that the true scale and nature of children going missing from care is not known because of failures in how data is collected and shared by police, local authorities and the Department for Education. One witness noted that until it is known what is going on in local areas, no one can properly understand the issues or effectively intervene in the lives of these vulnerable children.
The recent experiences in Rochdale experience clearly demonstrate the need for local agencies to work together and share information. It is also imperative that professionals are aware of the strong links between going missing and child sexual exploitation so that they are able to identify the signs early and prevent abuse from taking place. Based on the comprehensive evidence submitted to the Inquiry, we will provide practical recommendations that can make a real impact on the lives of thousands of the very vulnerable children who run away from care every year.
Far too many children who run away or go missing from care become victims of sexual and physical abuse and exploitation. One child in this situation is one child too many. Every child who has to appear in court as a victim of sexual exploitation is a failure of the system to prevent harm.
Rochdale gang jailed for total of 77 years for sexually exploiting young girls
Rochdale child-sex trial: An obsession with racism that left vulnerable girls ...
Rochdale grooming trial: police knew about sex abuse in 2002 but failed to act
Rochdale grooming: Jailed man to appeal over BNP tweet
Rochdale grooming trial: how the case unfolded
Rochdale grooming trial: Mohammed Shafiq, the campaigner who stood up to the ...
They will often resist all attempts to safeguard, support and guide them. Their parents have failed them and no-one can make up for that. But, the state has to pick up the pieces.
As John Hemming MP who has over 1,600 cases on file says: Social Services get involved when they shouldn't and don't get involved when they should. Once they run away, it's way too late!
More on www.gloriamusa.wordpress.com and http://victims-unite.net/child-snatching/
With more sighs than hopes,
Sabine
Children have been going missing forever and only now the agencies responsible admit a communications failure! Let's get this fixed right away then work out who is to blame?
The second principle issue is dealing with the damaged child that is in care. This is a resource hungry activity as it needs close monitoring and guidance on a one to one basis. Somehow we must replace the lack of caring and presence of chaos with stability. The lack of control exercised by homes indicate they seem unable to prevent these children from ending up on the streets. I can understand the difficulties of putting unwanted restraints on young people intent on ignoring authority. However, unless we find a way we are never going to find sufficient time face to face to have influence on them and therefore to protect them. A site which gives people with life experience the opportunity to comment on issues in life, such as this, is worth visiting www.silverlinksnetwork.com
But just like the introduction of "Quality Protects" after the North Wales and other Children's Home's scandals of the late 80's and early 90's there will be short term outrage followed by cosmetic actions before these children are lost from public conscience again.
Anyway take the above ingredients and pour them into a children's home where the emotional temperature always hovers around the red zone, then deprive staff of the conditions on which they can start to impose control over these impulsive and chaotic children, and offer them genuine asylum free from exploitation and further abuse.
I worked in children's homes and schools for 25 years...the experience nearly killing me at times and eventually having to retire on ill health grounds, because of the emotional toll it took of me, and as these are children of the state then responsibility for these kinds of gross failings to protect the most vulnerable children in the country from further harm much be accepted proportionately....and politicians of all stripes have played a major role in the neglect of these children.
This leads to wars of nerves and a strong desire (in staff as well as children) to get away.
Dealing with non-compliant, often highly disturbed children is very difficult. Britain tries to do it on the cheap with lots of rules and poorly trained staff. It does not work.