Named Person scheme must overcome parents’ lack of trust if it is to succeed
Vulnerable children in our society need to be protected. This is something that supporters and opponents of the Named Person scheme can agree on. The issue that divides them is how and for whom that protection should be provided.
I have been involved with the Children’s Hearings system for quite a few years and that experience leads me to make two relevant contributions to the Named Person debate.
First, it is vitally important that any significant risk to a child is identified and addressed quickly. Delay in taking measured and appropriate action is frequently detrimental to the child’s wellbeing.
Those best placed to make the initial identification are often, though not exclusively, doctors and teachers, who are both bound by law to flag up any concerns they may have.
The question is: will a Named Person assist this process? In some cases the answer will be ‘yes’, but most of the time the laws and practices already in place will be more than adequate. There is also a risk that the minor problems and disagreements that occur in any normal family may be exaggerated into something more serious than they really are.
Secondly, my involvement with the Children’s Hearings system has shown me clearly that the welfare of a child whose life situation merits state intervention will be greatly enhanced if there is a strong element of trust between the parents/carers and social work or other professionals. Where there is a lack of trust, progress for that child can be painfully slow.
And herein, for me, lies the heart of the issue. Quite clearly there is a lack of trust in the whole Named Person debate. Good parents feel that the proposed legislation demonstrates that, by requiring every child to have a Named Person, they are not trusted by the state to bring up their children appropriately. Equally, they do not trust the state not to intrude and interfere in normal family life.
My conclusion is that, until that lack of trust is overcome and it is clearly demonstrated that there will be no intervention in the lives of the vast majority of families, the Named Person scheme cannot and will not work.
DAVID HAMILL Preston Road, East Linton