Justice For Families

I would like to suggest a way for you to get an elected councillor onside.

The policy of 'Corporate Parenting' came into effect in October 2003 and this made it the duty and responsibility of elected councillors( county councillors, ward councillors and borough councillors.....NOT parish councillors) to investigate and enquire into the condition of the children taken into care in their local authority.

Though, via subterfuge, misleading information, innuendo and downright threats, most local authorities have kept this legislation from their own elected councillors. Local government officials have therefore been basking in having created for themselves, a no- go area.......A councillor free zone.

I first got a whisper of this legislation, about 11 months ago. I asked a number of councillors around the country to make enquiries. You would be surprised how some local authorities have dealt with their own councillors who sought information about 'Corporate Parenting'. They generally misled the councillors into believing there was no such legislation.

In April 2005, County Councillor Barry Aspinell was injuncted and Essex County Council even tried to have him imprisoned, when he went to the aid of the 'Brentwood Low IQ couple'. At the time, we ( Barry and I ) had no idea about this 'Corporate Parenting' legislation. Through circuitous ways, we have now obtained the relevant document. It is enclosed below.

Click on:

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/educationprotect ... CFC03E.pdf


Since we discovered the official publication, about 10 weeks ago, it has been used by at least 10 parents to my knowledge, within the last 12 weeks. On each occasion the elected councillors have responded positively. In one case, a baby taken from a mother and earmarked for adoption, was handed to the brother of the mother, so that the child would be brought up by the extended family. Prior to the 'Corporate Parenting' policy being quoted, the local authority had excluded the mother's family and was preparing for adoption as recently as 8 weeks ago.

It shows what the local authorities have been up to.

I can confirm that councillor Barry Aspinell has now taken up the issue of Essex County Council ( ECC ) obstructing him in his legitimate political duties and even seeking his imprisonment, when he was going about his lawful political duties. ECC has kept its councillors in complete ignorance of this legislation, so that it would have no interference from elected councillors. ....There is much more to this!

In the meanwhile, Any parent whose child has been taken into care, should consider the following action, if you wish to receive information about the child or if the agreed contact or contact order, has not been maintained.


1.......Write to your local county councillor or borough councillor ( NOT parish councillor ) and ask him/her to get involved and make enquiries concerning the treatment of your child/children in Care.

2.........If the councillor ignores your letter or tells you that he /she is not allowed to get involved because the case has been through the Family Courts, or some such excuse, refer the councillor to the 'Corporate Parenting' policy.

The corporate parenting policy places a duty and responsibility on elected councillors to investigate the conditions of children in Care.

Please ensure that all communication to ALL the authorities is done in writing, with you holding a copy.

3.......This should then get regular contact established, with the child/children.......You and the councillor will then learn what is going on and the councillor will be able to ask questions of the council, which will have to be answered.........This does not interefere with the Care Proceedings........The duty of the elected councillor is clear.

Please read the 'Corporate Parenting' policy.

If after contacting the elected councillor, you have any problems, contact me.

I love the term "Corporate Parenting" - it just illustrates how Labour have moved so far from traditional socialism in its terminology so as to be nigh unrecognisable.

Nonetheless (despite the scary forward by the then Minister For Children Margaret Hodge) this is a vital doc. Well done for Jack finding it (and subsequently advising others to implement it.) Though it sticks in my throat some credit has to be given to Margaret Hodge for providing a facility that empowers LA councellors to enforce some degree of oversight over SS.

Does it still apply to borough/ward councillors if the council is not unitary?