How to protect other children

[Bluebindays]

I've been feeling very very sad seeing all the news about poor Arthur. How do we protect children from living in such cruel, and dangerous homes? Do we need more social workers? Changes to fostering and adoption to make parents feel more willing to give up children that they aren't caring for?

I think the issue I experienced though, as involved in the legal side of child protection for decades, is that in order to recognise it's not in a child's best interests to remain with you, you need to care about the child's best interests. So those that had the children's interests at the fore were able to say, I cannot do this at the movement or ever, and those who were capable of causing harm to a child, I never saw any say that or see that.

Existing thread here -

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4417391-How-do-we-protect-these-children-There-must-be-more-we-all-can-do

There are already several threads on this exact topic, OP.

Thank you and Thank you!

In addition the outcomes for children in care and adopted children aren't great- individuals do well, but as a cohort they don't. Thus the many ways they get priority- school applications etc.

So before removing a child from a 'less than ideal' home, you need to know it's to avoid a truly significant harm. That slows things down, sometimes so much it's too late. Generally, children do better with their families if at all possible. I was a foster carer. I'm fairly familiar with some of the problems of safeguarding.

I'd say we need to encourage people to be great foster carers, pay them well, support them well, so outcomes for children in care are better.

There’s a new thing being introduced in my local authority, where I foster, which will match approved foster carers who don’t have foster children (in between placements, for example) with families who have been identified as needing support. So the foster carer will go in and help the parents establish routines, see what they’re struggling with, get other agencies involved if further help is needed etc. But I imagine that will only help families that want help - not ones like
Arthur’s who wanted to hide him away from the world and abuse him.