tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18333742268886364462024-02-19T11:27:14.253+00:00Jimmy's BlogCampaigning and support for grandparents separated from their grandchildren.Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.comBlogger411125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-80891746656528146692011-09-16T16:31:00.000+01:002011-09-16T16:32:28.645+01:00Use of psychotropic drugs on children<h3 style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(27, 4, 49); background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 243, 219); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "> <o:p></o:p></span></h3> <h3 style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; "><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt">I am truly amazed at the government saying we could fund more adults to be available to work directly with children. We have an army of willing grandparents wanting to help children but the government is definitely turning a blind eye to that fact and rather than use grandparents they talk about drugging our children into submission and also changing the way mental illness is diagnosed. The “Best interests of the Child” saying came from Nazi </span></b><st1:country-region><st1:place><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt">Germany</span></b></st1:place></st1:country-region><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt"> are we now in danger of adopting their methods as well?<span> </span></span></b></span></h3> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt">Why ? What are they afraid of in making grandparents relevant in children’s lives?<span> </span>We have agreed with the government that we don’t need automatic legal rights as that would not work but on the governments suggestion we agreed on a Charter for Grandchildren and helped in its creation. The idea was the children should have the right to have grandparents in their lives if there was no reason otherwise. And government organisations should look more closely at the role grandparents can play in their grandchildren’s lives it has not been as effective as it should be because of lack of legislation.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt"><span> </span>Now after recognising the needs for a charter and going to all the bother of creating it social services now maintain what is contained in it is already enshrined in law. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt">If that particular legislation had been heeded there would be no need for change, it has been ignored so much and forgotten that there is a cry for it to be revised and focussed on the real best interests in protecting our children. Especially from the governments own organisations.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt">One person wielding all the power over who has contact with children is causing children to be used as weapons and blackmail. In some cases one mother had a child to three fathers and charged them £150.00p per week to have contact while still collecting benefits. One granny is paying all the rent and costs for her daughter-in law’s flat just to be able to see the child and the mother is still collecting benefits. It is very common that grandparents are paying in one way or another for contact with their grandchildren.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt">We at Grandparents Apart </span></b><st1:country-region><st1:place><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt">UK</span></b></st1:place></st1:country-region><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt"> would like an explanation as to why grandparents are regarded as sub human species shunned by every government department regarding their grandchildren. Are our children now to be snatched, groomed, force adopted and drugged into submission. This will create even more gangs in the future with non achievers and unmanageable children. Quick fixes are no good we must treat our children with the respect that grandparents can give.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-92000250709489631592011-09-16T09:32:00.000+01:002011-09-16T09:33:51.383+01:00Psychologists warn of growing use of psychotropic drugs on children<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div class="articleSummary" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 10px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><h1 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.8em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-weight: 700; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><br /></h1><p id="bySummary" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.1em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-style: italic; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">By <span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Lauren Higgs</span> Thursday, 15 September 2011</p><div class="commentsWrap" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 10px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; display: block; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><div id="newsArticleCommentNumber" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 10px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><a href="http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/1092235/psychologists-warn-growing-use-psychotropic-drugs-children/?DCMP=EMC-CONCYPNow%20Daily#comments" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.1em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; color: rgb(44, 68, 109); text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Be the first to comment</a></div></div><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Shy children are at risk of being prescribed powerful psychotropic drugs because of a growing tendency to treat behavioural problems with medication, the Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP) has warned.</p><div class="articleImage" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 10px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><br /><p class="caption" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.1em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); font-style: italic; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Fallon: 'In a society that wants quick results, using drugs to improve behaviour is very tempting'. Image: Brijesh Patel</p></div><div class="clearFloat" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; clear: both; height: 0px; line-height: 1px; visibility: hidden; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "></div></div><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Speaking at the TUC conference, AEP general secretary Kate Fallon called for an urgent national review into the use of drugs such as Ritalin on school-aged children.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">"We are concerned that not enough is known about the long-term effects of such powerful drugs on the development of children’s brains," she said.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">"We have received increased numbers of reports from our members that children with behavioural difficulties are being prescribed drugs without full discussion with other professionals to see if other strategies or approaches could be used instead of, or at least alongside, the medication."</p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(39, 37, 37); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Fallon added that plans to adopt a new set of criteria for defining mental illness in the UK in 2013 will lead to many more children being diagnosed as mentally ill on the basis of their behaviour.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div class="mpu" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 10px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; text-align: center; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><div id="c501Ad" class="adHide" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 10px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; display: block; clear: left; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><br /></div></div><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">"A shy child could be diagnosed with social anxiety; a sad or temporarily withdrawn child could be diagnosed with depression," she said.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">"In a society that wants quick results, using drugs to improve behaviour is very tempting. But there can be other ways of improving children’s behaviour that typically involve time and energy from people."</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">"Simply relying on medication in isolation is no solution; we must foster a more collaborative approach to the treatment of school-aged children with conditions such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)."</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) guidance says psychotropic drugs should not be prescribed to children under the age of six.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">But the Department of Health doesn’t collect data on prescriptions of this kind, so there is no national figure on the use of such drugs with children.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">"We have evidence that the current guidance is not being followed. For example, children under six are being prescribed the drugs but there is no monitoring of such practice," Fallon said.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">She criticised Nice for declining to review its guidance in light of AEP’s findings.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">"If we fail to review our practices we run the risk of even more children being prescribed with drugs whose long-term effects are not categorically known to us," she said.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.3em; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">"We run the risk of committing children to long-term drug use and of committing the long-term spending of public money to increase the profits of pharmaceutical companies, public money which could go some way towards funding more adults being available to work directly with children.</p></span>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-40387223350767186152011-09-13T09:42:00.002+01:002011-09-13T09:53:03.395+01:00Governments are failing to protect abused children.<span class="Apple-style-span" ><span style="font-family: Times; "><br /><br />The NSPCC are bombarding us with their adverts. The child has to get his own supper again, or he goes home to a fist. If the NSPCC claims of abuse in the home are correct then all the governments of the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family: Times; ">UK</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: Times; "> are turning a blind eye to their findings and are colluding in child abuse.<br /><br />The government’s stance is grandparents are not relevant in the grandchildren’s lives. Is this stance justifiable when NSPCC is constantly advertising on television about how much children are abused in their own home? Contact can simply be by phone, letter, email etc. or visits. Contact to make sure they are safe.<br /><br />Grandparents agree that a mother is usually the best person to care for her children when all is well. What happens when it is not?<br /><br />Mothers have the protection of the law and the government at their beck and call. Could this be the problem? It is the children that should have that protection, with grandparents able to support them by seeing what’s happening and to help them in these circumstances.<br /><br />The majority of children are well looked after, but too many are not. These children are left out, maltreated and unnoticed until they end up in hospital or the abuse is so far gone that neighbours report it to social services and they take the children, scarred for life, into care. This is a huge emotional and financial expense that could be avoided with early intervention.<br /><br />Government figures say 60,000 children are living in drug related households in the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family: Times; ">UK</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: Times; ">. They are not helping them or letting anyone else help them either.<br /><br /><span> </span>Children need this right to have grandparents in their life unless their safety would be in danger by doing so.<br /><br />But the governments are closed to this idea and allow more and more children to be abused in their own homes when it could be spotted earlier if grandparents were allowed that right of contact.<br /><br />The government’s adamant stance is not in the best interests of children. We need them to wake up to the very strong advertising of the NSPCC that there is wide spread of abuse of children in their own homes.</span></span>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-11008969547423368342011-09-12T14:09:00.012+01:002011-09-13T09:37:08.197+01:00Poetic sayings in a lovely Frame.<div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Wra_8-hD8nwyG-yCA6uvKOG2WamgmvY6Qazk5EZ3fOC-puwWZfYFbVCHMT-58y2-47ayNEkQsskZEDb6M6acSvASYRTbwOBajXrovqduCuKQ0ewxwDrloUnPbp7ypbQNAj2_nnhe_dhH/s1600/sayings+005.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Wra_8-hD8nwyG-yCA6uvKOG2WamgmvY6Qazk5EZ3fOC-puwWZfYFbVCHMT-58y2-47ayNEkQsskZEDb6M6acSvASYRTbwOBajXrovqduCuKQ0ewxwDrloUnPbp7ypbQNAj2_nnhe_dhH/s320/sayings+005.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651461228258344914" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3tuLG7fVdmbhGN6fvKIDq2sXR6kVrjxToRQ5o8yfWAah6o9y2dj2aFqwx6-ag06xcNQOqP-QK9GD603W_sC2eb3Nm84JRWLSfRUxylgQswb425ui4eXytWYTNQ6V37qXOzGOLMUbUiKS/s1600/sayings+003.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3tuLG7fVdmbhGN6fvKIDq2sXR6kVrjxToRQ5o8yfWAah6o9y2dj2aFqwx6-ag06xcNQOqP-QK9GD603W_sC2eb3Nm84JRWLSfRUxylgQswb425ui4eXytWYTNQ6V37qXOzGOLMUbUiKS/s320/sayings+003.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651461006163796994" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFx2KBcfugxh2HseCT8S1c9sqJUEnFbajj18k-joojldPl1aFAErLWxZi-h_YBQgylDKnAEqpTv7s9gLQABT7PqtPfEyGSAg7ler4VFCVvGUKw0-bkksEfGzeuGdg0ela3qyDexaQ3di5i/s1600/sayings+006.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFx2KBcfugxh2HseCT8S1c9sqJUEnFbajj18k-joojldPl1aFAErLWxZi-h_YBQgylDKnAEqpTv7s9gLQABT7PqtPfEyGSAg7ler4VFCVvGUKw0-bkksEfGzeuGdg0ela3qyDexaQ3di5i/s320/sayings+006.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651460450323232146" /></a><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span">In aid of our funds.</span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b>Remember Grandparents Day is the 1st October each year</b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">The above poetic sayings in colour can be purchased from us at a cost of £2.50. +£1.00p P+P. overseas will be extra. from:- </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande'; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Other sayings are <b>"The Mission of Jesus" "The Popes prayer for grandparents"</b> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande'; "><span class="Apple-style-span">If you </span></span>would like your own special saying enshrined in a lovely frame as a memento or present for someone dear to you as a Christmas present, send it to us and we will frame it as above at no extra charge. please state colour required and we will do our best to get it as close as possible.</div><div><br /></div><div>This little promotion helps our funds and gives you an inexpensive idea for a present at Christmas at the same time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheques made out to :-</div><div><br /></div><div>G.A.U.K<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande'; "> </span></div><div>22 Alness Crescent,</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Glasgow G52 1PJ</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Or Pay by Paypal</span> using the donation button on our website or use any credit card :-</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span> <a href="http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk/">www.grandparentsapart.co.uk</a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-83212450207785015202011-09-12T13:37:00.000+01:002011-09-12T13:38:15.934+01:00The Abuse of Grandma B<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(122, 122, 122); font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><h1 class="title" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 25px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 32px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; font-family: Rockwell, Georgia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); width: 500px; position: relative; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "> – How Corrupt Officials are plundering the Assets of the Elderly</h1><div class="entry" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; width: 500px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><strong style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><a href="http://grandmabarbara.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/grandma_b.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(243, 104, 109); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11047" title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://grandmabarbara.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/grandma_b.jpg?w=262&h=300" alt="" width="262" height="300" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 5px; border-right-width: 5px; border-bottom-width: 5px; border-left-width: 5px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; max-width: 490px; height: auto; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(251, 221, 223); border-right-color: rgb(251, 221, 223); border-bottom-color: rgb(251, 221, 223); border-left-color: rgb(251, 221, 223); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " /></a></strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><strong style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">The Abuse of Grandma B – a sad story told by Peter Hofschröer</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Grandma B is now 82 years old. She is wheelchair-bound and very frail. The past three years of her life have been horrendous. She lost her husband of 60 years, but that was the easy part. She has also been the victim of sustained and systematic abuse in which she has been defrauded of her house, subjected to threats and harassment because she will not hand over her life savings to her abusers, then unlawfully evicted from her house and stranded abroad, with her abusers trying, fortunately unsuccessfully, to fraudulently sell her house.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">You may well ask who would do such an awful thing to a little, old lady in a wheelchair. Sadly, most abuse takes place within the family and this is very much the case here. The main abusers are Grandma B’s older son, his wife and her two adult grandchildren.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Grandma B’s younger son was working abroad when he noticed something was very wrong. He immediately rushed back home, where his worst fears were confirmed. While he was travelling, his 87 year-old father was admitted to hospital with a serious heart complaint caused by neglect. His mother too was seriously ill due to neglect. His older brother and his family lived just around the corner, but had done little to help Grandma B and her very sick husband.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">A year before this, Grandma B and her husband had signed over their house to the older son and his family on the understanding they would care for them. Their younger son agreed to this, because he was living and working abroad and could not provide the level of care needed. Hardly was the ink on the agreement dry when the older son and his family started running Grandma B and her husband down, hoping they would pass on as soon as possible.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">When, in April 2008, the younger son arrived in the parental home, he was horrified by what he saw. He dropped what he was doing, gave up his job and home and became the full-time carer for his parents. His father led a full and happy life in his last months. His mother’s physical health has improved dramatically since the younger son took over her care.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">As soon as the younger son took over the care of his parents, the older son and his family started a campaign of harassment designed to drive him out of the parental home and to seize control of their finances. Matters reached such a level in September 2008, that the younger son reported the criminal offences to the police and the abuse to social services.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">What followed from there can only be described as a nightmare. The police made several attempts to arrest to carer on the basis of false allegations, while social services fabricated allegations against him in an attempt to have his powers of attorney revoked and the care of his parents placed in the hands of their abusers.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">A few days after the younger son made his complaint, the police arrived at the parental home to investigate a complaint he has “stolen” his parents’ money. They had no evidence to support this allegation made by the abusers, but refused to record a complaint of harassment by the abusers.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Social services blocked all attempts at getting the abuse investigated. Grandma B’s social worker made a false allegation of assault against her carer, an unfit, middle-aged man. Social services withdrew this allegation when they were shown evidence that the social worker was a black-belt in martial arts. His claim to have been overpowered and physically ejected from the parental home without injury looked a little ridiculous, to say the least.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">On the morning Grandma B’s husband of 60 years died, the police unlawfully raided her house. They allowed her abusers to charge in, assault her and bawl insults at her over her husband’s still warm corpse. When her carer stood between her and her abusers to protect her, the police officers pushed him out of the way and threatened to arrest him.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">In the following months, the abusers stalked Grandma B, attempted to break into her house and send her abusive letters. The police refused to uphold the law and arrest the criminals in question.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">An independent investigation into Social Service’s handling of the case criticised them and required them to reopen the safeguarding investigation. Months later, they did, but the police and Social Services withheld all evidence of abuse.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Instead, they fabricated abuse allegations against the carer and applied to the Office of the Public Guardian to have his powers of attorney annulled. The Office of the Public Guardian established the allegations made by Social Services were false and rejected the application.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Grandma B then went on her wheelchair to a local council meeting to hand out a leaflet protesting about the way the police and social services were treating her. Her local ward councillors set police officers in stab-vests on to her, threatening to arrest her for distributing a “defamatory” leaflet. When her carer pointed out that defamation is a civil matter and not a police matter, the officers looked a little flummoxed, but still tried to prevent her from exercising her democratic right of peaceful protest. Grandma B is a veteran of the Second World War and stood her ground. When her carer called out to the police sergeant attending the meeting in front of the 30 or so members of the public present that she should arrest these officers for harassing a vulnerable person, they beat a hasty retreat. The sergeant refused to uphold the law.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Instead, two days later, the local police fabricated the first Harassment Warning against her carer. A couple of weeks later, they fabricated a second warning and were clearly intending to fabricate a third, at which point the carer could have been arrested.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">In the ensuing two years, the carer’s legal representatives both in Britain and abroad have made dozens of requests for sight of the evidence to support these unsigned, undated harassment warnings which are not legally valid. The police have produced nothing other than excuses and have refused every opportunity to sign these warnings for fear of perjuring themselves. The police inspector that issued the warnings took “early retirement” when challenged by the carer’s solicitor to produce the evidence.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Exhausted by this constant harassment, Grandma B went abroad on holiday for Christmas 2009. The police tipped off her abusers she was away from home, who then forced entry, changed the locks and unlawfully evicted her. After stealing her valuables in full view of the police, they tried to fraudulently sell her house. Fortunately, Grandma B’s solicitor prevented them from doing so.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">However, her abusers and their friends in the police and local authority, then fabricated a kidnapping allegation against her carer. This request to arrest the carer went from the local CID to Special Branch, to SOCA, to New Scotland Yard, to Interpol London, Interpol in the country in question, then to the national police headquarters and provincial police headquarters before landing on the desk of a local police officer in a remote Alpine village.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">The expectation here was obvious: the local country bumpkin plod would be so impressed by the provenance of this request that he would summon up reinforcements before daring to attempt to tackle this known, hardened, serious international criminal.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">It did not quite work out like that. Two weeks before this request arrived, the police officer and his good wife had been among the many guests at the local pub at Grandma B’s 82nd birthday party. He had been sceptical about the stories he had heard about official corruption in Britain, but now he was supposed to arrest the carer for kidnapping his mother, holding her against her will and incommunicado. He obviously knew these allegations were false, but being a professional, he carried out a proper investigation. His report made it clear that the British police had knowingly lied to Interpol to help corrupt officers defraud a little, old lady on a wheelchair.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">This attempt by corrupt British police to abuse honest local police officers to carry out criminal acts on their behalf is now under investigation by the local foreign ministry.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Had the carer not been so lucky, then the chances are he would have been remanded in custody pending extradition, while Grandma B would have been returned to Britain and to the tender mercies of social services. Her assets would then have been plundered and divided up between the gang of criminals running this racket.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">There have now been five independent reviews of this case. All have called for it to be reopened. Both the police and local authority have ignored these requests.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">So what is going on here and who is involved? The main abuser is employed by local social services. He, his wife and daughter have provided support services to the local police. They all know who the isolated old people in their area with assets are. It would seem they are systematically targeting defenceless old people and seizing control of their assets before bundling them off into a council home, then selling their assets. The cash then gets laundered through a dodgy private care company as “care fees” and the police officers, social workers, council officials and local politicians involved then pocket the money. The perfect crime, as who is going to listen to a confused, old lady in a home, whose contact with the outside world they are controlling?</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">This is rampant corruption and serious, organised crime. Nobody in authority in North Yorkshire – including a certain senior police officer in the news at present – will respond to correspondence and deal with this case.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">How many more victims are there?</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Related Reading</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">For comments, please see this article in the Archive for August 2011 (just click on the date)</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">See also:</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><a href="http://www.real-whitby.co.uk/mr-problems-for-chief-constatble-maxwell" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(243, 104, 109); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">North Yorkshire Police – Chief Constable Maxwell Has Problems</a></p></div></span>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-91520604705127181552011-09-10T15:38:00.000+01:002011-09-10T15:40:17.403+01:00Dogs Cage<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcwEGSsEZRDiwJQVKaXk4CKsqszmKa3klnjI-GMrFGFG2YE3AwPSc6EtKUwYD-fivrQaqOrhK66nxh1IXz-nHfuBtPqQb_QSzcH2yT5L8_aQGfc1-kCNb8JSTYnIrreg9N-Tgl0o50_cX/s1600/Dogs+Cage.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 227px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcwEGSsEZRDiwJQVKaXk4CKsqszmKa3klnjI-GMrFGFG2YE3AwPSc6EtKUwYD-fivrQaqOrhK66nxh1IXz-nHfuBtPqQb_QSzcH2yT5L8_aQGfc1-kCNb8JSTYnIrreg9N-Tgl0o50_cX/s320/Dogs+Cage.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650740658307486034" /></span></a>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-21023436277992998552011-09-10T12:28:00.002+01:002011-09-10T12:30:56.801+01:00Blame the government<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><o:p> </o:p>re-release Wi a wee bit extra.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><o:p> </o:p>Don’t blame parents!!! Blame the government for the inhuman treatment of children in the care system, The University of Crime. Children need their families.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><o:p> </o:p>The government are trying to pass the buck for the criminal riots onto parents. What a cheek and insult to the millions of parents.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><o:p> </o:p><b>It is well known that children removed from their family by social services and brought up in the care system are non achievers, disrespectful, unmanageable, and have no respect for anyone. They are the mainstream of the gangs that roam our streets looking for that family feeling they were robbed of when they were cruelly separated from their family.</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><o:p> </o:p>The government do not even try to keep children with their families. Snatch, groom them and adopt to the first people who fancy adopting a child.<span> </span>Grandparents have been campaigning for years to be taken seriously in caring for their grandchildren rather than the care system but the government turn a blind eye to them and tell them you have no rights. We don’t need to talk to you. Grandparents have won the Charter for Grandchildren from the Scottish government and if made mandatory for professionals in the care system would ensure millions of children would be placed with their grandparents if that is in their best interest rather than social services.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><o:p> </o:p>We are already in the too late. The British family is being destroyed by government policies which are based only on cost at present but this passes the problem and even more cost onto future authorities when the children are adults and committing crimes on society.<span> </span>The government thinks they can treat children anyway they like and expect them to be upstanding citizens when they grow up.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><o:p> </o:p>There are other points to consider I was told by an MSP. The points that they consider is how to further their own career. The present SNP government is not interested in any way in bringing families together. <span> </span>They even pay Woman’s Aid to alienate grandparents from a child’s life.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" > </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" > </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></p>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-15675862329575047882011-09-10T12:17:00.000+01:002011-09-10T12:18:13.186+01:00!!!! They are still at it !!!!!<p class="normalweb1" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.8pt"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family: Arial;color:#464646">The British Government without consent deported children from 1930 to 1970. The favourite saying of the government is “lessons have been learnt” But they have ignored the lessons to be learnt here.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="normalweb1" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.8pt"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family: Arial;color:#464646"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="normalweb1" align="center" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:16.8pt"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646">!!!!<span> </span>They are still at it<span> </span>!!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="normalweb1" align="center" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:16.8pt"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="normalweb1" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.8pt"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family: Arial;color:#464646">Social services are still snatching children and telling them falsely that their families do not want them and also telling grandparents and extended family that the children do not want to see them either. (Parental Alienation) This confuses and demoralises children into accepting forced adoption to complete strangers. An excellent cost cutting business plan! But children are not commodities.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="normalweb1" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.8pt"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family: Arial;color:#464646"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="normalweb1" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.8pt"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family: Arial;color:#464646">Extract from the ‘Social Work Action Magazine’ Social work conference.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="normalweb1" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.8pt"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family: Arial;color:#464646"><span> </span>Quote “Social workers said they did not become SW so that they could be ‘case managers or have to make decisions based on money rather on what was needed” End Quote.</span></b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="normalweb1" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.8pt"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="normalweb1" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.8pt"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646">He will combine it with an apology to the 7,000 child migrants from </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646">Britain</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646"> who still lives in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646">Australia</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646">. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="normalweb1" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.8pt"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646">As they were compulsorily shipped out of </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646">Britain</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646">, many of the children were told - wrongly - their parents were dead, and that a more abundant life awaited them. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="normalweb1" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.8pt"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646">Many parents did not know their children, aged as young as three had been sent to </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646">Australia</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646">. Child care agencies (guess who they are) worked with the government to send disadvantaged children to a rosy future and supply what was deemed "good white stock" to a former colony.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="normalweb1" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.8pt"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="normalweb1" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Arial">Full story.<span> </span><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/uk/8361025.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/uk/8361025.stm</a><b><span style="color:#464646"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="normalweb1" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.8pt"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#464646"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">Jimmy Deuchars<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">Grandparents Apart </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial">UK</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family:Arial"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">22 Alness crescent<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial">Glasgow</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family:Arial"> G52 1PJ<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">0141 882 5658<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"><a href="http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk/">http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk</a> </span></p>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-40258938681069385602011-09-08T15:36:00.000+01:002011-09-08T15:37:55.467+01:00Government can't rewrite nature and allow gays to wed - O'Brien<h1 style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Arial"><a href="http://www.scotsman.com/news/Government-can39t-rewrite-nature-and.6832538.jp?articlepage=2">http://www.scotsman.com/news/Government-can39t-rewrite-nature-and.6832538.jp?articlepage=2</a><o:p></o:p></span></h1> <h1 style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br /></span></span></h1> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:#E4E4E4"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:#E4E4E4"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white">Keith O'Brien said any attempt to redefine marriage would be ‘strenuously opposed'. Picture: Phil Wilkinson<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:#E4E4E4"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white"><br /> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:#E4E4E4"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white"><a href="file:///C:/Users/jimmy/Documents/Government%20can.doc"></a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#C5C5C5;background:white">ADVERTISEMENT<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:whitesmoke"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style="'width:.75pt;height:.75pt'"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\jimmy\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image002.gif" href="http://www.wtp101.com/admeld_sync?admeld_user_id=4e461475-953d-4b9a-87a7-c074d662ab5a&admeld_adprovider_id=485&admeld_call_type=redirect&admeld_callback=http://tag.admeld.com/match"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img border="0" width="1" height="1" src="file:///C:/Users/jimmy/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image002.gif" style="border-style:initial;border-color:initial;border-bottom-width:0px; border-left-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-top-width:0px;float:right" shapes="_x0000_i1026" /><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1027" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style="'width:.75pt;height:.75pt'"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\jimmy\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image002.gif" href="http://tag.admeld.com/pixel?admeld_dataprovider_id=32&external_user_id=0"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img border="0" width="1" height="1" src="file:///C:/Users/jimmy/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image002.gif" style="border-style:initial;border-color:initial;border-bottom-width:0px; border-left-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-top-width:0px;float:right" shapes="_x0000_i1027" /><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white">Published Date:</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white"> </span></b></span><st1:date year="2011" day="8" month="9"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black; background:white">08 September 2011</span></st1:date><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white">By Andrew Whitaker<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black; background:white">The leader of </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white">Scotland</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white">'s Catholic community has warned that moves by MSPs to legalise gay marriage will be "strenuously opposed" by the Church.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black; background:white">Cardinal Keith O'Brien, in a strongly worded homily delivered at a mass for politicians in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white">Edinburgh</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white"> last night, claimed that allowing gay people to wed through a civil or religious ceremonies would be a "direct attack" on the institution of marriage.<br /><br />However, the intervention sparked criticism from MSPs, with the openly gay leader of the Scottish Greens, Patrick Harvie, attacking the Cardinal's remarks as "absurd" and as an attempt to "suppress" the freedom of gays, lesbians and bisexuals.<br /><br />The row came after the SNP government launched a 14-week consultation on allowing gay marriage - a change to the law that currently allows same-sex couples to enter a civil partnership, but bans the ceremony from church or other religious premises.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />However, Cardinal O'Brien suggested that supporters of gay marriage wanted to "rewrite human nature" as he appealed to MSPs to oppose the proposed reform.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />He said: "The Church esteems the institution of marriage as the most stable building block upon which any family can rest.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />"The view of the Church is clear, no government can rewrite human nature; the family and marriage existed before the State and are built on the union between a man and woman.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />"Any attempt to redefine marriage is a direct attack on a foundational building block of society and will be strenuously opposed."<br /><br />There was also a sharply worded statement issued by the Bishops' Conference of Scotland yesterday, which suggested that the Scottish Government's consultation was "an exercise for justifying the campaign demands" of the "vociferous" gay rights lobby.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />But Green MSP Mr Harvie attacked the Catholic Church's stance on gay rights and highlighted a Scottish Social Attitudes survey which revealed 60 per cent believe same-sex couples should have the right to marry.<br /><br />"It's absurd to suggest that one marriage can undermine other marriages," he said.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />"Just as non-Catholics respect Catholic marriages, so it's time for the Cardinal to start respecting the right of every adult to love who they please.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />"The Cardinal should also remember that he doesn't speak for all people of faith, or even all Christians.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />"There are many faith groups who want to conduct same-sex marriages for their members, and the Catholic Church seems determined to try and suppress their freedom to do so."<br /><br />SNP MSP John Mason, who faced criticism for lodging a parliamentary motion that said no-one should be "forced" to approve of same-sex marriage, said he wanted "to encourage churches" to get involved in the debate about the proposals.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white">A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "Our consultation, published last week, sets out that the Scottish Government tends towards the initial view that same-sex marriage should be introduced in </span></span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white">Scotland</span></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white"> but that faith groups and their celebrants should not be obliged to solemnise same sex marriages."</span></span></p>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-25811213769317993032011-09-07T16:41:00.000+01:002011-09-07T16:42:15.469+01:00For the grandparents-to-be and those who already are: -<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><b><br /></b></span></span> <span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> </span><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; ">GRANDPARENTS ANSWERING MACHINE...</span><br /><br /><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; ">Good morning. . . .. At present we are not at home but, please Leave your message after you hear the beep. beeeeeppp ... </span><br /><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> </span><br /><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> If you are one of our children, dial 1 and then select the option from 1 to 9 in order of "arrival" so we know who it is.</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> </span><br /><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> If you need us to stay with the children, press 2</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> </span><br /><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> If you want to borrow the car, press 3</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> </span><br /><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> If you want us to wash your clothes and ironing, press 4</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> </span><br /><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> If you want the grandchildren to sleep here tonight, press 5</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> </span><br /><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> If you want us to pick up the kids at school, press 6</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> </span><br /><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> If you want us to prepare a meal for Sunday or to have it delivered to your home, press 7</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> </span><br /><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> If you want to come to eat here, press 8</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> </span><br /><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> If you need money, dial 9</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> </span><br /><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> If you are going to invite us to dinner, or, taking us to the theater start talking we are listening !!!!!!!!!!!"</span><br /><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; "> </span><br /><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; ">********************************</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white">If you are not a grandparent you will still love this. If you are it shows how precious the babies are and what we mean to them.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white"> </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#C20000;background:white">WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT?</span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#C20000;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> (Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)</span></span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:blue;background:white"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:blue;background: white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span></span></b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#0000A1;background:white">Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own.</span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#0000A1;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> They like other people's.</span></span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:blue;background:white"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:blue;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br /></span></b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#FF8100;background:white">A grandfather is a man, & a grandmother is a lady!</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:blue;background:white"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:blue;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br /></span></b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#00A000;background:white">Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them.. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br /></span></b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#E000E0;background:white">When</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white"> </span></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#E000E0;background:white">they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars..</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#E000E0;background:white"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#E000E0;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br /></span></b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:green;background:white">They show us and talk to us about the colors of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on 'cracks.'</span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:blue;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br /></span></b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#FF8100;background:white">They don't say, 'Hurry up.'</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:blue;background:white"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:blue;background: white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br /></span></b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:maroon;background:white">They wear glasses and funny underwear.</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br /></span></b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#006000;background:white">They can take their teeth and gums out.</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br /></span></b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#4181FF;background:white">Grandparents don't have to be smart.</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:blue;background:white"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:blue;background: white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br /></span></b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:red;background:white">They have to answer questions like 'Why isn't God married?' and 'How come dogs chase cats?'</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br /></span></b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#00C200;background:white">When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br /></span></b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#FF8100;background:white">Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television because they are the only grownups who like to spend time with us.</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;background:white"> </span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br /></span><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#4141FF;background:white">They know we should have snack time before bed time, and they say prayers with us and kiss us even when we've acted bad.</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:blue;background:white"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:blue;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:maroon;background: white">A 6-YEAR-OLD WAS ASKED WHERE HIS GRANDMA LIVED. ''OH,'' HE SAID, ''SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT, AND WHEN WE WANT HER, WE JUST GO GET HER. THEN WHEN WE'RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.''</span></i></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family: Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:blue;background:white"> </span></i></b></span><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:blue;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br /></span></i></b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#8100FF;background:white">GRANDPA IS THE SMARTEST MAN ON EARTH! HE TEACHES ME GOOD THINGS, BUT I DON'T GET TO SEE HIM ENOUGH TO GET AS SMART AS HIM!</span></i></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family: Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:blue;background:white"> </span></i></b></span><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:blue;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br /></span></i></b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:purple;background:white">It' funny when they bend over; you hear gas leaks, and they blame their dog.</span></i></b></span><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:purple;background:white"><br /><span class="apple-style-span"> </span><br /></span></i></b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#C20000;background:white">Send this to other grandparents, almost grandparents, or heck, send it to everyone. It will make their day...</span></i></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black;background:white"> </span></span></p>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-11129062233053918332011-09-07T09:40:00.001+01:002011-09-07T09:42:11.042+01:00Convictions for sex offences against children soar, says MoJ<h1 style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0cm;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><a href="http://www.cypnow.co.uk/Social_Care/article/1088779/convictions-sex-offences-against-children-soar-says-moj/?DCMP=EMC-CONInCare">http://www.cypnow.co.uk/Social_Care/article/1088779/convictions-sex-offences-against-children-soar-says-moj/?DCMP=EMC-CONInCare</a></span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333;background:white"><o:p></o:p></span></h1> <h1 style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0cm;vertical-align:baseline"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></h1> <p style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align: baseline"><i><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666; background:white">By<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><i><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666;border:none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt:none windowtext 0cm;padding:0cm">Neil Puffett</span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial; color:#666666;background:white"> </span></i></span><st1:date year="2011" day="2" month="9"><i><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666; background:white">Friday, 02 September 2011</span></i></st1:date><i><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666;background:white"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:7.5pt; font-family:Arial;color:#333333;background:white"><a href="http://www.cypnow.co.uk/Social_Care/article/1088779/convictions-sex-offences-against-children-soar-says-moj/?DCMP=EMC-CONInCare#comments"><span style="font-size:8.5pt;color:#2C446D;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm;padding:0cm">Be the first to comment</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm; line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#272525;background:white">Convictions for sex offences against children under 16 have increased by almost 60 per cent in six years, it has emerged.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family: Arial;color:#333333;background:white"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px; "><i><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">Convictions for sex offences against children have increased by almost 60 per cent. Image: Phil Adams</span></i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#333333;background:white">Figures released to the BBC by the Ministry of Justice following a Freedom of Information request show there were 2,135 convictions in 2010, compared to 1,363 in 2005.</span><span style="color:#333333"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm; line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#272525;background:white">The MoJ publishes statistics on sexual offences against children every quarter, but these do not include children who are raped. Instead, rape against children is included in the total of convictions for rape on all ages. But the latest release to the BBC cover all sex offences against children.</span><span style="color:#272525"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm; line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#272525;background:white">Child protection groups have said despite better detection and raised awareness of sexual offences against children, it remains an under-reported crime.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left;vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#272525;background:white">Lisa Harker, NSPCC head of strategy, said last year police in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;color:#272525;background:white">England</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white"> and </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">Wales</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white"> were notified of more than 23,000 offences and that recent research by the NSPCC suggested one in 20 secondary school children have been sexually assaulted.</span></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm; line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#272525;background:white">"It's difficult to tell if these figures indicate an increase in the number of sex offences being committed against children," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm; line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#272525;background:white">"It may be that more people – adults and children – are becoming aware of abuse and so are reporting cases to the police and other authorities.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm; line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#272525;background:white">"Nevertheless, it's still a relatively small number of convictions considering child sex abuse is a big problem."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm; line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#272525;background:white">Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) chief executive Peter Davies said police forces had changed how they investigated child sex abuse and officers have had specific training.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-61000620739128660622011-09-05T20:03:00.001+01:002011-09-05T20:04:41.235+01:00Councils making millions in incentives after snatching record numbers of babies for adoption<span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 12px;"><div><br /></div><div>By SUE REID - 2nd July 2007</div><div>Councils are being offered bonuses of millions of pounds if they meet controversial State adoption</div><div>targets.</div><div>Confidential figures obtained by the Daily Mail show that £36million in 'reward grants' has been</div><div>promised to English councils in an attempt by Labour to increase adoptions of children by 50 per cent.</div><div>The money-earning targets were introduced by Tony Blair in 2000 and were intended to lift more older</div><div>children out of the care system.</div><div>But critics say it is the most 'adoptable' babies and children under four who are being removed in the</div><div>biggest numbers.</div><div>Court battle: Mark and Nicky Webster won the fight to keep little Brandon</div><div>More than 900 newborn babies are now being taken from their mothers each year, a 300 per cent</div><div>increase in little more than a decade.</div><div>The number of children aged between a week and a month removed from their parents has risen to</div><div>1,300 annually, a rise of 141 per cent in the same time.</div><div>In the past two weeks alone, eight newborn babies have been taken from their mothers at hospitals in</div><div>Newcastle and North Tyneside.</div><div>The number is so high there are not enough foster parents in the area. One baby - thought to be the</div><div>ninth taken from its parents - is being cared for in a special hospital unit because there is no foster</div><div>home available.</div><div>Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming has demanded an explanation.</div><div>He said: "We are seeing a massive increase in the forced removal of newborns. Babies are being taken</div><div>before they can even be breastfed. Social workers are seizing very young children on the flimsiest of</div><div>excuses and giving them to other families.</div><div>"This smacks of social engineering on a grand scale. The offer of monetary rewards for meeting the</div><div>targets has created a frenzy among social workers. There are council targets for recycling rubbish and</div><div>now targets for recycling children."</div><div>Figures prepared by the Department for Local Government and Community Cohesion show that two</div><div>councils - Essex and Kent - were offered more than £2million over three years to encourage additional</div><div>adoptions.</div><div>Four others - Norfolk, Gloucestershire, Cheshire and Hampshire - were promised £1million in extra</div><div>funds.</div><div>Critics say very young children are specifically selected - even before birth - by social workers to get</div><div>the bonuses. It is believed that 1,000 each year are wrongly taken from their parents.</div><div>Last week a court ruled that a couple whose first three children were taken for adoption should keep</div><div>their fourth, now a year old.</div><div>Abuse allegations against Mark and Nicky Webster turned out to be false. But they will never see their</div><div>three lost children again because adoptions are irreversible.</div><div>Despite the cash inducements, adoptions of older children - the very ones who were meant to be helped</div><div>- have dropped dramatically.</div><div>The number of over-sevens adopted in England has fallen from 100 in 1996 to 50 last year out of a total</div><div>of 5,400 adoptions.</div><div>Beverley Beech, of the Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services - a body which advises</div><div>new mothers - said: "The Government is denying that social workers are targeting babies for adoption.</div><div>"But the desperate calls on our helpline from pregnant women who have already been told by social</div><div>workers, for no good reason, that they will lose their babies immediately they are born, or from mothers</div><div>of new babies taken for adoption, prove these denials are not true."</div><div>Campaigners also want an opening up of family courts, where adoptions are overseen in utmost</div><div>secrecy. Parents are warned that if they tell anyone - even their closest family - what goes on they could</div><div>face prison for contempt of court.</div><div>Family law solicitor Sarah Harman, the sister of Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman, said: "It's not</div><div>the welfare of the child that is being protected - it's the welfare of social workers".</div><div>North Tyneside Council said last night: "In the past few weeks steps have been taken to protect six</div><div>babies at serious risk of significant harm. In all cases the mothers have frequent contact with their</div><div>babies and are encouraged to breastfeed."</div><div>Newcastle Council confirmed that two babies had been removed during the same period.</div><div>Websters' MP: Stop cash for adoptions</div><div>By LAURA COLLINS - Last updated at 22:15pm on 7th July 2007</div><div>The MP of a couple who lost three of their children because of a false abuse claim has called for an end</div><div>to Government adoption targets.</div><div>Liberal Democrat Norman Lamb said the targets, introduced by Tony Blair, 'provide a perverse</div><div>incentive', with councils winning cash rewards if a specified number of children are adopted.</div><div>Mr Lamb, who also wants family court proceedings to be opened up, has applied for a Commons</div><div>adjournment debate over the tragedy of Mark and Nicky Webster.</div><div>Saved: Nicky with baby Brandon</div><div>Their three eldest children were taken from them by Norfolk County Council because one had a</div><div>fracture that doctors said could only have been caused by physical abuse.</div><div>But later, four eminent specialists found that the boy was lactose-intolerant, would not take solids, and</div><div>was probably suffering from scurvy, which would have made his bones brittle and liable to break.</div><div>These experts gave this evidence for Mark, 34, and Nicky, 26, from Cromer, when they won a</div><div>landmark court fight to keep their fourth child, 13-month-old Brandon.</div><div>The Websters are fighting on for the right to have contact with their lost children, who are with</div><div>separate families, but have been advised that the adoption order is irreversible.</div><div>Their story could only be told after The Mail on Sunday and BBC won a ruling allowing the media to</div><div>report a family court case for the first time.</div><div>North Norfolk MP Mr Lamb said: "Theirs was an appalling miscarriage of justice and part of any</div><div>proper discussion must mean rethinking social services' adoption targets."</div><div>The financial incentives were introduced in 2000 in an attempt to see adoptions rise by 50 per cent. The</div><div>number of babies taken into council care in England before being adopted has risen from 970 in 1996</div><div>to 2,120 last year.</div><div>Mr Lamb said: "It ought not to be a factor that taking children into adoption means the social services</div><div>bringing in money from the Government.</div><div>"I'm sure that when these annual targets were set, they were done so with the best of intentions.</div><div>"But it brings a financial motivation into a process which just should not be influenced in that way."</div><div>The Mail on Sunday has learned that a county council, which cannot be named for legal reasons, has</div><div>won an injunction preventing ITV's Jeremy Kyle Show from featuring a mother whose five children,</div><div>all under six, are being adopted forcibly.</div><div>The state stole our children</div><div>By SUE REID - Last updated at 22:41pm on 31st January 2007</div><div>Marianne and Peter with their five children</div><div>Looking back, Marianne Key says it was the worst day of her life.</div><div>At North Tyneside Hospital on a summer afternoon, the state took away her four children and</div><div>threatened never to give them back.</div><div>The happily married former nurse watched helplessly as Nickolas, three, Alexander, almost two, and</div><div>her twin five-month-old babies, Alfred and George, were carried off by Northumberland social</div><div>workers.</div><div>Marianne was told that protest was useless. At every exit point of the hospital there was a police officer</div><div>waiting to make sure that she did not try to stop them being taken.</div><div>As her weeping children were driven to foster homes, Marianne was left alone at the hospital,</div><div>frantically ringing her husband, Simon, to tell him what had happened.</div><div>It would be six months before the family would be together again.</div><div>Today, the Keys are embroiled in a legal battle Marianne, 43, and Simon, 38, a self-employed cabinet</div><div>maker, now live 230 miles further south in the village of Lower Swell, Gloucestershire.</div><div>In the sitting room of their home, the four boys play as their new baby sister, Harriet, is rocked by their</div><div>mother.</div><div>The two older brothers attend the village primary school; the twins go to a local nursery. It appears an</div><div>idyllic life.</div><div>At Marianne and Simon's instigation — and armed with the family's files — Northumberland</div><div>detectives are now investigating the health visitors and social workers who accused Marianne Key of</div><div>being an unfit mother before taking the four children into care.</div><div>The Keys' treatment has been criticised by Peter Atkinson, the MP for Hexham in Northumberland.</div><div>"The police must inquire fully so that those responsible for this are brought to book, and I will be</div><div>telling the county's chief constable exactly that," he said this week.</div><div>The story the Keys tell is a deeply disturbing one.</div><div>They say they nearly lost their family on the say-so of a group of child-care professionals — some of</div><div>whom, Marianne says, lied about her being a neglectful mother.</div><div>The litany of accusations against Marianne was lengthy: that she had hurt Alfred; that she sedated the</div><div>children with an over-the-counter infant painkiller, Medised, so she could cope more easily; that they</div><div>were given too much milk; that they did not have enough toys, and there was a lack of emotional</div><div>warmth between Nickolas and his parents.</div><div>Marianne was said by one health worker to be suffering from Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy</div><div>(MSBP), a condition — unproved in science — where a mother is said to make up an illness in her</div><div>child or even deliberately harm her own child to attract attention to herself.</div><div>The ailment is based on the discredited research of Professor Sir Roy Meadow, 73, the controversial</div><div>paediatrician who was struck off the medical register two years ago for giving "misleading and</div><div>incorrect" testimony as an expert witness in the case of Sally Clark, the mother wrongly jailed for</div><div>killing her two infant sons.</div><div>He was found guilty of serious professional misconduct, but in February last year he successfully</div><div>appealed against this ruling in the High Court and is now free to work again.</div><div>It was Professor Meadow who coined the term MSBP.</div><div>As a result of his theory, scores of women have been accused of harming their own offspring and</div><div>jailed.</div><div>Hundreds more have had their children put into care or even handed over for adoption.</div><div>But there is another matter of concern.</div><div>Some of Marianne's records, and those of the children, were falsified to make the case against her,</div><div>according to a report prepared on the family by their London medical negligence lawyers, Leigh Day &</div><div>Co.</div><div>These allegations are also being investigated by the police.</div><div>On dozens of pages, the dates were changed, with extra information written between lines or added</div><div>which completely altered the sense of what was being said.</div><div>Some of Nickolas's development checks even had the letters P for Pass altered to F for Fail.</div><div>Significantly, the entire sense of a report saying that Marianne had comforted her eldest son after a fall</div><div>was changed.</div><div>The word "not" was added in different writing at a later date so that it appeared she had ignored her son</div><div>when he hurt himself.</div><div>A few weeks after Alexander's birth, a health visitor filled in a routine questionnaire to diagnose any</div><div>signs of post-natal depression — which Marianne has never suffered from.</div><div>It is based on a points system and Marianne's score was low, showing that she was a happy mother.</div><div>Mysteriously, however, a second identical questionnaire — dated April 30, 2002, when Alexander was</div><div>eight months old — was also filled in and discovered in Marianne's file.</div><div>It had a points tally so high that it made her appear mentally ill and likely to harm Alexander and his</div><div>brother.</div><div>She should, according to the score, have been immediately referred to a doctor for help.</div><div>Did someone fake it and, if so, why?</div><div>It was just one of many falsifications to records made "with the aim of painting a negative picture of</div><div>the family and particularly of Mrs Key", says the Leigh Day report.</div><div>Marianne was also informed that the traditional Silver Cross pram she had for the children was</div><div>dangerous, and that the white cloths the babies used to suck as comforters were unhygienic.</div><div>She was even told that the traditional stone flag floors in their cottage in the Northumberland hamlet of</div><div>Coldtown made it an unsuitable place to raise a young family.</div><div>So why was this mother vilified?</div><div>Why were her children taken into care at all?</div><div>Is it possible that it was to help meet the huge hike in Government targets for adoption — designed to</div><div>stop children languishing in care or foster homes but described by MPs last week as a "national</div><div>scandal"?</div><div>The numbers of those adopted nationally has gone up from 2,700 in the year 2000 to 3,700 in 2004 —</div><div>an increase of almost 40 per cent.</div><div>The biggest rise is among the under fours, exactly the same age group as the Key children when they</div><div>were taken away.</div><div>As Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming said in a special debate in the House of Commons last Friday:</div><div>"I have evidence that 1,000 children a year are being taken from their birth parents — not because they</div><div>were being harmed, but to satisfy Government targets."</div><div>His views were endorsed this week by the Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services.</div><div>The highly respected organisation said: "John Hemming is right. Children, particularly newborns, are</div><div>being snatched away for adoption, and local councils criticised if they don't meet the adoption targets.</div><div>"We are appalled by the bias and lack of accuracy in many social workers' reports, and the selective</div><div>evidence they give to the courts, which then use the information to decide whether a child is removed</div><div>from a family."</div><div>Simon and Marianne believe this may be what happened to them.</div><div>"We now think that they wanted four young bonny boys for adoption and to help meet their adoption</div><div>targets," says Marianne.</div><div>"But Northumberland County Council refused to investigate what was happening, even when our</div><div>solicitors said that my records, and those of the children, had been deliberately falsified.</div><div>"The records were used in court against me. After the council finally withdrew the care proceedings, no</div><div>apology was forthcoming. We hope now that the people who did this to us will be made to answer for</div><div>it."</div><div>What happened to the Keys was terrifying. They had moved to Northumberland from Oxfordshire in</div><div>July 2001 because they wanted to live near Marianne's sister, Sally Moss, and her husband, Roger, a</div><div>professor at Newcastle University.</div><div>The couples were close friends.</div><div>"We loved the place immediately," says Marianne.</div><div>"I was eight months pregnant with Alexander when we moved, but I organised neighbourod parties and</div><div>it was a wonderful time.</div><div>The health visitor would come to our home and we would give her tea. I thought she was lonely</div><div>because she arrived so often."</div><div>Niickolas, their eldest boy, was a boisterous child and had just started to walk.</div><div>Over the next two years, he banged his head twice — once in front of both his parents when he fell</div><div>down the stairs, and another time when he was playing outside with his father.</div><div>He also hurt his eye by running into the corner of a table at his aunt Sally's home.</div><div>The accidents were, insist Marianne and Simon, the rough and tumble of a normal childhood. Their GP</div><div>agreed.</div><div>But the health visitor and a social worker were not convinced.</div><div>They officially alerted Northumberland County Council, and later the police, alleging that Marianne</div><div>"frequently" overdosed her children on the painkiller, Medised.</div><div>Marianne denied that she had done any such thing.</div><div>But the family had to start an assessment, involving social workers visiting their home and watching</div><div>how Marianne, a skilled paediatric nurse who used to work at Great Ormond Street children’s hospital</div><div>in London, was raising her sons.</div><div>Bewildered, the Key family co-operated fully.</div><div>But on July 25, 2003, two health visitors noticed a small bruise on baby twin Alfred's head.</div><div>Marianne and Simon said it might have been due to him rubbing his head on the back of the family's</div><div>pushchair the previous morning.</div><div>The bruising was so light that when he was weighed at the local doctor's surgery on the day it</div><div>happened, the GP did not even notice it.</div><div>Marianne and Simon were ordered by social workers to take the children to North Tyneside Hospital.</div><div>They were warned that if they did not go immediately the police would be called.</div><div>But as they waited at the hospital, Simon received a phone call from the family's solicitor warning him</div><div>that social services were planning to remove Alfred and put him into care.</div><div>Marianne says: "Simon left to meet the solicitor and attend a hearing at Hexham Magistrates’ Court,</div><div>where social workers were asking, successfully, for an emergency protection order to remove the</div><div>children.</div><div>"I stayed at the hospital. I had no idea that a social worker and a woman police officer were already</div><div>waiting in the wings.</div><div>"They arrived in the ward and said that they were taking all four of the children away, there and then.</div><div>And they did."</div><div>Marianne was arrested, taken to the local police station and released on bail.</div><div>She and Simon were told to go to a council family contact centre the next morning, a Saturday, where</div><div>they would be allowed to see their eldest two children.</div><div>"The first thing Nickolas said was: 'Mummy, you left me.' When it was time to go, they cried and cried</div><div>and fought to stay with us. The foster parents, who were also there, were crying too. It was awful."</div><div>The twins had been sent to another foster home, where they were looked after by an elderly woman</div><div>who put them together in a single cot until the Keys complained about the danger of cot-death.</div><div>Intriguingly, while in care, George — Alfred's twin — also got a graze on the back of his head from the</div><div>family's pushchair. It was in an identical place to the one that Alfred had suffered.</div><div>The council accepted the foster carer's explanation that the pushchair had caused the injury.</div><div>A week later, the Keys were told that the children could return home on one important condition: they</div><div>had to be looked after by Simon —and Marianne must leave the house altogether.</div><div>She was allowed to have two hours of contact with the four children three times a week.</div><div>This was later increased to five times a week, under supervision, for the twins.</div><div>Reluctantly, Marianne moved to a flat in Hexham.</div><div>They were never permitted to visit her at the flat and she never saw them alone.</div><div>Simon, meanwhile, had to cope on his own with four children under four years old.</div><div>"The elder two boys would sleep in my bed because they were so upset," he says.</div><div>"They would wake during the night and cry for Marianne. But I had to hide this from the social</div><div>workers and health visitors because they would have leapt on it as evidence that I was not coping."</div><div>Psychiatric reports on Marianne were ordered by the council.</div><div>They showed that she did not suffer from MSBP or any personality disorder.</div><div>Crucially, a report on the twins' pushchair, conducted by an independent engineer, concluded that the</div><div>light bruising could well have been caused, as his parents said, by shopping bags pushing through the</div><div>fabric.</div><div>The case against Marianne was unravelling. The police refused to take any action against her, saying</div><div>they were content with the parents' explanation about Alfred's bruise.</div><div>In January 2004 — almost six months to the day since her children were taken from her — Marianne</div><div>was finally allowed back home.</div><div>In June, at Sunderland High Court, Northumberland Council withdrew its application to keep the</div><div>children in care.</div><div>A few months later, the Key children were removed from the child protection register.</div><div>"We had been so scared of losing the children that we were prepared to run away with them, even</div><div>secretly leave the country," Marianne admits.</div><div>"Simon hid all our passports in a biscuit tin in the cupboard."</div><div>Soon after, the Keys sold their house and left for the Cotswolds.</div><div>Yesterday, Northumbria Police confirmed: "We have received a number of allegations and our</div><div>inquiries are ongoing."</div><div>Northumberland Council refused to comment because of the active police investigation into its own</div><div>staff.</div><div>The council has made no secret, however, of willingly helping to meet the Government's controversial</div><div>targets for adoption.</div><div>A report last September by the county's children's services department said it was sending "regular and</div><div>detailed" returns on adoptions to Whitehall.</div><div>Over the five years up to last April, a total of 95 children had been adopted after being removed from</div><div>their birth families.</div><div>Although the Keys' children escaped this fate, the damage was done.</div><div>Nickolas and Alexander still wake and cry at night.</div><div>"We have been told that all the boys may yet suffer psychological trauma from being separated from</div><div>Marianne at a young age," says Simon.</div><div>He adds: "We found the strength to fight back because we desperately wanted to remain together as a</div><div>family.</div><div>"We never want anything like this to happen to others."</div><div>Legislation promises tighter controls and support to reach</div><div>adoption targets</div><div>25 October 2001</div><div>The Adoption and Children Bill began its journey through parliament last week, heralding the biggest</div><div>overhaul of adoption law in over 25 years.</div><div>The latest version of the bill - which succeeds the bill that fell in the run up to the General Election -</div><div>includes extra measures on adoption support services, such as a registration system to ensure quality,</div><div>and a "clear duty" on councils in England and Wales to maintain such services.</div><div>The bill also promises stronger measures to stop people adopting from overseas without going through</div><div>proper assessment and approval procedures, as well as tougher penalties if they get around the</div><div>safeguards, according to the Department of Health.</div><div>Adoption organisations have welcomed the publication of the bill, which will receive its second</div><div>reading in parliament next week. "Anything that ensures support services are available and functioning</div><div>has got to be a good thing," said Adoption UK director Philippa Morrall.</div><div>But legislation alone would not result in the extra staff and resources needed to meet the government's</div><div>target of a 40 per cent increase in adoptions by 2005, Morrall added. "There needs to be a public</div><div>awareness drive. The public does not have an understanding of what modern adoption is," she said.</div><div>Other key provisions in the bill include: a new right to an assessment for adoption support for all</div><div>adoptive families; an independent review mechanism for prospective adopters who have been turned</div><div>down; allowing courts to set timetables to cut delays in adoption court cases; and the introduction of</div><div>special guardianship orders.</div><div>Health minister Jacqui Smith said: "The adoption register and the national standards introduced earlier</div><div>this year are key to transforming the adoption process and achieving this target, but an overhaul of</div><div>existing adoption law is vital to enable us to match many more children with a safe and loving family</div><div>who will support them throughout their childhood and beyond."</div><div>Babies 'removed to meet targets'</div><div>By Brian Wheeler</div><div>Political reporter, BBC News</div><div>Babies are being removed from their parents so that councils can meet adoption</div><div>targets, MPs have claimed.</div><div>The MPs fear a rise in the number of young children being taken into care in England</div><div>and Wales is linked to pressure on councils to increase adoption rates.</div><div>Lib Dem MP John Hemming, who has tabled a Commons motion on the issue, said it</div><div>was a "national scandal".</div><div>The government said the courts decided on care cases but there had to be evidence a</div><div>child was being harmed.</div><div>A spokesman for the Department for Education said there were "no targets relating to</div><div>the numbers of children coming into care".</div><div>But Mr Hemming argued that social services departments are under pressure to meet targets set by government on children</div><div>in care being adopted.</div><div>In an Early Day Motion, with cross-party support from 12 MPs, he warns of</div><div>"increasing numbers of babies being taken into care, not for the safety of the infant,</div><div>but because they are easy to get adopted".</div><div>In 2000, ministers set a target of a 50% increase in the number of children in local</div><div>authority being adopted by March 2006.</div><div>The government insists it is</div><div>protecting children</div><div>The decision to bring a</div><div>child into care must be made</div><div>on the basis of their best</div><div>interests</div><div>Department for Education</div><div>According to the latest available figures, the number of "looked after" children being adopted had gone up from 2,700 in</div><div>2000 to 3,700 in 2004, an increase of 37.7%.</div><div>The biggest rise was in the one to four-year-old age range.</div><div>'Scandal'</div><div>These figures would be "laudable" if it meant children were being rescued from a life in care, said Mr Hemming.</div><div>But he said he had evidence from people who had contacted him, prevented from publication by contempt of court laws,</div><div>that children were being separated from parents without proper grounds.</div><div>And he called on the government to reveal "how many of the children that are adopted would otherwise have remained with</div><div>their birth parents".</div><div>Mr Hemming pointed to figures showing an increase in the number of children aged under one being taken into care.</div><div>"A thousand kids a year are being taken off their birth parents just to satisfy targets. It is a national scandal," said the Lib</div><div>Dem MP.</div><div>Transparency</div><div>He said children were increasingly placed under "care orders" - where they remain with their birth parents but are kept</div><div>under supervision by social workers - rather than with foster parents.</div><div>And this supervision meant some social workers were "gradually taking them away from the parents, step by step, and</div><div>giving them to someone else," the Birmingham Yardley MP said.</div><div>He called for more transparency in the proceedings of Family Courts and an independent watchdog to scrutinise the work of</div><div>social services departments.</div><div>In a statement, the Department for Education said: "The law is clear - children should live with their parents wherever</div><div>possible and, when necessary, families should be given extra support to help keep them together.</div><div>"The decision to take a child into care is never an easy one, and it is a decision that is taken by the courts."</div><div>'Best interests'</div><div>The statement went on: "In every case where a child is taken into care on a care order, the courts will have considered the</div><div>evidence and taken the view that the child has been significantly harmed, or would be if they were not taken into care.</div><div>"The final decision on adoption rests with the courts and before a court makes such an important decision it must be</div><div>convinced on the basis of the evidence that this is the best way to meet the child's needs on a long-term basis.</div><div>"There are no government targets relating to the numbers of children coming into care. The decision to bring a child into</div><div>care must be made on the basis of their best interests."</div><div>The British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) said it was "dangerous" to suggest children were being taken</div><div>into care unnecessarily.</div><div>Chief executive David Holmes said: "Children come into care for many reasons including parental abuse and neglect. The</div><div>rise in the numbers of young children coming into care may be explained by a variety of factors including a rise in parental</div><div>substance misuse."</div><div>He pointed out that the decision to take a child into care was scrutinised by an independent children's guardian and the</div><div>courts. Adoption is scrutinised by the guardian, the courts and an adoption panel.</div><div>Mr Holmes added: "If birth parents believe they have had their child taken into care unfairly, they should lodge a formal</div><div>complaint with their local authority. I believe that this is rare. I certainly do not believe children are systematically being</div><div>taken into care to meet adoption targets."</div><div>Adoption targets were brought in to prevent children in care from waiting months or even years before finding an adoptive</div><div>family.</div><div>System taking hundreds of babies for adoption</div><div>By Andrew Alderson, Ben Leapman and Tom Harper, Sunday Telegraph</div><div>02/07/2007</div><div>Campaigners are to renew an attempt to open up the proceedings of family courts, after figures showed</div><div>that the number of babies aged less than one week being removed from their mothers has risen almost</div><div>three-fold in a decade. More than 900 are now being taken and put up for adoption every year.</div><div>Until last month, it looked as though</div><div>the system would undergo a</div><div>significant overhaul. Ten days ago,</div><div>however, Lord Falconer, who was</div><div>then the Lord Chancellor, seemed to</div><div>have crushed an attempt to make family court hearings less secret.</div><div>Now, with Gordon Brown as Prime Minister and Jack Straw as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary,</div><div>legal campaigners are newly optimistic of forcing a change.</div><div>Sarah Harman, a solicitor who has specialised in family law for nearly 30 years, said she would step up</div><div>her fight to open up proceedings. Ms Harman is the elder sister of Harriet Harman, the new deputy</div><div>leader of the Labour Party and leader of the Commons. Harriet Harman was Justice Minister until last</div><div>week's Cabinet reshuffle and has supported her sister's campaign.</div><div>The total number of children aged under a year taken into council care in England before being adopted</div><div>has also risen, by a similar rate, from 970 in 1996 to 2,120 last year, figures obtained by The Sunday</div><div>Telegraph show.</div><div>The increases come after the Government set targets for adoption in order to cut the number of children</div><div>languishing in foster care.</div><div>Family courts in England and Wales hear 400,000 cases a year, mostly divorces and child custody</div><div>hearings following divorces. In 20,000 cases a year, councils apply to the courts to remove children</div><div>temporarily from parents who are abusive or neglectful, often because they are addicted to hard drugs.</div><div>The courts also rule on bids by councils to put removed children up for adoption, which is irreversible.</div><div>Yet, while criminal cases must be proved beyond reasonable doubt, family courts take decisions on the</div><div>balance of probabilities and unlike criminal courts, cases are heard in strict secrecy. A mother whose</div><div>child is taken from her commits an offence if she tells anyone outside a tiny, approved list of people.</div><div>John Hemming, the Liberal Democrat MP for Birmingham Yardley, who wants more openness in</div><div>family courts, said of the latest adoption figures: "We are seeing a massive growth in the forced</div><div>removal of newborns from their natural parents. Babies are being taken into care merely to satisfy</div><div>government adoption targets."</div><div>In 2000, Tony Blair set a target for councils to increase adoptions by 50 per cent. Town halls were</div><div>Adoptions of very young children spiralled after targets were set</div><div>in 2000</div><div>promised cash rewards for reaching their goals. Critics claim that the target has given social workers a</div><div>perverse incentive to break up more families. Mr Hemming said: "There are clearly masses of</div><div>miscarriages of justice, but ministers want to prevent parents from campaigning against them by</div><div>preventing these parents from talking about their children after a case.</div><div>"This is fundamentally wrong. The secrecy in the family courts acts generally to protect misbehaviour</div><div>by some professionals, rather than to protect children."</div><div>The new figures show that, while adoptions of the very young have spiralled, those for children aged</div><div>seven and over have halved in England, from 100 in 1996 to 50 last year. Figures for Scotland and</div><div>Wales are not available.</div><div>Campaigners were given new ammunition last week by the case of Mark and Nicky Webster, who fled</div><div>the country to have their fourth baby after they claimed they were wrongly accused of child abuse and</div><div>had their first three children taken into care four years ago.</div><div>Mr Webster, 34, and his wife, 26, from Cromer, Norfolk, were told they could keep their fourth child,</div><div>Brandon, aged 13 months, after Norfolk County Council withdrew proceedings to take him into care.</div><div>The couple had fled to Ireland for Brandon's birth before challenging their county council. Their other</div><div>children were taken into care after one of them suffered unexplained leg fractures. The council has now</div><div>conceded that the injuries might have been caused by vitamin deficiency. It said it was no longer</div><div>relying on the evidence which had suggested that the fractures were the result of abuse.</div><div>The Websters are angry that because of the secrecy surrounding their earlier proceedings, the case</div><div>would not have become public had it not been for their successful fight to keep Brandon. They accept,</div><div>however, that they will not get their other children back because they were adopted two years ago.</div><div>Under the current law, reporters and members of the public cannot attend family court hearings, see</div><div>documents, review evidence or obtain copies of judgments.</div><div>Sarah Harman said: "Social services are the only department other than MI5 who undertake their work</div><div>in complete secrecy. It's not the welfare of the child that is being protected, it is the welfare of social</div><div>workers. This cannot be justified.</div><div>"Family courts work for the community and should be more open. Family courts are very reliant on</div><div>expert witnesses and there have been some real concerns about some of this evidence being poorly</div><div>researched and unreliable." In 2004, she and others set up Families Action for Court Transparency and</div><div>Openness (Facto).</div><div>Facto was formed a year before Ms Harman was found guilty of "conduct unbefitting a solicitor" for</div><div>passing confidential court papers to her sister. She was suspended from practice for three months and</div><div>resigned as a part-time judge. The papers related to a client whose daughter was taken into care after</div><div>alleged abuse. Ms Harman had not revealed the identity of the parent or child to her sister but was</div><div>punished after it was decided she had misled the court.</div><div>Others seeking partial reform of the family courts include Sir Mark Potter, the president of the High</div><div>Court's Family Division, and Mr Justice Munby, a senior judge. Sir Mark said: "I share entirely the</div><div>concern about complaints of secret justice and lack of openness which I really believe the public would</div><div>be assisted in forming a view about if there were more publicity available. The press seems to me to be</div><div>the best safeguard of whether propriety is being observed."</div><div>Mr Justice Munby said: "The balance currently held between the confidentiality and privacy interests</div><div>of the parties and the public interest in open justice, is badly skewed."</div><div>Lord Falconer's refusal to lift the secrecy surrounding family courts surprised many when he revealed a</div><div>new discussion document, "Openness in the Family Courts", on June 20. This proposed tighter</div><div>restrictions on what can be said about cases. He admitted that there had been a change of mind after</div><div>consulting many groups, particularly young people. "The clear message was that the media should not</div><div>be given an automatic right to attend family courts as this could jeopardise children's rights to privacy</div><div>and anonymity," he said.</div><div>David Holmes, the chief executive of the British Association for Adoption and Fostering, said: "Social</div><div>services do not take children into care to be adopted unnecessarily. It is dangerous to suggest that this is</div><div>happening.''</div><div>Urgent action on recruitment is needed to meet adoption targets</div><div>Posted: 27 September 2001 |</div><div>Achieving government adoption targets will require more front-line staff and extra funding, a national</div><div>conference heard last week.</div><div>"There isn't long to get the staff," warned British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering chief executive</div><div>Felicity Collier. "We need action from the government and we need it now," she said at the conference</div><div>on adoption targets organised by BAAFand Children Law UK.</div><div>She welcomed the Department of Health's commitment to a national recruitment campaign for social</div><div>workers, but cast doubt on its chances of success, especially given the expected adverse publicity</div><div>during the Victoria Climbie inquiry.</div><div>According to BAAF's figures, the government aims to increase the number of adoptions by 40 to 50 per</div><div>cent by 2005. This translates into 4,050 adoptions for the financial year ending 31 March 2005.</div><div>To meet the target, 4,050 children would need to be matched with prospective adopters during 2003 to</div><div>allow for the 15 months on average that the courts take to grant an adoption order. Because 13 per cent</div><div>of children approved for adoption do not successfully find matches, a higher number of children would</div><div>need to be approved for adoption during the preceding year - about 4,650 during 2002, according to</div><div>BAAF.</div><div>"That's quite a task when you look at the current figures," added Collier. She admitted there were some</div><div>"potential unknowns" which affected BAAF's calculations, including the impact of the recently</div><div>launched adoption register on finding suitable families and possibly speeding up the process.</div><div>But she remained concerned that the targets could skew adoption work from pursuing appropriate</div><div>rehabilitative measures to return children to their birth families. Councils could also sideline older or</div><div>damaged children or those with special needs in order to meet targets.</div><div>Meanwhile, a leading children and families charity has warned that adoption targets will lead to an</div><div>"increased fear" of social services departments.</div><div>Family Rights Group chief executive Robert Tapsfield told the conference it was an "unintended</div><div>consequence" of having targets that birth families would be less likely to become involved with social</div><div>services departments because of fears of the removal of their children.</div><div>The targets would inevitably focus a "disproportionate energy on adoption as opposed to family</div><div>support", added Tapsfield. This would lead to more adoptions which would be "at the expense of some</div><div>children [who could] be rehabilitated to their birth families".</div><div>Friday, 13 July, 2001,</div><div>New adoption targets for councils</div><div>Adoption: some experts say it's not always the best option</div><div>The present law on adoption, passed 25 years ago, dates from a time when many of the children involved were</div><div>infants being given up by single mothers.</div><div>Nowadays local councils are the main agencies trying to find adoptive homes for children that they have had to</div><div>take into care.</div><div>These are often children "who have been neglected and abused", says the Chief Excecutive of BAAF Adoption</div><div>and Fostering.</div><div>Difficult decisions have to be made about their lives by over-stretched social workers - sometimes to take them</div><div>away from deprived families, who just cannot cope.</div><div>Best option?</div><div>Many experts in the field do not agree that adoption is always a better choice for these children, rather than</div><div>giving more support to their birth families.</div><div>But this government has chosen to build a new system to help children that the former Chair of the Commons</div><div>Health Committee, David Hinchliffe, describes as "locked up" in the care system.</div><div>The pattern of adoption services across the country is another lottery. In some authorities, only 1% of children in</div><div>care are offered for adoption, in others up to 20%.</div><div>It depends on councils' resources, and whether they have been able to find enough new parents.</div><div>If councils have to look to other areas, or to voluntary agencies, to find parents, it can cost them as much as</div><div>£15000 in what is called "Interagency Fees".</div><div>It is often cheaper therefore to keep them in care.</div><div>Register</div><div>With its new bill, the government is setting up a new National Adoption Register of children and parents. It has</div><div>drafted new Adoption Standards.</div><div>But the Director of the campaigning Adoption Forum, Liv O'Hanlon, complains that the government has not</div><div>talked about money at all.</div><div>It has not promised funds to finance under-performing councils, who will still have to pay thousands for</div><div>introduction to new parents.</div><div>And the President of the Association of Directors of Social Service, Moira Gibb, says setting new targets is</div><div>hardly realistic, at a time when 85% of social service departments are already over-budget.</div><div>She also wonders how soon they could possible meet the government's target of a 50% increase in the number</div><div>of adoptions, when last year the courts sent over 20,000 more children into care.</div></span></span>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-29803814166108987442011-08-31T10:25:00.001+01:002011-08-31T10:25:56.848+01:00Welfare Reform Bill<p style="margin-top:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">Thousands of families with disabled parents and young carers are expected to lose out on vital benefits unless the Welfare Reform Bill is amended, a charity has warned.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">Analysis by The Children’s Society has revealed that 25,000 people could lose up to £3,500 because of the scrapping of two disability premiums.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">The severe disability premium is currently granted to disabled people who do not have anyone eligible for the carer’s allowance to look after them. People on the highest rate of disability living allowance can also claim the enhanced disability premium.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">As the carer’s allowance is not available for people under the age of 16 or in full-time education, families rely considerably on the premiums to provide outside help.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#333333;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">But according to The Children’s Society, the introduction of the universal credit will mean these benefits will be abolished, leaving young carers and their families with a £70 gap in their weekly budget.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">Enver Solomon, director of policy at the charity, said: "These benefits help disabled parents pay for aid to do housework or prepare meals, and losing them could mean that these chores will now be performed by children."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">The Welfare Reform Bill is due for its second reading at the House of Lords on 13 September.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">The Children’s Society chief executive Bob Reitemeier said: "It is wholly inappropriate to withdraw support to families with young carers. These changes will make life much harder than it already is for potentially thousands of vulnerable children whose caring responsibilities affect their education, wellbeing and future."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">A spokesman for the Department of Work and Pensions said: "We continue to spend over £40bn a year on disabled people and their services and our commitment to help support disabled people live independent lives runs at the heart of our welfare reforms.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">"We are reforming the current system of complex disability premiums and will increase the support for the most vulnerable. We will also provide transitional protection to ensure that no one is worse off under our welfare reforms."<o:p></o:p></span></p>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-67762971834922085602011-08-30T15:42:00.001+01:002011-08-30T15:42:28.632+01:00What is a McKenzie friend?<p><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>
<br /></b></span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span >The court may allow a party in civil and family cases to have a friend or adviser to sit with them in court to give you advice and help take notes. This person is referred to as a Mackenzie friend, but they are not allowed to speak for the party in court without the permission of the Court.
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<br />In the Criminal Court and in most tribunals a party maybe represented by anyone of their own choosing. In the case of small claims hearings, the law is contained in Part 27 of the Civil Procedure Rules and a Practice Direction attached to it. This states that, at the hearing of a small claims trial, a party may be represented by:</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span >• Him - or herself;</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span >• A lawyer - which includes barristers, solicitors or legal executives; or,</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span >• A lay representative. The Practice Direction defines "lay representative" as "any other person".
<br />In most civil and Family Court hearings, the Court’s permission is required.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span >A party may be allowed to introduce a McKenzie friend into court to assist them. There is no right to have a McKenzie friend: the only right is that of the litigant to have reasonable assistance.
<br />A McKenzie friend is not entitled to address the court without permission. If he does so, he becomes an advocate and requires the grant of a right of audience under s 27 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 2007.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span >However, generally, a litigant in person who wishes to have a McKenzie friend should be allowed to do so unless the judge is satisfied that fairness and the interests of justice do not so require and there is a strong presumption in favour of allowing the McKenzie friend (Re H (Minors) (Chambers Proceedings: McKenzie Friend) [1997] 3 FCR 618, CA & Re O (Children): Re W-R: Re W (Children) [2005] EWCA Civ 759, LTL AC0109048, Times 27.6.05</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span >The court can prevent a McKenzie friend from continuing to act as such where the assistance given is inimical to the efficient administration of justice, for example, where the friend is indirectly running the case or using the litigant as a puppet.
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<br />The President of the Family Division has given update guidance on the issue;
<br /><a href="http://www.barcouncil.org.uk/guidance/PresidentofFamilyDivisionsGuidanceonMcKenzieFriends/">http://www.barcouncil.org.uk/guidance/PresidentofFamilyDivisionsGuidanceonMcKenzieFriends/</a></span></p><blockquote style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><p><span >On the discretion to grant rights of audience to individuals who do not meet the stringent requirements of the CLSA, the court has held that it should only be exercised in exceptional circumstances and should pause long before granting rights to individuals who made a practice of seeking to represent otherwise unrepresented litigants (principles extracted from R v Bow County Court ex p Pelling [1999] 1 WLR 1807, D v S (rights of audience) [1997] 1 FLR 724 and Noueri v Paragon Finance plc, CA, [2001] EWCA Civ 1402 (19.9.01).</span></p></blockquote><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span >SFA understanding and stance on McKenzie friends
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<br /><strong>Vagaries on McKenzie friends and self-representation.</strong></span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span ><strong>Criminal Court</strong>. Human Rights Act article 6.3 allows legal representation of your own choosing so anyone can represent you in the trial and preliminary hearings. Open Courts. However, lay person cannot attend Police interview, you will need a solicitor or the duty Solicitor.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span ><strong>Employment tribunal</strong>. No need for a Mckenzie friend as anyone can represent a party in the Employment tribunal. Open Court hearings and litigant in person can charge £25 per hour for work on their own case.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span ><strong>Small claims Court</strong> – representation by McKenzie friend permitted.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span >Contrast the above with these:-</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span ><strong>Civil and family proceedings.</strong> Right to Mckenzie friend a strong one but rights of audience in only special circumstances. Right of audience and litigation rights are separate issues. Family proceedings in closed Court but open Court of appeal and if same or similar issues aired on Judicial review; open court!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span ><strong>Tribunal hearings</strong> generally right to assistance and right to lay representation for example in Child benefit, DHSS and CSA tribunals. Yet this right would not exist on the same facts in Judicial Review proceedings.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span ><strong>Companies</strong> can appoint any employee to represent them in litigation.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span ><strong>Guardians</strong> have right of audience if not represented in Court.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span ><strong>Family proceedings </strong>and in effect any issue related to your own children is emotional, and when emotions are charged a litigant-in-person [LIP] probably does have an idiot for a client but as many have found they prefer representing themselves as at least that way they can blame no-one else for the outcome and will have tried.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span >A <strong>LIP </strong>can have the assistance of a McKenzie friend who can do the following;</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span >• Provide moral support for the litigant
<br />• Take notes
<br />• Help with case papers
<br />• Quietly give advice on:</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span >- points of law or procedure;
<br />- issues that the litigant may wish to raise in court;
<br />- questions the litigant may wish to ask witnesses.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span ><strong>In Family and civil Courts</strong> the practice direction on McKenzie friends 2010 allows you to be represented by close family member e.g your husband or wife, to have lay advocate, where legal aid is denied through no fault of your own and cannot afford private representation and where the person’s health precludes them from addressing the Court AND they cannot afford private representation and where the litigant is relatively inarticulate and prompting may un-necessarily prolong proceedings. No such bars exist in the employment tribunal or other tribunals so what is so special about the Family Courts?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span >It maybe there is fear of McKenzie friends taking an increasing role and undermining the monopoly held by Solicitors and barristers, yet the cost of access to justice and the need for equality of arms is such that many are forced to seek other routes of representation.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span >Sections 27 and 28 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (the Act) respectively govern rights of audience and the right to conduct litigation. They provide the court with a discretionary power to grant unqualified persons, including MFs, such rights in relation to particular proceedings. While the court should be slow to grant any application under s.27 or s.28 of the Act from a MF, it should be prepared to do so for good reason bearing in mind the general objective set out in section 17(1) and the general principle set out in section 17(3) of the Act and all the circumstances of the case. Such circumstances are likely to vary greatly: see paragraphs 40-42 of the judgment of Munby J. in Re N (A child) (McKenzie Friend: Rights of Audience) [2008]EWHC 2042(Fam). If the litigant in person wishes the MF to be granted a right of audience or the right to conduct the litigation, an application must be made at the start of the hearing.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span >The Judiciary may worry about the monopoly on the bar being eroded and cost effective alternatives taking over, on legal aid a Barrister often has insufficient time to prepare for trial, is governed by the summary and outline from the acting Solicitor and which may contain inaccuracies and few litigants get to see these documents heavily influencing the portrayal of their case.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span >As far as McKenzie friends charging for their services go, the 2010 practice direction on McKenzie friends states;</span></p><blockquote style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><p><span >27) Litigants can enter into lawful agreements to pay fees to MFs for the provision of reasonable assistance in court or out of court by, for instance, carrying out clerical or mechanical activities, such as photocopying documents, preparing bundles, delivering documents to opposing parties or the court, or the provision of legal advice in connection with court proceedings. BUT Note that Such fees cannot be lawfully recovered from the opposing party.</span></p><p><span >28) Fees said to be incurred by MFs for carrying out the conduct of litigation, where the court has not granted such a right, cannot lawfully be recovered from either the litigant for whom they carry out such work or the opposing party.</span></p><p><span >29) Fees said to be incurred by MFs for carrying out the conduct of litigation after the court has granted such a right are in principle recoverable from the litigant for whom the work is carried out. Such fees cannot be lawfully recovered from the opposing party.</span></p><p><span >30) Fees said to be incurred by MFs for exercising a right of audience following the grant of such a right by the court are in principle recoverable from the litigant on whose behalf the right is exercised. Such fees are also recoverable, in principle, from the opposing party as a recoverable disbursement: CPR 48.6(2) and 48(6)(3)(ii).</span></p></blockquote><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span ><strong>Related articles on McKenzie friends</strong></span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span ><img src="http://www.southernfamilyaid.com/img/fam.jpg" width="293" height="273" align="right" /><a href="http://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ed1568">http://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ed1568</a></span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKenzie_friend">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKenzie_friend</a></span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span ><a href="http://www.richardgregory.org.uk/history/mckenzie-friends.htm">http://www.richardgregory.org.uk/history/mckenzie-friends.htm</a></span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span ><a href="http://www.fnf.org.uk/law-and-information/mckenzie-friends">http://www.fnf.org.uk/law-and-information/mckenzie-friends</a></span></p><p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span ><a href="http://www.factuk.org/2010/07/new-mckenzie-friends-guidance-issued/">http://www.factuk.org/2010/07/new-mckenzie-friends-guidance-issued/</a></span></p>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-33800414229925121182011-08-30T11:25:00.002+01:002011-08-30T11:29:33.505+01:00The Annual Charities Christmas Fayre<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >We will be there so come along and see us and make a day of it.</span></div><div>
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<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhet7lSsQbIN7tScDbHebl31UPEgcR3WABEjy5DW8uhEqeoHeuWjGtE7GPT5cZpH1DZlQkq9djBiq0vMG6tJ-sm4uC_JeAWbNkY5n6p6CdpsXxex3alrzdMaMwOe6a_QkI7fcI_Mx37Pn_E/s1600/Christmas+Fayre1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 224px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhet7lSsQbIN7tScDbHebl31UPEgcR3WABEjy5DW8uhEqeoHeuWjGtE7GPT5cZpH1DZlQkq9djBiq0vMG6tJ-sm4uC_JeAWbNkY5n6p6CdpsXxex3alrzdMaMwOe6a_QkI7fcI_Mx37Pn_E/s320/Christmas+Fayre1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646593709849251138" /></a>
<br />Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-37761160228255108662011-08-30T09:33:00.003+01:002011-08-30T09:36:14.577+01:00Childminders receive top marks. Why adoption and fostering goes wrong<h1 style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0cm;vertical-align:baseline"><span class="Apple-style-span" >
<br /></span></h1> <p style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align: baseline"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">By<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-right-color: windowtext; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-left-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; border-right-width: 1pt; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-width: 1pt; padding-top: 0cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0cm; ">Joe Lepper</span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "> </span></i></span><st1:date month="8" day="25" year="2011"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Thursday, 25 August 2011</span></i></st1:date><i><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(39, 37, 37); font-family: Arial; line-height: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: medium; ">The number of childminders receiving one of the top two marks from Ofsted has increased by 11 percentage points over the past two years.</span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm; line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span">According to the latest National Childminding Association (NCMA) membership survey the proportion who received a "good" or "outstanding" score this year was 74 per cent, compared with 63 per cent in 2009 and 72 per cent last year.
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<br />NCMA chief executive Catherine Farrell said the findings show the greater commitment to training and an increasing sense of professionalism in the sector.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>
<br />
<br />She said: "Similar to last year, more than three quarters of our childminders have undertaken training in the past 12 months and more than half hold a childcare qualification at Level 3 or above. These large numbers demonstrate a strong commitment to ongoing professional development."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm; line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span">The survey also revealed that nine out of 10 childminders are prepared to offer out of hours care before and after school. On average they are providing care for six children a week and 16 per cent care for 10 or more children<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm; line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(39, 37, 37); background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><span class="Apple-style-span">Why adoption and fostering goes wrong</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64); "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64); ">“One leading adoption charity estimates that a third of adoptions break down these days”</span></b></span><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">.</span></span><span style="color:#333333"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">Due to immense fear a child’s conscious mind blanks out a lot about<span> </span>being taken away from its birth parents but the child's sub consciousness never forgets and there is always that longing for that family<span> </span>love that can never be<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textexposedshow">satisfied by adoption or fostering. A child should be kept in the family as close to the birth parents as much as possible.</span>
<br />
<br /><span class="textexposedshow"><span> </span>A child subconsciously hankers for the love he/she was deprived of the birth family.</span>
<br />
<br /><span class="textexposedshow">This subconscious yen not being fulfilled along with memories that come back as the child grows up causes frustration/ anger/ resentment and the child becomes bitter and unmanageable. </span></span><span class="textexposedshow"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <h1 style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">That is why kinship care should be the very first point of care when children are deprived of their parents. </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; "><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/8283942/When-adoptions-go-wrong.html"></a></span></span><span style="color: rgb(30, 30, 30); "><o:p></o:p></span></span></h1> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="color:#333333"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><span class="Apple-style-span">The care system only caters for the physical child not the emotional or spiritual child because of social services cost policy. Cut backs now will cost the public purse a whole lot more in the future when the children that go through the care system turn out to be gang members.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><span class="Apple-style-span">There is a huge rise of gangs reported in the media lately it would be interesting too research into how many of the gang members were brought up outside their birth family.</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-47938200387496997292011-08-27T12:00:00.000+01:002011-08-27T12:01:33.707+01:00Jailed for son’s balloon tribute<h1 style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:8.25pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:41.25pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; "><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666; background:#D2D2D2">By IRINA NELSON, Crime Reporter</span></b></span></h1> <p class="display-byline" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 16.8pt"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666; background:#D2D2D2">Published: </span></b><st1:date month="7" day="1" year="2011"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666; background:#D2D2D2">01 Jul 2011</span></b></st1:date><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666;background:#D2D2D2"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:15.0pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(16, 16, 16); font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(210, 210, 210); ">A DAD has been jailed for displaying 100 balloons outside his son's school on the lad's eighth birthday.</span></p> <p style="margin-top:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial; color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">David Hawksworth was caged for three months by Dundee Sheriff Richard Davidson for harassment by making the tribute to the boy he'd been banned from seeing for seven years.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial; color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">Now English-based Hawksworth's fellow activists at controversial dads' rights group Fathers 4 Justice have vowed to target the lawman's home after he slung him in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">Perth</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2"> nick last week.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial; color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">And they branded Sheriff Richardson racist after he told Hawksworth that he should "clear off back to </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">England</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">".<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial; color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">Last night a spokesman said: "Dave's crime was to place 100 balloons outside his son's school on his eighth birthday after being denied access for many years.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial; color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">"Activists are targeting and heading to the home of Sheriff Davidson after his racist slur."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial; color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">The spokesman also said they would shut down roads in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size:11.5pt; font-family:Arial;color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">Scotland</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2"> and protest at Blairgowrie Golf Club, Perthshire — but their reasons were not made clear.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.0pt"><i><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial; color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">Real Fathers For Justice also hit out. Chairman Mike Kelly said: "This father has been lambasted, racially abused and then hung out to dry in prison alongside murderers and rapists. All he wants to be is a father to his kids."</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial; color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">Hawksworth and other activists protested at </span><st1:street><st1:address><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">Dundee Sheriff Court</span></st1:address></st1:street><span style="font-size:11.5pt; font-family:Arial;color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2"> last week at his hearing.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial; color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">Sheriff Davidson caged him after saying the balloons present was "threatening" behaviour.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial; color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">Last night a Tory spokesman said: "This seems a bizarre decision. Scottish Sun readers will be left wondering what it is that we don't know that ever led to such a judgment."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial; color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">Sheriff Davidson refused to comment last night.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:15.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#101010;background:#D2D2D2">Birthday wishes ... dad's banner<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:black; background:#D2D2D2">
<br />
<br /><span class="apple-style-span">Read more:</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3671251/Jailed-for-sons-balloon-tribute.html#ixzz1WE4JmMfG"><span style="color:#003399">http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3671251/Jailed-for-sons-balloon-tribute.html#ixzz1WE4JmMfG</span></a></span></span></p>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-80850619016233252982011-08-26T11:26:00.001+01:002011-08-26T11:26:38.114+01:00The Daily Mail wants your story<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Hi Jim,
<br />
<br />Thankyou very much for your help on the phone. As we discussed, it would be wonderful if you could keep in contact to let me know of any grandparents fighting for their grandchildren who have seen them fostered or adopted by other families.
<br />If there are any who have a particular story to tell about their struggle, the Daily Mail is very supportive of grandparents and would really like to talk to them.
<br />Nice speaking to you and I hope to be in touch with you again soon.
<br />
<br />Kind regards,
<br />
<br />Vicky.
<br />--
<br />Victoria Allen
<br />Reporter
<br />Scottish Daily Mail
<br />0141 331 4736
<br />07814 561219</span>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-52448571753934975412011-08-23T07:52:00.002+01:002011-08-23T07:56:08.250+01:00United Nations Rights of the child<div>
<br /></div><div>IMPORTANT NEWS: Next year the Government will be letting the United Nations Committee know how they are doing on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Office of the Children’s Rights Director will be doing a lot of work in this area and will be seeking views from young people about this.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>This Document was written by the Office of the Children’s Rights Director. It explains :-</div><div>
<br /></div><div>1 What the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is and answers some common questions.</div><div>2 Tells you what YOUR rights are under the Convention.</div><div>3 Tells you what the Children’s Rights Director will do.</div><div>11 WWHHAATT iiss tthhee UUnniitteedd NNaattiioonnss CCoonnvveennttiioonn ooff tthhee Riights of the Child</div><div>
<br /></div><div>The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 (UNCRC) is an agreement by the governments of the world saying what rights children should have. It covers rights on just about everything and applies to everyone under 18 years of age.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Did the UK sign it?</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Yes. Nearly every country in the world has signed up and agreed to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Do adults have to do what it says?</div><div>
<br /></div><div>They should always try to, but the law does not say that they must.</div><div>What use is it then?</div><div>
<br /></div><div>The Convention is important because it acts as a guide on how children should be treated. It also helps that each country that has signed it judges people from other countries on how well they treat children.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Like most people, staff, social workers and teachers would like to think that they do a good job in working with children. However, inspectors and others could say that they are not, if they don't respect the rights you have.</div><div>_____________</div><div>Mike Lindsay</div><div>OCRD</div><div>1</div><div>Can you tell me some of my rights?</div><div>Not all of the rights within the Convention will apply to you all of the time. But we've put together those that we think could affect some of you.</div><div>22 YYoouurr RRiigghhttss uunnddeerr tthhee CCoonnvveennttiioonn</div><div>• You have the right not to be picked on or treated unfairly just because you are different from other children. For example, if you are black, or you're a girl or disabled; if you follow a different religion, or simply because you happen to be in care. You should be treated the same as other children.</div><div>• When decisions are made, you have the right to say what you think and expect that adults will listen, and do what is best for you.</div><div>• You have the right to information that is about you, or that is about the home or school you are living in or any services that you might need to use.</div><div>• You have the right to your own family name. This is a basic part of your identity, and should not be changed unless you or your parents want to change it.</div><div>• You have the right to think and believe what you like, and choose your own religion, but your parents should guide you. Also, if you have a different nationality then you have the right to enjoy your own culture and use your own language.</div><div>• You have the right to privacy such as keeping your own personal diary that other people shouldn't read, or staff not entering your bedroom without knocking and waiting for your reply.</div><div>• If you are disabled, you have the right to special care and education to help you live a full and independent life.</div><div>• You have the right to special protection if you're a refugee and have been forced to leave your country because of danger.</div><div>• As you grow up, those looking after you should respect your ability to understand, and encourage you to do things for yourself.</div><div>• You have the right to keep in touch with your parents if, for any reason, you are separated from either of them.</div><div>• No one has the right to hurt you. Adults must protect you from violence, abuse or neglect, and if you do get hurt, they must do something about it.</div><div>_____________</div><div>Mike Lindsay</div><div>OCRD</div><div>2</div><div>• If, for any reason, your family are unable to bring you up, you have the right to special care - which could mean being adopted, fostered, or living in a children's home. If you're adopted or 'in care', your wishes and needs should be put first - not your parents' or any other adult's. If you're 'in care', others must check regularly to make sure that you're being treated properly.</div><div>• You have the right to enough to eat, adequate clothes, and a roof over your head. If whoever looks after you can't afford these, the government should help them.</div><div>• You have the right to education.</div><div>• You have the right not to be punished in any way that makes you look stupid or small.</div><div>• You have the right not be made to do harmful work. Work should not stop you from learning, being healthy, or growing up. There are minimum ages for when children can work, and laws to make sure that you're not working in bad conditions.</div><div>• You have the right not to be sexually exploited or abused. No one has the right to do things to your body. Those looking after you, whether parents, staff or teachers, must keep you safe from other adults who may try to sexually harm you in some way. If you're worried about this you should always try to tell an adult you can trust.</div><div>• You have the right to meet other people and join or set up your own groups, as long as this doesn't interfere with other people's rights.</div><div>• You have the right to grow up healthy, which means getting proper healthcare and information to help you stay healthy.</div><div>• You have the right to play, and to relax by doing things like sport, music, drama and art.</div><div>• You have the right to be protected from drugs - you shouldn't be forced to take them, make them, or deal them and those looking after you should protect you from other adults who may try to get you into drugs.</div><div>• If you are accused of doing something wrong, you have the right to be treated with respect and have a fair hearing.</div><div>33 TThhee CChhiillddrreenn’’ss RRiigghhttss DDiirreeccttoorr wwiillll rreessppeecctt::--</div><div>• YOUR RIGHT to privacy, by not asking you to tell us about anything you don't want to</div><div>_____________</div><div>Mike Lindsay</div><div>OCRD</div><div>3</div><div>• YOUR RIGHT to confidentiality, by not telling anyone else who it was that told us something, unless it is to help to keep you or other children safe</div><div>• YOUR RIGHT to information, by giving you booklets and putting details on the internet that explain what we do</div><div>• YOUR RIGHT to complain, by asking you to tell us if we do or say anything that upsets you, or you are not happy about, and passing it on to the right person to get it sorted out</div><div>• YOUR RIGHT to have your say, by inviting you to give your views, and asking inspectors who visit your home, school or service to try not to do anything that could affect you without first asking you what you think</div>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-15353848472715362152011-08-18T17:12:00.001+01:002011-08-18T17:12:53.140+01:00Children's commissioner seeks to counter riot misconceptions<h1 style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left: 0cm;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><a href="http://www.cypnow.co.uk/Joint_working/article/1085063/Childrens-commissioner-seeks-counter-riot-misconceptions/">http://www.cypnow.co.uk/Joint_working/article/1085063/Childrens-commissioner-seeks-counter-riot-misconceptions/</a><o:p></o:p></span></h1> <h1 style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left: 0cm;vertical-align:baseline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; "><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666; background:white">By<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666;border:none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt:none windowtext 0cm;padding:0cm">Janaki Mahadevan</span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:#666666;background:white"> </span></i></span><st1:date year="2011" day="16" month="8"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:#666666;background:white">Tuesday, 16 August 2011</span></i></st1:date></span></h1> <p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">The children's commissioner for </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">England</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white"> has sought to correct the "damaging misconceptions" that have led some people to believe that most of the rioters across </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">England</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white"> last week were children.</span></span></p> <p class="caption" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align: baseline"><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#272525; background:white">Atkinson: 'Now is the time to involve our children and young people in the debate'<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">Maggie Atkinson said now was the time to support the "overwhelming majority" of young people who condemn the violent behaviour witnessed.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">"Sadly, some have gained the impression that most of the rioters were children but the reality is that reportedly [more than] 75 per cent of those being charged are over 18," she said. "We must do all we can to to counter these damaging misconceptions and to support the overwhelming majority of law-abiding children and young people. I am proud to say that young people have been some of the most constructive members of society in their condemnation of the rioting and in the clean-up efforts in their communities.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">"We must take care not to blame and certainly not to write off a whole generation of young people. We would never claim, because a minority of adults rioted, that most adults in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">England</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white"> are criminals."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">However, Atkinson was also strong in her criticism of the actions displayed by those who looted and damaged property.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">"Violence, rioting and destruction can never be justified or condoned," she said. "Those found guilty of crime should feel the full consequences of their actions, which may include a custodial sentence."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">Looking to the future, Atkinson said it was imperative that the first step in understanding the root causes of the riots is to talk to those involved, including children.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left: 0cm;line-height:15.6pt;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Arial;color:#272525;background:white">"Now is the time to involve our children and young people in the debate and in finding the solutions, including those who have committed offences or whose lives are affected by whatever issues caused last week's troubling events," she said. "We need a national commitment to working as a society to ensure all children and young people have a real stake and a voice in their society."<o:p></o:p></span></p>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-30425857794125496602011-08-18T15:32:00.001+01:002011-08-18T15:32:47.341+01:00CHILDREN IN THE CARE SYSTEM ARE PRISONERS WITH NO RIGHTS.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><p align="center"><b>
<br /></b></p><p><span >Crimes committed against humanity, may or can result in a prison sentence, under the International Courts of human rights; all persons charged with a crime, all have rights to a fair hearing with a fair trial in an open court, with no gagging orders and that the media are allowed to publish the facts.</span></p><p><span >Once sentenced to prison, all prisoners are given under the human rights, food clothing telephone calls, listen to music, libraries, facilities to qualify for exams, gymnasiums for work outs, arts and crafts watch television, newspapers daily, allowed to smoke, buy Christmas and birthday cards to send to their loved ones and family, post letters and most of all every prisoner has visitation rights, in actual fact a person sentenced to a prison sentence has all of the rights as a normal person living in the community, the only human rights they have lost because they committed a crime is not being able to go out of the door and buy a pint. </span>
<br /></p><p align="center"><span ><b>Children who report an abuse against a parent parents foster carers or adopted parents.</b></span></p><p><span >I have been told by the system set in place to protect children, ALL children are all liars and do not know what they want. Children have rights under the human rights act to a fair trial, prisoners have a right to a hearing in an open court, but children’s cases are heard in a closed family court with the families denied the right to a fair hearing, with gagging orders by the courts on the press and families, also many children if able to speak for them self’s are all ignored, the only people with a voice in the family courts are the social workers NSPCC Cafcass physiologists and so many other organisations involved all known as the experts, who we are told are employed in the Childs best interest, and so one child has an army of experts?? Along with the courts to contend with, with most cases for one child in the system it can or may cost the tax payers in excess of £250.000 per case and lasting for up to a year and then ongoing with the sale of the child by the foster or adoption agencies along with bonuses to the local councils from governments for meeting the adoption and foster care targets?</span></p><p><span >Having questioned social workers, who I may add most from the EC Australia or Africa, (question) are you aware of the children’s rights under the Convention on the Rights of a Child and of their human rights, out of fifty social workers the reply was, I have heard of it, but don’t know what it entails, and very few said no never heard of it.</span></p><p><span >A child is taken away with no rights by a social worker on their assumptions or lies, or a child can report an abuse and is then sold into the system via the adoption or foster agencies, children from the first day of being in care have all rights stripped from them, no contact with the family, no telephone calls no letters and the family have no knowledge of where that child lives, as all contact is denied to a child the family and grandparents. </span>
<br /></p><p><span >Prisoners can commit murder steal, sexually abuse babies and children, sell drugs, abuse society in what ever way and still have the right to a life and family, and with tax payers money can now as many have done so, had payments in the last year in excess of £1.600.000 million paid to prisoners for abuse and wrongful arrest, yet an innocent child is labelled with no rights what so ever loss of family and all branded as a liars, lose their right to their childhood days with happiness gone and still cannot sue to give them back all they have lost. Which is or was there life’s minds and families.</span>
<br /></p><p><span >So perhaps we should look at building prisons for children, as then children would get the same rights that prisoners have and also to be heard in an open court for a fair trial and have their human rights given back to them, same as any person in prison.</span>
<br /></p><p><span >The differences between prisoners and children, prisoners do wrong and have their rights.</span></p><p><span >What has a child got nothing? Cannot go to a park, be cuddled and loved by a family and lose what can never be given back childhood days of playing with grandparents and family.</span></p><p><span >Sorry I am wrong, from the age of five they can play sex games as that is what is now being taught in the school, as I wrote to the Prime Minister Mr Cameron, so we watch children playing sex and learning from sex as opposed to playing with toys and learning.</span></p><p><span >Maggie Tuttle</span></p></span>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-28501992033159181492011-08-11T16:22:00.010+01:002011-08-17T10:51:47.560+01:00Great Car for Sale.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Tcd3-CaKTCbOqVmZcFV1fOCrxIqxE6akD1M8awgj8Ds6CAXcfyfExwqBdn6PGZ2pHOUkpj7cgafz2jtY5A-06FVM2ysb6x83YhHMeeeRjCwLWQpW08HxBeOQZpETA_DIGlbrVhypWETG/s1600/Car+for+sale+002.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Tcd3-CaKTCbOqVmZcFV1fOCrxIqxE6akD1M8awgj8Ds6CAXcfyfExwqBdn6PGZ2pHOUkpj7cgafz2jtY5A-06FVM2ysb6x83YhHMeeeRjCwLWQpW08HxBeOQZpETA_DIGlbrVhypWETG/s320/Car+for+sale+002.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639621074455722226" /></a>
<br /><b><span style="color: black; "></span></b><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: black; ">*For </span></b><st1:city><st1:place><b><span style="color: black; ">Sale</span></b></st1:place></st1:city></span><b><span style="color: black; "><span class="Apple-style-span">*</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:24.0pt;color:black"><span> </span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: black; ">2005 Fiat Doblo Freedom. 1.9 dynamic deisol. High roof. Top of the range model</span></b><span style="color: black; "> <b>Alloy wheels. Metallic red. One owner.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="color: black; "><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="color: black; ">With parcel shelf to quickly replace the wheelchair ramp if desired as an estate. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="color: black; ">Air con.<span> </span>Electric windows. 9 months <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="color: black; ">2 new tyres and exhaust for M.O.T. of 9 Mths<span> </span>52k miles driven mainly by my wife as i am disabled. <span> </span>Service history. It has radio/cd player. <span> </span>2 extra seats can be added. To make it a 7 seater. Tow bar.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="color: black; ">This is a very thrifty car, the best i have ever had and Reason for sale is i have got a new very large wheelchair and we lose two seats when it is carried so need more space.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: black; ">£4500 </span></b><b><span style="color: black; ">ono</span></b><span style="color: black; "><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="color: black; "><span class="Apple-style-span">0141 882 5658</span></span></b></p>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-70240327087160560072011-08-10T09:32:00.000+01:002011-08-10T09:33:05.809+01:00Letter to president Zuma.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><p align="justify"><span >Sent by Email: 9<sup>th</sup> August 2011</span></p><p align="justify"><span >Dear President Zuma,</span></p><p align="justify"><span >It has come to my attention through Maggie Tuttle from the UK, regarding the situation concerning “Stolen Children” taken by Social Services. Apparently it is good business to live in the UK and become a foster parent or adopt a child through these services. </span></p><p align="justify"><span >It appears that the old adage “money is the root of all evil” would certainly apply to these cases. I am in possession of information concerning a family from South Africa living in the UK, the Musa family, that has six children and those children have been taken from their family and put into the care of Social Services. I understand that the Musa family have lots of support from various organizations who are lobbying to assist them, in having their children returned to them. There are thousands of children that are being taken from loving families to be either fostered, or adopted , never to see their families again. What is really troublesome in these cases is, grandparents who are willing to take their grandchildren into their home, are being denied, due to lies and deceit from Social Services and their Agencies.</span></p><p align="justify"><span >You are obviously aware of this terrible situation, as I have been informed of your intent to boycott the Olympic Games being held in 2012 in the UK. Maggie Tuttle and the Walker Brothers, celebrities from the sixties and others, are in the process of organizing a “Children’s Live Aid” day in 2012, which will have major celebrities from the music world drawing attention to the plight of these children, taken from their families. The ideal situation would be to tie in “Children’s Live Aid” concert with the boycott, if you are willing to proceed.</span><span ></span></p><p align="justify"><span >This is going to be an ongoing affair of drawing attention to the way Social Services deal with children and their families, and the way the courts put gagging orders on those who are the closest members of the children’s family, including the grandparents. </span></p><p align="justify"><span >I admire you taking a stand and I am sure in your position as President of the South African country will not go unnoticed. I will be there myself on that day as I am going to participate in the “ Children’s Live Aid” day.</span></p><p align="justify"><span >I am living in Canada now, but I will be making the trip a few times in the current year and in 2012.</span></p><p align="justify"><span >With very best wishes and in concern, </span>
<br /></p><p align="justify"><span >Baroness Agnes von Mehren</span></p><p align="justify"><span >Toronto, Ontario Canada Email: <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to=avm33@rogers.com" target="_blank">avm33@rogers.com</a></span></p></span>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-33824972359240953382011-08-09T14:01:00.000+01:002011-08-09T14:02:05.557+01:00We need grandparents to tell their story and also for filming.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Hi jimmy</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">
<br /></span></div>I now have 2 families who have agreed to be filmed for our project, however, I still have had no luck with finding grandparents to talk about not having contact with their grandkids. I was really moved by Anne's story and thought that she may agree to be part of our filming project.
<br />
<br />I am also interested to hear from any other grandparents who would like to tell their story on film - I know that this can be very difficult for people but it is important to get across the message about how not seeing their grandchildren has affected their lives.
<br />
<br />Many thanks for your continued support.
<br />
<br />--
<br /><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; ">Bernadette Lynass
<br />Project Co-ordinator </span><div><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; ">Connecting Generations
<br />
<br /></span>Relationships Scotland - Family Mediation South Lanarkshire
<br />Regent House<div>9 High Patrick Street
<br />Hamilton
<br />South Lanarkshire
<br />ML3 7ES
<br />
<br />t: 01698 421 333
<br />m: 07966371698
<br />e: <a href="mailto:bernadette@familysupport.org.uk" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); ">bernadette@familysupport.org.<wbr>uk</a>
<br />w: <a href="http://www.familysupport.org.uk/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); ">www.familysupport.org.uk</a></div></div></span>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833374226888636446.post-35821902110417600462011-08-09T13:45:00.003+01:002011-08-09T13:47:17.631+01:00Don’t blame parents!!! Blame the government for the inhuman treatment of children in the care system,<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span>
<br /></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span><o:p> </o:p></span></b><b><span>Press release. Immediate</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span><o:p> </o:p></span></b><b><span>Don’t blame parents!!! Blame the government for the inhuman treatment of children in the care system, The </span></b><st1:place><st1:placetype><b><span>University</span></b></st1:placetype><b><span> of </span></b><st1:placename><b><span>Crime</span></b></st1:placename></st1:place><b><span>. Children need their families.</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span>The government are trying to pass the buck for the riots onto parents. What a cheek and insult to the millions of parents. It is well known that children removed from their family by social services and brought up in the care system are non achievers, disrespectful, unmanageable, and have no respect for anyone. They are the mainstream of the gangs that roam our streets looking for that family feeling they were robbed of when they were cruelly separated from their family.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">The government do not even try to keep children with their families. Snatch, groom them and adopt to the first people who fancy adopting a child.<span> </span>Grandparents have been campaigning for years to be taken seriously in caring for their grandchildren rather than the care system but the government turn a blind eye to them and tell them you have no rights. We don’t need to talk to you. Grandparents have won the Charter for Grandchildren from the Scottish government and if made mandatory for professionals in the care system would ensure millions of children would be placed with their grandparents if that is in their best interest rather than social services.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">The British family is being destroyed by government policies which are based only on cost at present but this passes the problem and even more cost onto future authorities when the children are adults and committing crimes on society.</span><span> </span><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ends<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Jimmy Deuchars<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Grandparents Apart <st1:country-region><st1:place>UK</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">22 Alness crescent<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><st1:city><st1:place>Glasgow</st1:place></st1:city> G52 1PJ<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">0141 882 5658<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk <span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Grandparents Apart UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17631887562820389689noreply@blogger.com0