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Tragedy raises questions
• THE inquest hearing on Salma ElSharkawy’s tragic death (Salma’s car defective, April 3) raises many questions surrounding her case, not least the costs of intensive supervision of children in care which run well into six figures a year.
The cost of replacing a bald tyre pales into insignificance beside figures of that magnitude, the result of outsourcing care to the private sector, .
It is comforting to read that staff concerned in looking after Salma now use tyre checkers to measure the tread. So hopefully this type of tragedy will never happen again.
But, as professional carers are given a second chance, sadly parents are often not even given a first chance.
We have advised many parents who have not harmed their children but have had them removed on the grounds that they might harm them in the future.
From this month, new guidance has been issued for social services to prioritise working with the family if there are concerns over children, rather than placing them in care.
This trend is also reflected in the Children and Young Persons Bill now going through the Commons, which is designed to improve outcomes for children in care. The principles behind the bill are fourfold: first, to ensure good parenting from everyone involved in these children’s lives; second, to improve the stability of their experiences; third, to give children a greater say over decisions that affect them; and, fourth, to bring about a culture change where all those involved have greater ambitions for these children.
Trevor Jones
National co-ordinator
Parents Against Injustice Hornsey Lane Gardens, N6
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