Islington Tribune - News: union protests at homes sale

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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 20 April 2007

Union protest at homes sale

UNION officials voiced dismay this week at a decision to sell off two of Islington’s children’s homes to developers.
Ruling Lib Dems on the council’s executive committee agreed on Tuesday to sell the homes under a plan to provide alternative fostering care.
Residential care workers will as far as possible be re-deployed.
The two homes being closed are at Highbury New Park, Highbury, and in Dukes Avenue, Muswell Hill. They currently house 15 children.
Union officials point out that Islington has 400 children in care in various parts of the country. Those who cannot be fostered will have to go into private residential care – at a cost to the council.
Mike Calvert, assistant secretary at Islington branch of trade union Unison, said: “They have difficulty fostering many of the borough’s children in care as it is. What makes the council think it will be any easier after they close the two homes.
“Obviously, we’re not opposed to having troubled children with families, but no one has shown that the new system is going to be any better than what we have now.”
The union says that, even when children are fostered, it does not always work, either for the family or the young person in care.
But Councillor Ursula Woolley, Lib Dem executive member for children, said that, while residential homes were extremely well run, the preference is to provide loving families for the borough’s youngsters in care.
“It makes sense that, where possible, children are fostered with good families,” she added.
“All young people deserve and have the right to a good quality of life. There are always concerns with a new system but it has got to be given a chance to work.”

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