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Children

Vision but no voice

All across Whitehall, the same message echoed from ministers yesterday: "We must listen to the voice of the child." The calls coincided with the publication of a children bill that is intended to produce the biggest change in children's services for 30 years. The 10-year plan is designed to bring together, and make accountable, all the different branches of children's services - social services, education, health, youth justice and police - and to set up a children's commissioner for England to champion their rights. And yet, in terms of listening to children, the bill fell at the first hurdle; smacking of children will not be banned. It does not even tighten the 144-year-old law of "reasonable chastisement", which two separate parliamentary inquiries have shown has been invoked by serious child abusers to escape prosecution.

What is causing such hesitation when the principles of childcare - and the understanding of child development - have been so transformed? The answer is a combination of Britain's outdated approach to parenting and Labour's fear of being stuck with the "nanny state" label. Surely if there is one area above all others where "nanny" should be intervening, it is in the field of child protection. Britain was the last country in Europe to ban corporal punishment in schools. Ten states have already banned smacking. Are we going to be the last? With luck, a cross-party coalition of MPs and peers, backed by an alliance of 350 children's charities, will ensure we are not. Stand by for an amendment and a possible free vote to open up a new era.

The children's lobby rightly paid tribute yesterday to the broad thrust of the plan - and to the readiness of ministers to consult and involve them. Ministers have set out a bold and ambitious vision, with a children's centre in every community, all schools opened to community activities and services and a much more concentrated focus on pre-school children, where research suggests there is the greatest potential for gain. The aim is to have greater integration of services, more sharing of information and easier access and support for parents. For the first time, the NHS has signalled its readiness to join in.

The challenge is how we get from where we are today to this new world. Children's social services, which will be merged with education and NHS children's services in many authorities, are under intense strain. Recruitment and retention problems are intense. Some London boroughs have vacancy rates of more than 20% - four times the rate of other public services - and only survive on agency staff. Yet this coming year local government is being asked to tighten its belt, even though key child protection teams are already understaffed. The voluntary sector is facing similar problems, with various pioneering projects also facing closure.

Yesterday's plan, a response to Victoria Climbié's horrible murder, was right to be broader than just child protection. But ministers must be vigilant in monitoring their changes. The biggest risk is that, by redistributing social service teams across merged services, vulnerable children become yet more vulnerable. This is another reason for giving the new children's commissioner for England the extra powers that Northern Ireland's commissioner already enjoys. That way, the voice of the child will be heard.


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Leader: Vision but no voice

This article appeared on p29 of the Editorials & reply section of the Guardian on Friday 5 March 2004. It was published on guardian.co.uk at 02.52 GMT on Friday 5 March 2004.

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