Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is facing protests this weekend

Groups fighting for the rights of mothers and their children will be out in force this weekend – protesting against the draconian Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Support Not Separation: fighting the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Support Not Separation is fighting to stop the brutal and arbitrary separations of children from their mums and families and for recognition of the mother/child bond.

It is opposing the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill currently going through parliament. The Bill will further undermine mothers and children and their right to be together. The full text of the Bill is here. Support Not Separation has given detailed evidence to the Public Bill Committee – see here.

The group is outraged that the tragic murder of Sara Sharif is being used to increase state powers over children – the very powers that led social workers and the family court to take Sara from her mother and give her to a father they knew to be violent.

The first public protests against the Bill are taking place this weekend (around International Women’s Day) in six cities. You can join any of these protests. The main London event, in Parliament Square (SW1A 2AA). is from 11am-2pm on Saturday 8 March.

Not the answer

At a time when there are more children in “care” than ever before, when over 4.3m children live in poverty and can be taken into care when mums are accused of “neglect”, when the “outcomes” for care leavers are so disastrous, and when mums and kinship carers are impoverished while Councils give millions to private companies running residential homes for profit, the government should be prioritising support to mothers and families to keep children safe.

It could begin by putting Section 17 of the Children Act (which can provide support to struggling families) on a mandatory footing, instead of leaving it up to Local Councils.

Ignoring all the evidence, this Bill would extend the control of the “corporate parent” over all children’s lives and do nothing to address the crisis of poverty, the neglect of children with SEND by the education system, or the massive expansion of the privatised child removal industry.

Overarching concerns

Support Not Separation is opposed to this Bill because it aims to:

Extend the powers of professionals over all aspects of children’s and families lives. Children do not need multi-agency “child protection” staffed by more professionals spying on their mothers. (Clause 2).

Introduce a “consistent identifier” (a name or number) for each child from birth. This takes state monitoring to an unprecedented degree as if children belong to the state rather than to their mother and families. A similar proposal in Scotland was ruled illegal by the Supreme Court because it breached the right to “private and family life”. (Clause 4).

Authorise children subject to Deprivation of Liberty orders to be housed in alternative placements beyond just a secure children’s home. This risks expanding the number of children placed in unregulated homes where they are even more likely to be abused and neglected with impunity. (Clause 10).

Cap profits made by private providers rather than outlaw for-profit provision. (Clauses 14 and 16).

Greatly restrict the right to home education which would particularly affect children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who are most likely to be failed by mainstream education – the Bill does not address any of the problems with SEND. Refusing to allow children to be home educated is discriminatory and unfair. (Clauses 24-29).

Allow social workers compulsory home visits and right to enter children’s homes without permission; where refused, a legal order will be made which could result in prison or the power to make life-changing decisions relating to the health of your child without parental consent.

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill: draconian

As the Bill goes through Parliament the group will be lobbying against it by writing to MPs and peers, speaking to the press, and letting the public know that far from protecting children, the Bill would make the lives of children and families harder and breach their human rights.

As London Daily News reported, there are various ways you can get involved:

• Write to your MP and express your concerns.
• Spread the word on social media using #ChildrensWellbeingBill #AreYouListeningNow.
• Attend rallies and protests to stand against government overreach in education.

Links to the UK protests on 8 March can be found here.

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