Who cares for children in care?
10/01/2007
A organisation called Families Anti-Social Services Enquiry Team (FASSIT) has been set up to help the many parents, grandparents and guardians who believe that their children or grandchildren have been taken from them unfairly, or that the treatment they are receiving is abusive.
FASSIT was founded when a growing number of family members experienced frustration and anger at what they say are blatant discrepancies between the evidence presented at Court by “expert witnesses” and the actual events or material facts.
In many instances, children are removed from their carers, often forcibly, causing an enormous amount of distress for all parties concerned.
According to FASSIT, the reasons for this are twofold: a law which upholds and protects expert witnesses; and the government's policy to increase the adoption rate - with financial rewards to those councils who do so.
Due to “gagging” orders and other court protections for expert witnesses, cases where “clients” are proved innocent of an allegation such as abuse, or who have their view substantiated by the court, are currently unable to publicise their cases. Nor are social service “professionals” accountable for their evidence, even in cases where there was a deliberate and concerted attempt to mislead the court, or where it was apparent that they were not fit to discharge their professional duties.
There are already some 3,300 children a year placed for adoption in the UK. “When Tony Blair asked for a 40% increase in adoption,” says FASSIT, “some councils met this target through public service agreements - gaining massive financial rewards for doing so.
“But one unfortunate result of this push to increase adoption has been to pressurise social workers to find 'suitable' children - even if it means splitting up the very families they are meant to support and protect.”
FASSIT UK Support consists of an experienced team, all of whom say they have suffered at the hands of social services. Their hope is to protect children unfairly taken for adoption, and campaign for the abolition of secrecy in Family Law Courts, as well as better use of resources for those families who are struggling to keep their children.
They also point to the following facts:
* More than 75% of young people leaving care have no academic qualifications of any kind.
* More than 50% of young people leaving care after 16 years are unemployed.
* 17% of young women leaving care are pregnant or already mothers.
* 10% of 16-17 year old claimants of DSS severe hardship payments have been in care.
* 23% of adult prisoners and 38% of young prisoners have been in care
30% of young single homeless people have been in care.
If you believe you or a family member has been unfairly treated by social services, visit the FASSIT website for advice and support on the link below.