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Nick Kerry, a family centre worker, is disturbed that children’s rights are so often overridden by the rights of their parents.

Although professionals often talk about putting the child’s needs first, how many really act on it? Research into child deaths has often shown a breakdown in professionals’ ability to separate the rights and needs of the child from the rights of the parents. When the relationship and rights of parents override the rights of the children, there is clearly an issue.

Part of this problem seems to be the paradox created between the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Children Act 1989, with the legal profession juggling the rights of the children with the perceived rights of their parents. The Human Rights Act states, that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. But, where does it stand in relation to the Children Act?

Should children be suffering as a consequence of a legal system which seems unable to differentiate between a parent’s right and child abuse or neglect? If all human beings are born free and equal, surely a child’s dignity and rights should be prioritised and their freedom and dignity upheld by those who are employed to ensure this.

I have become bewildered and disillusioned with the professional network and legal system’s failure to act in the best interests of children. As part of a residential team working with families from extremely damaged backgrounds, my colleagues and I always work towards keeping families together.

This is not always possible, however, and when it is felt - and there is evidence - that a child’s needs are not being adequately met, and the prognosis of the parents changing their behaviour is not good, we recommend that the children are removed from the family.

I find it disturbing that our recommendations are repeatedly ignored, and we are being forced by the professional network and the legal system to collude with child abuse despite the fact that we are employed to prevent it.

This is further exacerbated when parents have learning difficulties. Of course we must try to help parents learn the necessary skills to provide for their children. But where do we draw the line? And for how long do we place the rights of the parents before the rights of the children? When this is coupled with parents showing little sign of improving their parenting, despite high levels of professional intervention, one wonders what needs to happen before the statutory powers awarded to local authority social workers are acted upon and the needs of the child prioritised.