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A leading children's charity has raised doubts about a central plank of the government's strategy for dealing with children at risk.

Questioning the government's plans to develop identification, referral and tracking systems, the Children's Society principal policy and practice manager Sharon Moore said she doubted that potential offenders could be targeted before they broke the law.

"The truth is we cannot predict which child will offend," she said. "The vast majority of children who have to cope with these at-risk factors don't commit crime."


Speaking at a conference on social exclusion among children and young people organised by 0-19 magazine and the Children and Young People's Unit, Moore said the government's misplaced focus on youth offending was at the expense of other services for vulnerable children.

"Children's organisations are concerned that resources are focused away from children with needs towards those who are labelled a risk in society," she said.

Moore said that children currently had to be considered as potential offenders before they received services. "The narrowing of the focus to offending and potential offending behaviour denies the needs of others," she said.

She went on to criticise the government's language and tone in its policies, such as the Antisocial Behaviour Bill, which served to exacerbate public concern about youth offending, despite levels actually falling. She said these concerns were also being fuelled by the way the media reported the issue.


Calling for a more holistic approach to children in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, she urged the government not to miss the opportunity provided by the forthcoming Children at Risk Green Paper to "provide services to children and families not based on their future risk but on their needs here and now".

- If you are interested in the latest developments in children and families services, don't miss Community Care LIVE this year. With 20 plenary sessions and more than 40 workshops, this free event is an important chance to listen to government ministers, key decision-makers and to add your voice to the debate. Go to www.communitycare.co.uk/cc_live/home5.html for full details and to register, or call 0870 7511 406.