Government guidance on an expanded system of parenting orders and new powers to issue fixed penalty fines to parents admits that the government is in the dark about how existing parenting orders are really working.
Draft guidance published last week from the Home Office on the provisions in the Antisocial Behaviour Bill says: "We have little information about the operation of certain aspects of parenting orders made under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and to inform our guidance we would be interested to learn more about experience and suggested approaches…"
The guidance goes on to appeal for information on how breaches of parenting orders are dealt with, information on what happens to parents who are subject to more than one order, how many appeals have been lodged against parenting orders and what the outcomes were, and the circumstances in which orders have been discharged or varied by the courts.
New powers are to be introduced for local education authorities and youth offending teams to apply to the courts for parenting orders against parents if a child is excluded from school or thought to be at risk of offending. Currently parenting orders can only be made when a young person is convicted of a criminal offence. Schools, local education authorities, the police and youth offending teams (Yots) will also be able to fine parents for their children’s truancy or antisocial behaviour.
Part 3 of the Antisocial Behaviour Bill, which includes the provisions on penalties for parents, has finished committee stage in the House of Lords, and the new powers are expected to be available by 28 February next year.
Under the new powers, fines of up to £100 can be issued to parents by school heads, deputies and assistant heads in cases of truancy, as well as by education welfare officers
