The Child Minder

I overheard a conversation while shopping in Woolworths at lunchtime that both shocked me and saddened me.

By maria.ahmed@rbi.co.uk

It started a few weeks ago with an anonymous phone call to the Community Care news desk, telling me about “potential failings within the whole child protection and welfare arena” in Jersey.

I never thought I’d agree with justice secretary Jack Straw and fortunately, judging by his comments last week, I’m not going to start now. On BBC Radio 4’s Today programme – which my radio alarm clock is tuned to, good journalist that I am – he said the “continuing problem” of gang violence is due to the absence of fathers in black communities.

The furore over claims social workers are removing children from their birth parents and placing them for adoption in order to meet government targets continues. On Sunday the BBC Radio 4 will air a programme featuring interviews with four parents who say their children were wrongly removed. John Hemming, the liberal democrat MP who first made these claims, will be pleased his controversial pet subject is still generating public debate. So am I.

I hate to admit it but for once I think David Cameron has had a good idea. I am of course talking about his call for courts to use a power, which unbeknown to practically everyone they already have, to ban young offenders from having or applying for a driving licence.

Cameron said that punishments need to "hit young offenders where it hurts: in their lifestyle and their aspirations". I couldn't agree more.

More research on ADHD treatments. Something called neurofeedback can be effective, according to a study, but doesn't work for everyone and shouldn't be thought of as a replacement for drugs.

Researchers have found that the academic and behavioural problems associated with ADHD can be treated in children without using drugs.

Kids Company founder Camila Batmanghelidjh is one of those people you either like or loathe.

It's not big, and it's not clever. But I'm pretty sure that social workers and youth offending team members up and down the country are today muttering those immortal words "I told you so" after the sentencing advisory panel admitted that sentencing young people who breach their Asbo to a custodial sentence rarely makes sense.

Here's a nice idea - "a planned intergenerational community", called Treehouse, set up in the US to bring together families with foster children with older adults who can act as de facto grandparents.

The case of a two-year old who was stabbed to death by her mother reported today is the third case of child death in appalling circumstances that has been reported over the past fortnight.

When will Victoria Climbie be laid to rest? Never, according to the national press. The news that Haringey council, which was criticised heavily over the Climbie case, has announced a serious case review into the suspicious death of a 17-month baby, has provoked criticial headlines once more.

In my three years as a humble Community Care hack, I have heard one mantra again and again from social workers: "The press is too negative about us." The Daily Mail is often the target for these sighs of despair. Why then don't you talk to us, your magazine and website, often enough?

148 children deemed to be at risk have been picked up by the Metropolitan Police's Ports Safeguarding Team and taken into social services care since January 2006. In an interview with Community Care last week Detective Chief Superintendent Alastair Jeffrey, head of the Met's Child Abuse Investigation Command, said that this was a "considerable number" and that child trafficking continued to be a significant problem which won't go away.

Last night I caught the end of the BBC's new “The One Show” just as Adoption UK director Jonathan Pearce was being asked whether it was ever appropriate to tell someone they were too fat to adopt.

Blair's war on yobs (remember that?) has backfired spectacularly. His drive to whack
more kids in jail to show he was "doing something" about hoodies on the streets has just led the Youth Justice Board into a crisis.