A new organisation has been launched to protect and promote the interests of children in care in Wales – and the people who look after them.
Care Forum Wales, the main representative body in the care sector, has created a Residential Child Care Special Interest Group.
The aim is to drive up standards in childcare by giving care providers a unified voice to give them more say in how services are commissioned and regulated.The idea has the backing of Gwenda Thomas AM, the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, who attended the launch in Cardiff today (Wednesday, November 11).One of the prime movers is Steve Elliott, from the Wrexham-based childcare company, Prospects for Young People. Mr. Elliott, a member of Care Forum Wales, explained:
“Residential childcare is an often neglected area of social care and yet it works with the some of the most vulnerable children and young people in society. The need to address years of damage in a short period of time together while dealing with the crises that continue to occur along the way means that the results of the work are not immediately seen as in many ways the outcome of the work undertaken may not become evident for many years in the future. As such we are investing in the future. In addition scandals arising from inappropriate and abusive practice that occurred in some homes in both South and North Wales in the 1960s and 1970s, culminating most notably with the Waterhouse Inquiry, tarnished the reputation of this particular sector. As a consequence, it is often more comfortable for people to ignore residential child care as a sector for fear of having to make a commitment to an area of social care that is seen as high risk. Yet residential childcare has come a long way. There is now a greater level of regulation and a committed and hardworking workforce which is subject to mandatory registration with a minimum level of qualification who are fully aware of the need to demonstrate measurable outcomes. Part of the issue that affects the profile of the sector is the conflicting view society has of children and young people with particular needs and difficulties.
When they are young we have a sentimental view of them but when they become adolescents that image changes significantly. What’s more, the child care profession is splintered. The sector does not share an overall professional identity as a childcare workforce, unlike teachers and doctors. It is against this backdrop that there is a need for an effective, dynamic and proactive voice for residential child care in Wales. With a united and combined voice, the childcare sector will be able to have much greater impact and achieve a higher profile and standing. I therefore believe that it is crucially important for residential child care to become fully and professionally engaged in all matters affecting the planning, commissioning and regulation of the service. It is increasingly important and in the interests of us all, to engage every provider of quality residential care services in a more mature, effective and professional relationship with commissioners, providers, policy makers and regulators. The launch of the new group will help us continue to drive up standards so that vulnerable children and young people can receive the best quality care that they deserve and need.
The Residential Child Care Special Interest Group is one of a number of special interest groups created by Care Forum Wales.Honorary Chief Executive Mario Kreft said: We’ve reviewed our structure in order to give the best possible Wales-wide representation to our members. The key change is the creation of a series of special interest groups to look after the interests of particular areas of the sector, such as domiciliary care and children’s services. Our professional advisors will continue to provide the service of local, regional and national representation along with member help lines and professional advice.