One of the aims of the CNiS sections of the CWS Bill is, allegedly, to “find” children as a safeguarding measure.

To do so by placing a duty on parents to “register” their children with the council.

Is that really going to be an effective way, an efficient way of “finding” any children of concern?
Is that going to be a wise use of taxpayer’s money, of scare resources?

Consider the kinds of scenarios that this “register” is meant to address….

IF IF IF there are parents of children who are deregistered who are deliberately hiding children to abuse them-

well, they are already committing serious criminal offences that carry custodial sentences,

so are they going to be worried about the minor implications of not complying with this new edict?

Not really, are they?

But it may well make any such abusers less likely to engage with other services such as access healthcare for the children.

That’s not exactly helping, is it?

And/or – abusers are typically masters at hiding in plain sight, of being charming and manipulative.
So even if they do comply, even if they are “visited” by a LA bod to talk about education, that’s not likely to reveal anything meaningful when children can be in school for years and abuse either not detected or acted on.

Consider different scenarios.

IF IF IF there are parents who are neglectful of their children who are not on a school roll, well, do we really think they’re going to be bothered about admin clerical duties like complying with a duty to “register”?

Hardly.

So – who ends up on these registers?

Children of conscientious parents, caring parents, compliant parents, dutiful parents.

And why do we need a register of those?

What an utterly daft system.

What an utter waste of limited time, money and resources, that should be focused on children who need input, support or safeguarding.

Wales surely can do better than this.

Wales should do better than this.

Wales should have done better than this, but unfortunately Welsh Labour, Plaid Cymru and Welsh Liberal Democrats sadly did not engage with concerned families in Wales, would not engage in conversations or considerations of such problems with the Bill, and subsequently voted for the LCM to apply Westminster’s CWS Bill to Wales.

Would these and other parties, moving forwards, be willing to engage with families in a truly meaningful way? not just in a tick-box token gesture consultation, in developing guidance to minimise abuse of powers and the damage to the wellbeing of children.

We do trust so.