Cyflwynwyd yr ymateb hwn i'r ymgynghoriad mewn ymateb i destun ymgynghori sydd wedi'i ddiwygio ers hynny. Gweler tudalennau’r ymchwiliad a’r ymgynghoriad i gael rhagor o wybodaeth. |This consultation response was submitted in response to consultation text that has since been amended. See the inquiry and consultation web pages for this inquiry for more information.

CYPM10 Unigolyn

Senedd Cymru | Welsh Parliament

Y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg | Children, Young People and Education Committee

Plant a phobl ifanc sydd ar yr ymylon | Children and Young People on the margins

Ymateb gan Unigolyn | Evidence from Individual

Please set out any views on missing children below.

You may wish to consider:

§ Nature and scale of the issue and regional variations.

§ At risk groups: including the impact of care experience and out of area placements.

§ Practice: issues such as information sharing and data collection.

§ Policy: the effectiveness of devolved policy and practice responses, including Welsh Government oversight. Whether there is effective read across to relevant Welsh Government strategies.

§ Devolved and UK powers: how joined up is the interface between devolved and non-devolved policy such as criminal and youth justice.

There is too much focus on broad surveillance, and far too little on repeat offenders. Nearly all crime is committed by repeat offenders, and harsher sentencing on those who have a prior conviction would protect children who are vulnerable to trafficking or exploitation much more effectively than monitoring the children themselves.

Children in care and otherwise under the protection of the state fare terribly, so bringing in more top-down powers is likely to make matters worse. Instead, we need to make it easier for individuals and communities to support children who are actually in trouble.

It is also unhelpful to include groups who are not actually at increased risk, like home educated children. There is no evidence that this is an at-risk demographic, and expanding the definitions of "marginal" or "at-risk" dilutes attention on the children who have genuine increased risk of going missing or being exploited.

Again on the topic of dilution, sharing data on the basis of risk rather than evidence is unhelpful. Infringing on the privacy of many does not protect the few who need help, but does divert resources away from them.

Please set out any views on children and young people who are victims of criminal exploitation below.

You may wish to consider:

§ Nature and scale across Wales and regional variations (e.g. traditional, drug related, sexual, financial).

§ At risk groups: including care experience, children experiencing trauma in the home and children not enrolled in mainstream education.

§ Policy: The effectiveness of devolved policy including Welsh Government oversight. Whether there effective read across to relevant WG strategies such as Child Sexual Exploitation.

§ Practice: Approaches to prevention, community resilience, early intervention, support provided and exit strategies for victims. Practice issues such as information sharing and data collection.

§ Devolved and UK powers: How joined up is the interface between devolved and non-devolved policy such as criminal and youth justice? Are there any points of tension between criminal law and safeguarding?

Similar to the above, we should jail all repeat offenders. Financial incentives to come forward and report would also help children whose motivations for involvement are financial. Data sharing should not be permitted unless there is evidence in a specific case, being in an "at-risk" group is not sufficient cause. Again, children not enrolled in mainstream education are not an "at-risk" group and putting attention in the wrong place due to prejudice will only hurt those children who are actually suffering.

Please set out any views on other groups of children on the margins.

You may wish to identify other groups of children “on the margins”. These would be groups of children in circumstances that require a specific response from children’s services or other statutory providers and for which there are concerns about the current policy or practice.

Children looked after or provided for by the local authority should have a community guardian - someone from their local community who volunteers to keep in touch with them - so they can report wrongdoing by the authority to an adult. Accountability is the best way to improve relations between the general public and the authorities.

If you have anything else you wish to share with us, please do so below.

I have home educated neighbours who have been hounded by the council and even referred to social services on the basis of nothing but prejudice. The children are articulate and cheerful, there are no signs of distress or excessive mess/noise, and they run events with the local home educating community regularly. That they are considered "marginal" in this consultation is insulting to them, and the idea that they should be discriminated against in terms of privacy is appalling.