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ADCS Position Statement
Elaine Walton made this Freedom of Information request to Department for Children, Schools and Families
The request was refused by Department for Children, Schools and Families.
From: Elaine Walton
27 October 2009
Dear Sir or Madam,
in the Spring/summer of 2008 the Association of Directors of
Children's Services issued a Position Statement following media
coverage of the Birmingham case of Khyra Ishaq the way it was
reported and the way in which some newspapers interpreted the
comments of Lord Laming and Bether Climbie.
Copies of the Position Statement were issued to
Key officials atDCSF,
The Children's Commissioner,
Local Government Association,
And the British Association of Social Workers.
I would like a copy of that statement and realise that identifiers
will be removed
Yours faithfully,
Elaine Walton
Department for Children, Schools and Families
28 October 2009
Dear Elaine
Thank you for your recent email. A reply will be sent to you as soon as
possible. For information, the departmental standard for correspondence
received is that responses should be sent within 20 working days as you
are requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Your correspondence has been allocated the reference number
2009/0090927.
Thank you.
Central Allocation Team
Public Communications Team
Tel: 0870 0002288
www.dcsf.gov.uk
show quoted sections
Department for Children, Schools and Families
13 November 2009
Dear Ms Walton,
Thank you for your request for information, which was received on 27 October. Your request was:
"in the Spring/summer of 2008 the Association of Directors of Children's Services issued a Position Statement following media coverage of the Birmingham case
of Khyra Ishaq the way it was reported and the way in which some newspapers interpreted the comments of Lord Laming and Bether Climbie (sic). Copies of the
Position Statement were issued to key officials at DCSF; the Children's Commissioner; Local Government Association; and the British Association of Social
Workers. I would like a copy of that statement and realise that identifiers will be removed".
I have dealt with your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Following a search of the Department's paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by this Department. I
have consulted the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS), who confirm that no ADCS position statement was produced or issued in relation to
this subject within the dates indicated in your request. ADCS has, however, pointed out that the then ADCS President Dr. Maggie Atkinson wrote to the Editor of
the Sunday Telegraph newspaper on 4 June 2008 in response to an article which they published on 1 June 2008 about social workers and child protection. You may
wish to read the letter to see if this is the document you are looking for. The letter is available on the ADCS website at:
[1]http://www.adcs.org.uk/Downloads/08%2006...
If you have any queries about this response, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are unhappy with the way your request has been handled, you should make a complaint to the Department by writing to me within two calendar months of the
date of this letter. Your complaint will be considered by an independent review panel, who were not involved in the original consideration of your request.
If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint to the Department, you may then contact the Information Commissioner's Office at www.ico.gov.uk or by
phoning their helpline on 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45 which is available from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Yours sincerely,
Anne Gair
CHILD PROTECTION DIVISION
[email address]
[2]www.dcsf.gov.uk
Your correspondence has been allocated the reference number 2009/0090927.
show quoted sections
Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.adcs.org.uk/Downloads/08%2006...
2. http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/
Department for Children, Schools and Families
13 November 2009
Dear Ms Walton,
Thank you for your request for information, which was received on 27 October. Your request was:
"in the Spring/summer of 2008 the Association of Directors of Children's Services issued a Position Statement following media coverage of the Birmingham case
of Khyra Ishaq the way it was reported and the way in which some newspapers interpreted the comments of Lord Laming and Bether Climbie (sic). Copies of the
Position Statement were issued to key officials at DCSF; the Children's Commissioner; Local Government Association; and the British Association of Social
Workers. I would like a copy of that statement and realise that identifiers will be removed".
I have dealt with your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Following a search of the Department's paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by this Department. I
have consulted the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS), who confirm that no ADCS position statement was produced or issued in relation to
this subject within the dates indicated in your request. ADCS has, however, pointed out that the then ADCS President Dr. Maggie Atkinson wrote to the Editor of
the Sunday Telegraph newspaper on 4 June 2008 in response to an article which they published on 1 June 2008 about social workers and child protection. You may
wish to read the letter to see if this is the document you are looking for. The letter is available on the ADCS website at:
[1]http://www.adcs.org.uk/Downloads/08%2006...
If you have any queries about this response, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are unhappy with the way your request has been handled, you should make a complaint to the Department by writing to me within two calendar months of the
date of this letter. Your complaint will be considered by an independent review panel, who were not involved in the original consideration of your request.
If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint to the Department, you may then contact the Information Commissioner's Office at www.ico.gov.uk or by
phoning their helpline on 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45 which is available from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Yours sincerely,
Anne Gair
CHILD PROTECTION DIVISION
[email address]
[2]www.dcsf.gov.uk
Your correspondence has been allocated the reference number 2009/0090927.
show quoted sections
Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.adcs.org.uk/Downloads/08%2006...
2. http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/
Elaine Walton left an annotation (13 November 2009)
Could I refer you to page 16 of this document
http://www.hertsdirect.org/infobase/docs...
and ask that I have a copy of the position statement please.
From: Elaine Walton
24 December 2009
Dear Department for Children, Schools and Families,
I defined my request and am awaiting your response
Yours faithfully,
Elaine Walton
Department for Children, Schools and Families
24 December 2009
I am on leave until 4 January and will not picking up e-mails regularly. Please send anything urgent to the CPOD Mailbox and a member of the team will ensure it is actioned. Many thanks.
show quoted sections
Department for Children, Schools and Families
4 January 2010
Dear Ms Walton
I am sorry if there has been some confusion, but the e-mail which I sent
you on 13 November 09, which you have attached below, was indeed the
DCSF's response to your Freedom of Information request of 27 October.
If, however, you are saying that you have made a further request for
information since then which has not been answered, perhaps you would be
kind enough to send us details so that we can follow this up.
Thank you
Anne Gair
Child Safeguarding Division
Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street
London SW1P 3BT
Tel: 020 7340 7900
Ext: 307900
E-mail: [email address]
show quoted sections
Department for Children, Schools and Families
4 January 2010
Dear Ms Walton
I am sorry if there has been some confusion, but the e-mail which I sent
you on 13 November 09, which you have attached below, was indeed the
DCSF's response to your Freedom of Information request of 27 October.
If, however, you are saying that you have made a further request for
information since then which has not been answered, perhaps you would be
kind enough to send us details so that we can follow this up.
Thank you
Anne Gair
Child Safeguarding Division
Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street
London SW1P 3BT
Tel: 020 7340 7900
Ext: 307900
E-mail: [email address]
show quoted sections
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Elaine Walton left an annotation (27 October 2009)
'' But I would give you two words, and they are the first and second names of the child who died—Khyra Ishaq. I do not think that it is taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut simply to be able to go across the doorstep of the home where a child is being electively home educated. Not to interfere, not to insist, not to direct, but simply to check that they are as safe as you need them to be. Khyra Ishaq was electively home educated and withdrawn from the roll of her school in Birmingham, and within 10 weeks she had starved to death. That may be an extreme case, and horrible and dreadful, and it happens very, very, very rarely indeed. None the less, it happened.''
I believe Maggie Atkinson was aware when making that statement that Khyra was not de-registered from the School she had been attending , she was in fact a registered pupil who did not attend for a number of months.
I also maintain that Maggie Atkinson was and is fully aware that if there are justifiable concerns for a childs welfare then the Authorities have all the powers they need to see the child already established in law.
I also maintain that Khyra was seen by the authorities in the weeks preceding her death.
It is not my intention to criticise the services involved they all do a very difficult job and they do it very well.
It is my intention to ensure misinformation that has entered the public domain from an official source is publicly corrected
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