Warnings of more Baby P-type tragedies
Warning of more Baby P-type tragedies if nanny register not set up
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By inthenews. |  |
Saturday, 19, Sep 2009 12:02
By Sarah Garrod.
There have been warnings today that unless nannies are compulsorily registered there could be more Baby P-type tragedies.
The grave warning will be given in a speech later today by James Tweed of Childcare Matters consultancy at the Professional Nanny Conference at Chiltern College.
Mr Tweed has warned that unless the government introduces a compulsory register for nannies, a tragedy such as the case of Baby Peter could happen again, but this time involving a nanny.
He has criticised the government for saying "Every child matters", but not, according to Mr Tweed, those who are cared for by nannies.
Baby Peter died in August 2007 after receiving sustained abuse from his mother, her boyfriend and their lodger. A post-mortem revealed he had sustained more than 50 injuries.
Despite being on the child protection register and seen 60 times by authorities, Peter was not taken into care by local authorities or health professionals.
In his speech, Mr Tweed will say that nannies need to be properly registered and regulated as they are the only form of high-quality professional childcare that is not fully regulated by the government.
He expressed his concern that the government wants to register parents for giving lifts to their children's friends when playing football but does not want to register nannies.
Mr Tweed will say: "The government wants to regulate parents who work in a voluntary capacity for a few hours a week with children and young people. Yet the government will not properly regulate the nannies who work with children for whole days on a daily basis.
"Why is the government so reluctant to implement a compulsory register of nannies who want to be regulated, and instead is trying to register and regulate parents?
"The government says Every Child Matters. This phrase is the cornerstone of its policies for children and young people. But the reality is that Every Child Matters apart from those cared for by nannies."
Mr Tweed will also say how important it is for families to know their nanny is registered and meets a clearly identifiable set of accepted competencies. He will say concerns about a nanny could be properly investigated and if found proved the nanny would be struck off the register and no longer allowed to work as a nanny.
At the moment, a nanny could move to another part of the country and parents would be none the wiser.