The Charter for Grandchildren’

[Alison J Stevens]

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‘The Charter for Grandchildren’

It did seem to us at Grandparents Apart UK that no-one else cared about the welfare of children as it is so low on the political agenda. Now on the 18th February 2010, 1.30pm Glasgow City Councilor Ruth Black backed by Councilors Iris Gibson, Alistair
Watson, and last year Mathew Kerr all of Craigton Ward 4 will raise a motion in
the City Chambers for ‘The Charter for Grandchildren’ to be
mandatory for professionals working in the welfare of children.

Children have been losing out on the benefits and safeguards their grandparents can provide because professionals regard them irrelevant persons regarding their
grandchildren. Ruth and her fellow councilors have recognised the huge benefit
grandparents can be for their grandchildren and the enormous savings it can be
to the public purse.

The drawback at present is if abuse/neglect is reported by the grandparents, the social services are not interested, unless they see bruises and broken bones, if there is none,
the grandparent’s pleas are ignored.* The grandparents are then if not before,
completely banned from seeing the children at all. And so it goes on until the
child lands up in hospital or worse.

An adult can speak up about being assaulted and put an end to the abuse. Children on the other hand can be threatened and brainwashed or too young to speak out and there
can be no-one to turn too. For a child It can be ongoing neglect, sexual abuse,
physical or emotional/mental abuse a child suffers before anyone can spot their
torment, then it can so bad the child is damaged for life.

Grandparents can be a confidant, someone special in their lives, someone they can talk to and trust. Someone who has insight to the kind of life they are leading and could
spot abuse earlier than any agency.

The only thing grandparents want out of this is, knowing their grandchildren are safe and not being harmed. They do not want control of them. I have said this often and heard
it repeatedly, I love to see my grandchildren but thank goodness they can go
back to their parents at the end of a visit. That is
caring.

Ends

* See ‘Emma’ http://chatterboxblogforyou.blogspot.com/2010/02/emma.html a case where the grandparents were ignored for 4 years during which their granddaughter suffered horrible abuse.

Grandparents Apart UK

22 Alness Crescent

Glasgow G52 1PJ

0141 882 5658

http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk

It did seem to us at Grandparents Apart UK that no-one else cared about the welfare of children as it is so low on the political agenda. Now on the 18th February 2010, 1.30pm Glasgow City Councilor Ruth Black backed by Councilors Iris Gibson, Alistair
Watson, and last year Mathew Kerr all of Craigton Ward 4 will raise a motion in
the City Chambers for ‘The Charter for Grandchildren’ to be
mandatory for professionals working in the welfare of children.

Children have been losing out on the benefits and safeguards their grandparents can provide because professionals regard them irrelevant persons regarding their
grandchildren. Ruth and her fellow councilors have recognised the huge benefit
grandparents can be for their grandchildren and the enormous savings it can be
to the public purse.

The drawback at present is if abuse/neglect is reported by the grandparents, the social services are not interested, unless they see bruises and broken bones, if there is none,
the grandparent’s pleas are ignored.* The grandparents are then if not before,
completely banned from seeing the children at all. And so it goes on until the
child lands up in hospital or worse.

An adult can speak up about being assaulted and put an end to the abuse. Children on the other hand can be threatened and brainwashed or too young to speak out and there
can be no-one to turn too. For a child It can be ongoing neglect, sexual abuse,
physical or emotional/mental abuse a child suffers before anyone can spot their
torment, then it can so bad the child is damaged for life.

Grandparents can be a confidant, someone special in their lives, someone they can talk to and trust. Someone who has insight to the kind of life they are leading and could
spot abuse earlier than any agency.

The only thing grandparents want out of this is, knowing their grandchildren are safe and not being harmed. They do not want control of them. I have said this often and heard
it repeatedly, I love to see my grandchildren but thank goodness they can go
back to their parents at the end of a visit. That is
caring.

Ends

* See ‘Emma’ http://chatterboxblogforyou.blogspot.com/2010/02/emma.html a case where the grandparents were ignored for 4 years during which their granddaughter suffered horrible abuse.

Grandparents Apart UK

22 Alness Crescent

Glasgow G52 1PJ

0141 882 5658

http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk-Jimmy Deachers