New Labour’s new electronic ‘telephone directory’
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1921/swssr.v12i1.445Keywords:
risk, concerns, social exclusion, civil libertiesAbstract
Section 12 of the Children Act 2004 provides for the setting up of electronic databases on children. This article, initially presented as a paper for the ‘Changing Social Work’ symposium organised by the Social Work and Social Sciences Review in the autumn of 2004, highlights a number of criticisms of the plan for these databases. In this context, the discussion refers to the Committee Stage of the Children Bill that took place in the House of Lords in May 2004. It is recognised, of course, that the Bill was subject to some changes as it made its way through the parliamentary process. In addition, the rather rushed pilot projects may well ‘iron out’ some of the evident ambiguities and problems. Nonetheless, core and substantial criticisms, discussed at Committee Stage, have not been extinguished. Indeed, some of the fears expressed about the impact of the databases are now likely to become magnified. The article dwells on four key areas: the potential elasticity of the idea of ‘flags of concern’ which is so central to the plan for databases; uncertainty about what happens to the ‘flags’ when a child reaches 18; the fact that the databases might result in over intervention, even deterring some families from seeking help; finally, it is argued that there are problems with how the government has endeavoured to present the databases as a response to the Laming Report.
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Published
2012-12-26
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Garrett, P. M. (2012). New Labour’s new electronic ‘telephone directory’. Social Work and Social Sciences Review, 12(1), 5-21. https://doi.org/10.1921/swssr.v12i1.445
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