The following is a proposal for a Member Bill tabled during the Sixth Senedd:
Proposing Member:
Title of the proposed Bill:
Care Proceedings (Involvement of Parents) (Wales) Bill
Policy Objectives of the proposed Bill:
This purpose of this Bill is to provide a protection in the field of child welfare, where crucial, life-changing decisions are made. The Bill would require that all meetings undertaken by a Social Services Department involving the parents[s] of a child where the Department is considering the removal of that child into public care, be audio recorded.
Supporting Information:
Wales continues to remove children into public care at an accelerating rate, and at a rate which far exceeds that of authorities in England. Parents often believe that the decision-making process does not provide an adequate opportunity for their voices to be heard. The content of meetings involving parents is highly important material as evidence provided to the Courts, where a reception of a child into care is proposed by the Department. At present, the only account of such meetings is that provided by the authority itself. Parents can, and do, dispute the account, but have no independent version of events to which reference can be made. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act (1984) already requires the police to record all interviews with suspects. The result is a verbatim record to which reference can be made in Court. The availability of such a record protects both suspects and police officers where disputes occur.