Neglected children sent to UK because Jersey lacks appropriate care

Wednesday 27 September 2017

Two young boys who were neglected by their parents have had to be rehomed in the UK because the island lacks sufficient foster care provisions.

Described as a “delightful little boy”, nine-year-old Cameron* lived with his brother and sister, but the Royal Court heard that the family home showed little trace of the brothers’ existence.

"Their bedroom contained only a single bed, a mattress on the floor, a cupboard in which their toys were locked away, and a light fitting with no bulb," a Court judgement read.

Bailiff Sir William Bailhache also heard that the boys - in contrast to their sister - had suffered "punitive" parenting, which left them with low self-esteem, and that the mother had used drugs intravenously.

An order was originally made to find them a foster carer in Jersey, but attempts were unsuccessful.

"Every effort was made to identify potential matches for the child with approved carers, and that the fostering service has also attempted to recruit a carer specifically for him following more than one island wide campaign," the Bailiff commented about Cameron.

While the child was reluctant to leave his mother, an appropriate home has now been found for him in the UK. He will have regular access to his brother, who will be homed in a similar part of the UK, and will maintain monthly contact with his mother.

The issue has since prompted to Bailiff to urge the Council of Ministers to reconsider their child care policies. 

In granting the order for Cameron to be sent to the UK, the Bailiff defended against potential accusations of “institutional cruelty”, stating that “…there was in reality no choice for [the Court] to make.”

He said that between twenty and thirty families – sometimes with more than one child – would appear before the Court each year, and that the numbers were sufficiently high to suggest that long-term fostering for older children was “unlikely to be possible over an extended period.” 

The Bailiff added that although there were “risks” associated with institutional care – as highlighted in the Care Inquiry – that this should not be a reason to avoid it overall.

“The Court does not hold itself out as being expert in the provision of children’s care but we are bound to express some doubts as to whether foster care on its own will ever be a sufficient answer in the Island and we think that those whose responsibility it is to make policy decisions should consider other options,” he said.

He’s now calling on the Minister for Health and Social Services and his colleagues in the Council of Ministers to consider and take action on the Court’s findings.

“In our judgment, the application of funds to tackle the problems described... might have a real and beneficial impact on child care in the Island,” he concluded.

*Name changed to protect child's anonymity.