THE arguments put forward in Professor Ian Welsh’s article (“'Named Person’ hurdle is an opportunity is not a setback”, The Herald, January 26) pose a threat for families across Scotland. Despite the UK Supreme Court ruling it unlawful in 2016 and ongoing strong opposition from families, Government and its agencies remain determined to push through the dangerous Getting it right for every child (Girfec)/Named Person legislation. Lady Hale, one of the judges involved in the 2016 judgment, recently reminded us of its dangers: “The spectre of the totalitarian state which tried to separate children from the subversive influence of their families loomed large. The Supreme Court recognised this in the Christian Institute v Lord Advocate .... the case which challenged the Scottish ‘named person’ scheme.”
Instead of a totalitarian state, Prof Welsh tries hard to paint a picture of “partnership power” through Girfec/Named Person with parents and children in the driving seat; but, after a decade of Girfec/Named Persons, the reality is one of human rights abuses, unwanted and unwarranted interference by the state, families erroneously referred to the Children’s Reporter and on to Children’s Hearings. In short, the intervention is often causing serious harm.
What is glaring in its omission from Prof Welsh’s article is the fact that Girfec and Named Person and their reliance on "wellbeing" as a procedural basis require consent prior to any data sharing taking place. Practice on the ground, however, reveals that for many families personal and confidential information continues to be shared without their knowledge, never mind their consent.
Government and its agencies need to stop telling parents how to parent and let them raise their children under their own unique “subversive influence”.
Rather than "recalibrating Girfec" Professor Welsh should listen to the UK Supreme Court and abandon this totalitarian scheme before it can do any more harm.
Lesley Scott,
The Green, Spittalfield, Perth.
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