Action on Records Access

`
I was interested to read the following page on Barnardo's
website

http://www.barnardos.org.uk/fosteringandadoption/post_adoption_support/fosteringandadoption_making_connections/fosteringandadoption_making_connections-initiatives.htm

And the link that it gives to Barnardo's current access
to records service 'Making Connections'

http://www.barnardos.org.uk/fosteringandadoption/foster_adopt/adoption/post_adoption_support/fosteringandadoption_making_connections/fosteringandadoption_making_connections-contact.htm

I spent time in care with Dr Barnarndo's Homes in the early
1950s and was eventually adopted with Dr Barnardo's
adoption agency

I first asked Barnardo's for access to records about 20 years
ago, it took over 15 years and in excess of £7000 in legal
fees to obtain information that should have been forthcoming
at the outset. Several of my siblings were also adopted through
other agencies. In all I had to seek information from 9 different
agencies. At Barnardos I found some people helpful but mostly
I found some of the most offensively patronising and condescending
people I've ever had the misfortune to deal with. Of all the 9 agencies
involved Barnardos was by far and away the worst. The main
concern always at Barnardo's was individual and corporate
backside covering. It came as no surprise to me to read of the
efforts by some of those sent to Canada to sue Barnardo's for
£400,000,000. Sadly that failed due to some legal trickery on
part of Barnardo's lawyers. I would have been very pleased to
give evidence in that case as to the general attitude at Barnardo's
And indeed in any other case that may ever come to court

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0LVZ/is_12_17/ai_90108597/ 

I would still be interested to hear of people's more recent experiences
whilst trying to obtain access to either adoption or care records from
Barnardo's you can contact me, Robin Harritt by e-mailing
adoptee@mac.com or telephone 01279 813303. Meanwhile I am
still tracing my natural father's family using other means of
which many would no doubt disapprove of. But what other
choice do I have when Barnardo's refuse even to talk to me
other than sending me the usual charity requests for a donation

I do have to wonder exactly what Barnardo's means when
it uses the term "across their lifespan"

Robin
.
.
Barnardos Ireland  Barnardos New Zealand  Barnardos Australia  Barnardo's UK
.
.

Cloud cuckoo land

Tim Loughton and his "Adoption Tsar" are living in cloud cuckoo land aren't they? And
covering the same old ground as Blair &Co did 10 years ago. Difficult not to get a
sense of déjà vu reading this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16285610

Remember this?

http://cl.ly/1B1S273M060a3u0l1b0m (downloads a PDF)

I agree in principle with what it says here in 'In Loco Parentis' a project from the
Demos think tank which was sponsored by Barnardo's at the time when Martin
Narey was still its CEO. He should perhaps revisit some of what it says

http://cl.ly/39223C3F223n1w2z0M0r (downloads a PDF)

Quote:

In practice there will always be a group of children for whom prevention from
entering care or permanent solutions such as adoption are not realistic outcomes.
Instead of oscillating between these positions of ‘prevention’ and ‘permanency’ we
should aim to use public care far more proactively to:

· provide support to families as soon as they need it rather than waiting until they
reach crisis point

· achieve early permanency for those children who can not return to their families

· provide stability for those children and young people for whom a permanent solution
is not desirable or feasible

Note the last bullet point there, more needs to be done for those children for whom
adoption is not feasible, instead of trying to force an unfeasible solution to work
.
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Barnardos Ireland  Barnardos New Zealand  Barnardos Australia  Barnardo's UK
.
.

1 in 5 adoptions break down!

`
Someone asked my why I think 1 in 5 adoptions break down here in England?

They break down because the adoptive parents are not able to deal with difficult
children, all adoptive children are difficult to some extent

There is already and has for a long time now been provision to remove children from
abusive or inadequate parents. A few serious misjudgments by child protection social
workers in high profile cases does not justify Mr Narey's proposal that the way to
avoid those misjudgments, is to take children away en masse to have them adopted at
all haste. There really are not enough suitable prospective adoptive parent for that
in any case

I think the social workers with years of experience at the coal-face of child
protection and adoption disagree with him because they have that experience .
Whereas Martin Narey is an ex prison administrator with no experience whatsoever of
working in child protection or adoption. He was the CEO of Barnardo's not one of it's
social workers. If the government needs an "adoption tsar" that should be someone
whose career has been in child protection and adoption not running prisons

We need less cases like this not more

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1316886/Couple-jailed-allowing-adopted-children-abused-paedophiles.html

or this child killed in Tim Loughton's constituency, whilst in the care of
prospective adoptive parents. A case that Loughton continuously cited when he was on
the Select Committee on the Adoption and Children Bill as reason to be more vigilant
about who can adopt

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1613997.stm

Every prospective adoptive parent needs to be thoroughly assessed and matched before
any child is placed with them, all the more so if the child is a baby. That takes
time and due diligence. The way many experienced social workers see it, if Mr Narey's
ideas are put in to practice it will cause many more problems than it solves. I'm
inclined to think they are right and he is wrong. They are children not puppy dogs
and kittens. Anyone who thinks kids should be dealt out to the first people to come
along asking to adopt, should go help out at the animal shelter and get out of the
child care / protection line of work. Adoption takes a long time because it needs to
take a long time for the sake of children. We have a very poor -because it's
underfunded and poorly staffed- care system. Adoption is a nice cheap option for the
government and nice little earner for agencies like Barnardo's and Nugent. If
adoption were done as it should be with continued supervision and support it might
not look like such an attractively cheap option to Mr Camaron
.
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Barnardos Ireland  Barnardos New Zealand  Barnardos Australia  Barnardo's UK
.
.

Some more opinions on the "Adoption Tsar"

More opinion on the Narey proposals

Some more opinions on Martin Narey as "Adoption Tsar", from the Guardian, generally
considered the social worker's newspaper here in the UK

"his views have offended social workers and been criticised as too simplistic"

""wading under-qualified into a highly complex area and producing a reactionary,
simplistic take on it"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jul/26/adoption-tsar-martin-narey-spotlight

and from Jean Milsted at Norcap

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/02/adoption-long-term-emotional-impact

There's certainly not a 100% backing for Martin Narey's proposals amongst social
workers, his support comes mainly from politicians with no more understanding of the
realities of adoption than Mr Narey and who are keen to find the cheapest solution
for the problem of children in care, rather than the best for each individual child.
I think the only thing everyone agrees on is that current child care / protection
system is a tragic mess
.
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Barnardos Ireland  Barnardos New Zealand  Barnardos Australia  Barnardo's UK
.
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Munro

Munro Report

All of this talk of speeded up adoption has largely arisen from the government's
responce to the Munro Report

http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/safeguarding/a0077182/independent-review-into-child-protection-says-free-professionals-from-central-government-control-to-let-them-do-their-jobs-properly

Speedy and rigorous don't really go together do they? To be fair many of the
staunchest critics of the proposal are social workers working at the coal-face of
fostering and adoption. There was a mantra often chanted during the passage of the
Adoption and Children Bill that, 'every child has a right to a family, no one has a
right to adopt a child', and that I agree with. I corresponded with Tim Loughton when
he was in opposition and a member of the committee on that Bill, he seems to have
changed his tune rather now he has the post of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
for Children and Young Families.

http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/letters/a0075535/tim-loughton-responds-to-sunday-telegraph-on-forced-adoption

If we are to have adoption, and our system is not be as disastrous as that in the US,
then it really does have to be geared to the needs of those children for whom there
is no better alternative, and not geared the needs of those adults who see it as a
way of starting or completing their family

Unfortunately the system of post adoption support introduced by the Blair government
is underfunded and something of a post-code lottery, so when adoptive parents do seek
support it is not always forthcoming. If we are going to have more adoption then we
really must have mandatory long-term follow-up to ensure there are no more cases like
those above

I'm not seeing very much public debate going on the net about this in England, so I'm
trying to raise awareness a little by posting on a few sites
.
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Barnardos Ireland  Barnardos New Zealand  Barnardos Australia  Barnardo's UK
.
.

Speeded up adoption in England

http://www.education.gov.uk/a00201235/assessment-process-for-adopters-to-be-reformed

High speed adoption, not what we all want to see here. 1 in 5 adoptions fail, I'm
unclear how speeding up the process and making it easier for those who would
otherwise be considered unsuitable is really going to help. But I remain open minded.
To me a more stable foster care system where children don't get shuffled between up
to 40 different home ought to be the priority, with greater use the Special
Guardianship Orders introduced by the previous government in its Adoption and
Children Act 2002 an idea that does not seem to have been taken up as it should. SGO
could be used as a forerunner to adoption if everything works out

I'm not sure how our new "Adoption Tzar"
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14063875 ) thinks persuading pregnant teenagers
to shun abortion and put their child up for adoption is going to help when it is so hard
to find homes for the 15,000 + children already trapped in the care system

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2011523/Pregnant-women-dont-want-child-shun-abortions-babies-adoption.html

I can only think that adoption is a nice little earner for Mr Narey's ex employers
Barnardo's whereas abortion is not so lucrative for such agencies

.
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Barnardos Ireland  Barnardos New Zealand  Barnardos Australia  Barnardo's UK
.
.

No great surprise

Barnardo's has become an organisation that will do anything, say anything,
to fill it's coffers no matter how wrong, no matter how immoral.  But what's
new, that's what it has always done right back to it's involvement with the
government in sending many thousands of child away to slave labour in
Canada in the infamous Child Migration Schemes to both Canada and
Australia,  for which it has never seen fit to offer a formal apology. So it's
no real surprise to me to read this on the Open Democracy website

'Barnardo’s! Please quit the child detention business'

Alida Alisis, 8 August 2011

Back in March, almost a year after the government had promised to end what Nick Clegg called the “shameful practice” of locking up asylum seeking families in conditions known to harm their mental health, Barnardo’s stunned children’s advocates by revealing that it had agreed to work with the UK Border Agency and security giant G4S at the new immigration detention centre for families with children at Pease Pottage near Gatwick that’s opening later this Summer.

Read the rest of the story here

http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/alida-alisis/barnardo%E2%80%99s-please-quit-child-detention-business

.
.
.

Adoptions need to quadruple, says outgoing Barnardo's chief

See

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jan/21/adoption-barnardos-chief-martin-narey


My personal thoughts; I admired Martin Narey immensely for what he did
to reform juvenile offender institutions whilst he was in charge of
the Prison Service. I now think he is someone who would believe any
propaganda put forward by his staff to raise Barnardo's profile and
garner money from the seriously hard of thinking.

Narey was an excellent prison administrator and that is where his
skills lie, he is not and never has been social worker unlike those
working in adoption in local authorities. Barnardo's record in
adoption in the past has been appalling. And that's personal
experience rather than personal opinion. If we were to have more
adoptions, then Barnardo's would be the last organisation on earth
that ought to be involved in that

Thank goodness Mr Narey has decided to stand down as CEO of Barnardo's
to spend more time with his own family

quote

"The voluntary sector tends to assume it has the monopoly on
compassion and is very sanctimonious," he said. "It can also be hugely
and damagingly unrealistic about what can be done in the real world,
indulging in perpetual carping and criticism of the government, which
ceases to listen to them as a result.

end quote

Umm... pot, kettle, black ...

Could this be a better solution than Mr Narey and his ilk's obsession
with adoption

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/apr/21/child-care-europe

Or would it be less profitable than Barnardo's adoption business. With
seven adoption agencies Barnardo's is one of the biggest player in
adoption in the UK and adoption services to local authorities probably
one of its most profitable lines

An older story

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/christine_toomey/article1511598.ece

Why can almost every other country run more effective care for
children who need to be in care than the UK does. Perhaps because our
government listens to too much to oganisations like Barnardo's that
have more to gain by maintaining the status quo with some of the worst
services for "looked after children" anywhere in Europe?

Of course to do that would be far less profitable for organisations
like Barnardo's than the  £millions that they can make from charging
local authorities for adoption related services. Is it any wonder
really that LAs are starting to refuse to use Barnardo's for adoption
related services?


Robin Harritt

http://harritt.eu

*
Barnardos Ireland  Barnardos New Zealand  Barnardos Australia  Barnardo's UK


Thomas John Barnardo (1845-1905)

Post-code lottery

On the "post code lottery" issue, you may be interested to read this
from Martin Narey at Barnardo's

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/nov/07/martin-narey-barnardos-adoption

I don't entirely agree with Narey in what he says at the start of that article,
as you already know

But this is absolutely true

Quote

.... current post-adoption support provided by local authorities is too much of
a postcode lottery, both in terms of quality and variety. Adoptive parents need
to have better access to ongoing support from mental health, parenting and other
professionals who can provide them with the skills and know how to negotiate
nurturing a damaged child. Adoption is transformational but, if every adoption
is to fulfil its potential, adoptive parents need to be given the support to
negotiate the challenges along what will inevitably be a difficult path.

End quote

I'm not convinced that services provided by Barnardo's are the best or as good
as they could be and one of the reasons why it is such a post-code lottery is
the fees that organisations such as Barnardo's charge to Local Authorities when
those LAs contract such work out to them.

Some LAs such as Liverpool may well be able to provide such services or pay
other organisations like Barnardo's to do so, because they are allocated more
money by central government than most LAs are. These services are needed in all
areas not just those that Blair &Co. declared to be deprived areas.

It also needs to be remembered that adoption is lifelong and that adult post
adoption services also need to be adequately funded across the whole country. But
adult post-adoption services have never been something that Barnardo's in
England & Wales have ever been at all good at. Or indeed services to anyone
who was in its care in the past

One has to wonder what quality of service Barnardos will be offering to those
whose adoptions it arranges today, once they pass the age of 18


Robin Harritt

http://harritt.eu

*

Why won't Martin Narey apologise for Barnardo's (Barnardos) ?

Perhaps Martin Narey and Fergus Finlay CEO of Barnardos Ireland should get 
together and have a chat about the importance of making proper apologies and 
reparations


http://www.newstalk.ie/news/news-headlines/childrens-charity-condemns-outcome-of-vatican-meeting638/


Martin Narey has been the Chief Executive of Barnardo's UK since 2005. He
claims to believe that it would be "glib" of him to apologise to the victims of
Dr Barnardo's Homes' part in the Child Migration Scheme, that British
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has just apologised for 


See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8531664.stm


You can see the text of Martin Narey's response here:
http://www.barnardos.org.uk/who_we_are/history/child_
migration/childmigration_response.htm


My dictionary defines 'glib' thus:


glib : adjective ( glibber , glibbest ) (of words or the person
speaking them) fluent and voluble but insincere and shallow
ORIGIN late 16th cent. (also in the sense [smooth, unimpeded] ):
ultimately of Germanic origin; related to Dutch glibberig
‘slippery’ and German glibberig ‘slimy.’


I'd say if anything were glib, it's Mr Narey's response.


To quote from the webpage at the link above:


"Today I have said that if there is any adult who feels they have suffered
as a result of Barnardo’s actions and who feels we can help to put right
the damage caused, they should contact me and I will give their case my
personal attention."


I had to fight for 14 years and pay laywers many thousands of pounds to
get  access to records of how I came to be in the "care" of Dr Barnardo's
Homes at its Farm Hill Essex home. Appalling badly printed photocopies
on a quality of paper little better than toilet paper. Not the full story, I'm still
left having to e-mail relatives on my father's side, out of the blue or even go
knocking on doors, to find out information that I could get from Barnardo's,
if it had any real understanding of the issues involved. I'm afraid I just don't
believe or trust Mr Narey, to me he appears just as disingenuous as his 
predecessors.

I am well aware that Barnardo's and its agents read this blog. I'd be very
impressed to hear from Mr Narey, he can find my contact details at http://harritt.eu
but of course I won't hear from Mr Narey or any of his minions, Barnardo's
rather turn to its lawyers, where I or its other critics are concerned


Someone asked me on a private forum: "When is it ever glib to say sorry and
be big enough to apologise for wrong doings?"


My answer: Well, that happens when you are trying to protect a brand and
that's what Barnardo's has become to its management, a brand, just like the
Ford Motor Company or Daz washing powder. Oh and the 'Catholic Church'
brand of religion that the Vatican is so anxious to protect.


Back at about the time I started trying to get the records of my time in Dr
Barnardo's care, I was partner in a typesetting and graphics business that
a part in producing Barnardo's Corporate Communications Manual, a
collection of full A5 folders that reached half way from the floor to the
ceiling with instructions to staff press officers and advertising agencies
on how Barnardo's should present itself. That's the kind of thing that
costs hundreds of thousands of pounds even millions in some cases.


It is clear to me that Barnardo's is far more interested in brand
protection than it is its past charges. In some respects It's a bit like a
paedophile who lavishes gifts and favours on a child , it looses all
interest in the person as an individual when they grow up. Unless of course
they happen to be the Royal dressmaker or a famous novelist who it can
exploit for publicity.


Robin Harritt


http://harritt.eu


*


Child Migrants Trust   Margaret Humphreys wiki  Home Children wiki


Barnardos Ireland  Barnardos New Zealand  Barnardos Australia  Barnardo's UK


Thomas John Barnardo (1845-1905)

Apologies

This week Prime Minister Gordon Brown finally made an apology on behalf of
the British Government to the those who were sent abroad as part of the
Child Migration Schemes.


You can see the apology and following debate here
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8531664.stm

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a similar apology on 
November 16th, 2009



The Catholic Church in Australia, some 10 years ago, led the apologies 
from the receiving agencies, and a number of others have done likewise

So what does Mr Maritin Narey the CEO of Barnardo's have to say about
the possibility of making an apology? Barnardo's sent many more children 
abroad than any other agency and made the transportation arrangements
on behalf of other agencies.

Well Mr Martin Narey says is: "It would be glib of me as chief executive of
Barnardo's in 2010 to apologise for something that was done in large part
before I was born"

Perhaps someone could let me know when Mr Narey was born. Some 
organisation were still sending children abroad until 1976 long after the 
official close of the schemes, when did Barnardos stop?

Did anyone find it glib of Gordon Brown to make the apology that he has
made?

I think it is disgusting of Mr Narey not to apologise. What an arse covering
creep. I've had an e-mail from someone in Australia just this week asking
me if there is any other way than through Barnardo's that she could get
access to her mother's records, as Barnardo's charge so much if you are not
the actual person that the records are about.

I have absolutely no doubt that records provided by Barnardo's in London
will be heavily censored as they always have been for anyone who seeks
access to records from Barnardos

A few years ago Barnardos were trying raise funds by getting us all to
celebrate what its then CEO Roger Singleton regarded as all the wonderful
things that it had done in the 100 years since Thomas Barnardo's death, no
mention of those it sent to Canada and Australia to a life of virtual child
slavery in many cases

Barnardo's refuses to apologise now for exactly the same reasons as it refused
to apologise whilst Mr Singleton was in charge. Because it's shonky lawyers,
with whom, I have personally had more than enough dealings advise Barnardo's
Board of Trustees that no apologies should ever be made.

I thought at one time Mr Narey was going to make a better leader for Barnardos
than his predecessors had been, but the creep can't even admit in the way
that Singleton did, that his refusal to apologise comes from the lawyers.
Barnardo's, let us face it, has a lot more to apologise for than just its
major part in the Child Migration Schemes. It was never too fussy about
whether its orphans were genuinely orphans or not even in the 1950's and 60s. It
has done very little other than its very best to suppress the child abuse that took 
place in its residential schools in the 1970s and 80s

The Crown Immunity Act or though no longer on the statute books protects
the government from any legal action by Child Migrants as what was done was
done when that Act was still in force. Not so Barnardo's, what a cowardly
bunch of creeps

Robin

*

Child Migrants Trust   Margaret Humphreys wiki  Home Children wiki

Barnardos Ireland  Barnardos New Zealand  Barnardos Australia  Barnardo's UK

Barnardo's     Who we they

History and evolution of this charity for vulnerable children. Details of current projects, online book sales donation facility, as well as resources.
www.barnardos.org.uk/

If you would like to have a say on national minimum standards in adoption, children's homes and fostering

The following consultation(s) published by the Department for

Children, Schools and Families may be of interest to you:

Revising the National Minimum Standards (NMS) for Adoption,

Children's Homes and Fostering

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?

action=consultationDetails&external=no&consultationId=1662

Visit the Department for Children, Schools and Families

e-consultation website at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/

for more information.

Good grief! New heights of backward thinking even for Barnardos

Every year the Pound Pub Legacy website runs a Demons of Adoption Award

http://poundpuplegacy.org/comment/reply/36992

There's not any doubt in my mind where this year's UK nomination should go

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/6146430/Barnardos-ch...

Barnardo's UK and its ill informed CEO Martin Narey who thinks

the solution to family breakdown is to take the kids away and

have them adopted. Yet another thing about Barnardos that has not

changed since I was in its care over 50 years ago. Perhaps we

should pack them all on boats and send them off to Canada and

Australia to work entirely unsupervised by Barnardo's on farms,

another practice that was very popular with Barnardos in the

past. Going backwards seems to be the in thing with Mr Narey and

Barnardo's. An organisation that can't even manage to treat its

past charges with any respect whatsoever. Always offensively

patronising, but this reaches new heights. Surely it is time to

hand this kind of work to a specialised Government funded
agency and take it out of the hands of Mr Narey and his
colleagues.

Robin Harritt

http://harritt.eu

*

Has anything changed at Barnardos (or Barnardo's)?

Someone asked me recently, how things are now for those searching through Barnardos?

Barnardo's Homes and Orphanages http://www.barnardos.org.uk/who_we_are/history/barnardos_homes.htm

Barnardo's do have ALL of the adoption records back to 1947/48 when it first became an adoption agency. Getting them to show you ALL of your own file(s), if that is what you wish, is the difficult bit

I found some staff at Barnardo's very (and often quite offensively) patronising and often less than entirely truthful as to what records existed and what information they contained. I'm still having problems with Barnardo's re information regarding my father and his family (i.e. possible half sister and deceased brother as well as a third child that they mention whose existence no one else seems to know of!). They come across as very helpful, but still don't like it at all if you try to dig any deeper than they would like you to go. I think it is important that people should be aware of that before approaching Barnardo's, but unfortunately there is little other choice as the law stands at present. But everyone, do also have a word with the local authority social services in the area where you were when you were taken in to care and the social services in the area where you were adopted as they may also have files with information that you want to know.

If you read here what Roger Singleton ex CEO of Barnardo's has to say on the subject of Legal Liability Insurance and the limitations that it perceives as having been put upon it by its insurers with regards to what information it should make known, that applies every bit as much to those who were in its homes in the UK or adopted here as it does to the children it sent abroad in the Child Migration Scheme. A few years ago and since that was written, one group in Canada tried to bring a class action for 400,000,000 Canadian dollars,succeeded they may well have succeeded if those involved had not been so elderly. So you do sometimes have to fight for information to which you are entitled.

Make no mistake Barnardo's first concern WILL ALWAYS be backside covering, and Barnardos has a huge corporate backside to cover, a lot of very highly paid executives with too much to lose to be interested in honesty. There are many children's charities that would step in if Barnardos were to disappear. But shouldn't child protection and adoption be in the responsibility of government agencies not businesses like Barnardo's that have to protect their public image in order to get public money from the government and private donations from the beneficent giver or those who just want to salve their consciences? That's what it is, not insurance, that makes Barnardo's so shy about its past

see http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199798/cmselect/cmhealth/755/8061119.htm

Robin Harritt

http://harritt.eu

Barnardos jobs

Barnardo's big toddle

Barnardo's charity

Joint Birth Registration White Paper

Proposed changes to birth registration requirements

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2008_0105

_________________________________________________

Joint Birth Registration White Paper

02 June 2008

- Joint birth registration: recording responsibility announced -

Plans to change the law to require dads, as well as mums to be named on the birth certificate are being announced by Secretary of State for Work James Purnell and Children's Secretary Ed Balls in a joint White Paper published today.

The change, which will be implemented in the next session’s Welfare Reform Bill, will put parental responsibility centre stage by giving mothers or fathers a right to insist that the other parent acknowledges their responsibilities to their child by registering on the birth certificate.

The responsibility to register a new baby for unmarried parents currently lies predominantly with the mother. In England and Wales around 7% of births each year are solely registered by mothers which means every year up to 45,000 children do not have their father named on their birth certificates and today’s announcement intends to address this by 3 key changes to the law:

1. Requirement to joint register

We are introducing a new responsibility on both parents to jointly register the birth of their child. If either parent wants to solely register, the registrar will explain to them that they have to joint register unless it is "impracticable, impossible or unreasonable to do so". If not then the registrar will ask the registering parent to come back with information about the other parent in order to continue with the joint registration.

2. Father’s obligation to register

Where the mother wants joint registration, but the father does not, the mother can provide information that allows the registrar to contact the father, who will be obliged to take a paternity test. If he is proven to be the father then the child will be jointly registered.

3. Father’s right to register

The changes will give a father the right to declare his paternity and have his name recorded on the birth certificate. Where the mother does not acknowledge that the father is the father, he will have the right to ask to take a paternity test.

In addition the White Paper also proposes other non-legislative ways to increase the number of joint registrations, for example registrar outreach making it possible for people to register in their local community at a doctor’s surgery or community centre. It also looks at more flexible hours for registration, or the option of a home visit for parents with reduced mobility.

Mr Purnell said:

"All children deserve the best start in life. It’s crucial that from the day they are born, both mum and dad recognise the role they play in their child’s life and how that shapes their child’s identity. Registering a child’s birth isn’t just a legal requirement, it’s a lifetime commitment by both parents to safeguard their child’s development, health and welfare, and provide them with direction and guidance throughout childhood."

"We want to ensure that while continuing to protect vulnerable women and children, we promote parental responsibility and child welfare by significantly increasing the number of birth registrations which hold the details of both mother and father."

Mr Balls said:

"Every child has the right to know who their parents are and we want to make things as easy as possible for both parents to take responsibility for their children. Becoming a father is a serious and significant event, as we know that when fathers are involved in their child’s life it can help them succeed at school, as well as stay on the right track during the teenage years and - for children in separated families – improve emotional health and well-being . Engaging fathers at the birth of their child, including registering fathers on the birth certificate, is vital in establishing that close involvement."

Editor's Notes This press notice relates to 'England'

1. The White Paper Joint birth registration: recording responsibility can be found at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/jointbirthregistration or http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/parents/

2. The names of married parents are automatically recorded in the birth register when one of them registers. They do not have to register jointly. This works well and it is not proposed to change this.

3. The White Paper follows a Green Paper Joint birth registration: promoting parental responsibility published by DWP on 26th June 2007.

Contact Details Public Enquiries 0870 000 2288, info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk

Press Notice 2008/0105

_________________________________________________


Mr Balls said:

"Every child has the right to know who their parents are"

Perhaps he would like to consider compelling adoption agencies to provide
that information to adoptees when it is recorded on adoption paperwork but
is not on their original birth certificate.

I believe so given the absolutely disgraceful way in which I've seen Barnardos
(Barnardo's) in the UK acting in regard to information about fathers
http://www.barnardos.org.uk/familyconnections.htm

Perhaps indeed we should have adoption certificates that show the names of
all our known "parents" adoptive and genetic. And perhaps he could make that
retrospective. Or am I asking too much there?

Robin Harritt
http://harritt.eu

*

Barnardo's and Secrecy, Again

Just found another significant snippet on GR, I think, but as we are still
being viewed here by the usual... Sadly one of the consequences of an
open blog. Which is why I feel a need for some openness and honesty from
the adoption agency involved, Barnardo's (or Barnardos), which is, as so
often, all spin and not much substance

http://www.barnardos.org.uk/familyconnections.htm

Take a look at that, then take a look at what Roger Singleton ex CEO of
Barnardo's (or Barnardos) had to say with regards to honesty and those
who were seperated from their families by the Child Migration Scheme
exactly the same principles aply at Barnardos (or Barnardo's) for every
other person who passed through its doors as a child (often for little
good reason)

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200001/

cmselect/cmadopt/431/1050804.htm

About halfway down the page:

Mr Roger Singleton (Barnardo's) to the Health Committee on 1 June
1998, re Child Migration to Australia and Canada

"On the insurance matter, we are acting on legal advice. You
will be familiar with the fact that risks are insured. The
present position of our insurers is ultra cautious, to put
it mildly, on anything which would remotely resemble making
a public apology, and I do not think we need to dwell on
speculating why that is so. We have taken legal advice on
the position of our insurers and the legal advice to
Barnardo's and its trustees is that we should continue to be
cautious although we are continuing to press our insurers to
try and ease their attitude where it is absolutely clear
that by the standards of the time a particular migrant had a
rough and difficult time. We want actually to be able to
formally say sorry on behalf of the organisation. The only
resources that the organisation would have to be able to
meet, for example, any compensation claims which flow from
that would be in relation to money donated for today's work
and that does mean that the trustees have to take very
careful account of the legal advice they receive." The
Health Committee's Third Report: 11 June 1998

111: Markedly different views have been expressed to us by
former child migrants about the issue of compensation
payments. Many believe that such a measure might impede the
provision of records. . . " 115: "We ask the Social
Services Select Committee in New Zealand to undertake a
detailed inquiry into the circumstances of former child
migrants there. The Department of Social Welfare has so far
refused an inquiry for three reasons: (i) the cost, (ii) the
risk of further claims for compensation, and (iii) the risk
of precedent".

The fact that my issues are about adoption, fostering and institutional
care rather than Child Migration makes little difference. This is about
how over-paid suits coverer their own and the Barnardos or Barnardo's
corporate backside with little interest in or sympathy for those whose
lives they affected as children. Which must inevitably raise serious
questions about how childrens' interests are protected today at
Barnardos.

Anyway back on subject

Just to say it looks as though someone was born a lot latter than I thought, 1952
which may explain why I did not find their death when I last searched, so I
need to have another look at Germany and England deaths, possibly English
deaths abroad not sure if you can get those online, does anyone know? If
he died here, would be interesting to see who the informant was and what the
cert. says the cause of death was (also, guessing, there could have been an inquest)

Looking at the date in the document snippet in the post below, outlining
an Affiliation hearing in 1951, where does that leave me now? Isn't it really
about time we had some honesty about issues like this from the childrens'
charity industry that keeps those charity fat cats in big cars and posh
houses

Robin Harritt

*

Affiliation

This is taken from copies of my own Barnardo's file which were given by Barnardo's UK lawyers to my lawyer on the 19th December 2005 About 14 1/2 years after Banardos were first asked for information about my family and siblings. (the deletions here are mine)

On all previous occasions Banardos have provided a copy of this page with the name of Court and date of the hearing deleted, originally the social worker from Barnardo's Family Connections UK http://www.barnardos.org.uk/familyconnections.htm refused to even give the name of the putative fathers (she was apparently unaware and not prepared to believe her colleague had already given that information) The deletions on this version are my own. Perhaps it will now be possible find out who these three possibly half brothers or sisters are ( I say half, at the time it was not known that I am in fact my mother's 7th and not her 3rd child). Barnardos is a British (and other Commonwealth countries) childcare and adoption agency that has been operating for more than a 100 years.

I'm now trying to find those three, without any help, compassion or exersise of 'duty to care ' whatsoever, I am near to finding one of them and must decide how I should make contact 

Robin Harritt

http://harritt.eu

*

Adoption Open Records in the UK

`

So OK, I said below this is my only blog, since then I've considered there's a need for an Adoption Open Records in the UK blog 

http://adoptionopenrecord.blogspot.com/

Robin Harritt

*

Petition to the Prime Minister

If you are British please consider signing this petition to the Prime Minister, started by The Rev. Walter Attwood

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/theyneedourcare/

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to desist from the policy of deporting minors to countries where they will be (1) in danger, (2) lack the social and family support systems necessary for their care and development or (3) where there is a lack of medical facilities to treat their illnesses or to stabilise and maintain chronic life long illnesses at an acceptable level which if not so maintained will dramatically shorten their lives. More details

Deadline to sign up by: 14 February 2009 

*

Karen and Sharon

Just on an outside chance, a bit of pasive searching


I'm still trying to make contact with Karen and Sharon from the south of Essex whose dad's name was Gerald (originally James Victor), their granddad had a scrap metal business.


My dispersed and otherwise now reunited family of siblings would just like to know a little more about the brother we never had a chance to know.


The person I was using as an intermediary in trying to conntact my family in south Essex is no longer allowed to do that work under the new Regulations.

What do you do if the ASA that has all your information is as useless as Barnardo's Family Connections UK is?


http://www.barnardos.org.uk/familyconnections.htm


They aren't as good as they'd like you to think, they never have been, you could easily find yourself left without a service, right in the middle of your search.


Barnardos Family Connections used to be called Barnardo's Counselling Services Project, it hasn't improved much for changing its name.


http://harritt.net/barnardos/bletter


and eight years later


http://harritt.net/barnardoletter


Barnardo's in England & Wales main policy as always is, 'keep our backsides covered', the individual lives of past clients and their families comes a poor second or lower priority.


By the way, just in case you should want to look me up on the internet first.


http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=robin+harritt&cr=countryUK (keeping in mind that I have a following of loonies on the internet who don't like what I'm doing and who have tried to make all manner of false link and even produced bogus blogs in my name. Jealousy and spite are terrible things


No strings.


Robin Harritt

http://harritt.eu


*

Tina Turner

A quicky update on my search for Tina (who may be my sister on my father's side)

I've found out Tina wasn't born Tina Turner or Christina Turner and her mother's maiden name wasn't Turner

With the loonies I have following me around the internet at the moment, best to say much more than that

Unfortunately and rather sadly Barnardo's and its lawyers Campbell Hooper are still far more obstructive than helpful in this matter, despite the recent changes in the law

Robin Harritt

http://harritt.eu

*

My favorite charity by Robin Harritt

 This is a charity that I like to support now that I feel that I can no longer support Barnardo's (Barnardos) because of its attitude to honesty about its past practise

I hope you will consider supporting them too

http://app.e2ma.net/app/view:CampaignPublic/id:7292.911195340/

rid:0dba73685a3a4f81d204a58d625dbcf1

CSEF selected as charity of the year for 2008

We are delighted to announce that CSEF have been selected as the Charity of the Year' by online publisher Wired-GOV. This important association will enable CSEF to promote its work to the public sector, the media and private enterprise.

Wired-GOV:

provides a personalised e-mail alert service which is delivered in collaboration with the Government News Network (Cabinet Office) and a growing number of stakeholder organisations and content providers from across central government and the wider public sector,

offers the most comprehensive point of reference for official government and public sector news with live feeds from more departments, agencies and organisations than any other news service available,

delivers up-to-the minute notification of government announcements,

allows you to register your preferences by department or agency, key words or key phrases and select hourly, daily or weekly delivery options.

FREE TO All PUBLIC SECTOR SUBSCRIBERS - Simply register and your free account will go live immediately.

My one and only blog, by the one and only Robin Harritt

Hi all,

Well it's been a year and some since I last posted here. I'll catch you up on what's been happening with my Barnardo's fight in a bit

At the moment I just wanted to say there seems to have been some malicious imitation blogs out there purporting to have been typed by hand. All that is now in the hands of Google and my lawyers

I'm guessing my old Radioland blog has disappeared by now, it's been a year or two since I last paid the subscription

So now the only blog that I produce is this one hosted at http://robin.robin.org/blog/ 

Whoops, almost forgot, there is of course also my blog on the very fine Pound Pup Legacy website http://poundpuplegacy.org

And you can see that here http://poundpuplegacy.org/blog/154

anything you see with any other URLs (web addresses) are almost certainly a fake and probably a malicious fakes. You do tend to make a few enemies when you do this kind of blog. So if you see anything like that I'd sure appreciate you letting me know. The same goes for posts on Usenet and Google groups

I'll be back soon to tell you how I'm getting on with the Barnardo's thing and with my fight to expose bogus adoption searching and support agencies in the UK (and how that is why I and others are getting all the flak we're getting)

See you all soon

Robin Harritt

http://harritt.eu


*

I am looking for Tina Tuner

I am looking for Tina Tuner, probably her full first name is Christina (sp?) or a variant of. Originally from the Romford area I don't know her married name, and think she may have moved abroad. She's probably well in her 50s now. Tina had a brother Martin (?) but I believe he died relatively young, also interested in contacting any family that he had, I don't yet know if he married. As Barnardo's records mention three children, it may be there's another one that was adopted.

Just want to keep Tina up at the top of the charts for a while.

Anyone got any idea how I might find out if she turned up in Australia, guess I've got to get a married name first.

Total lack of any cooperation at all from Barnardos the adoption agency and ASA that arranged my adoption and knew that my alleged father had already fathered three other kids in addition to me and my brother, outside of his marriage.

Why on earth do people think that 'Barnardo's Family Connections' are good at dealing with post-adoption issues. Barnardos are useless at anything out of the ordinary. Ten years worth of ridiculous bureaucracy and something might be done to help re adoption records and natural father's families, five years after every other major children's charity and adoption agency have a policy in place, no doubt .

Robin Harritt

http://harritt.eu

*

Barnardos' Family Connections

My lawyer is retiring from case practise, this month.

Yesterday I got one of those cards from the postman through the door to say there's a big parcel they tried to deliver while I was out.

Went down to the PO this morning and there were three big parcels about as much as you'd want to carry of past correspondence, I've not had the heart to look at it all yet.

The bill for the last five years work will arrive sometime soon as well.

Barnardo's claimed last December that they had provided me with ALL the documents from my file, in a recent letter they admit that they have not. Those they have provided are very very poor quality copies. Extremely poor compared to the copies I have seen at Barkingside. So the fight goes on.

So be warned, if you're given any choice beware of Barnardos Family Connections, Adoption Support Agency is a real misnomer, 15 years grief trying to deal with Barnardos.

Barnardos Family Connections now refuse to see me even though I am in the middle of tracing my patrilineal family. They are providing no counselling, most of my documents have arrived on the doorstep via its and my solicitors. Completely against the rules. The documents that Barnardos still withhold are of great importance to my current situation.

Robin Harritt

http://harritt.eu

*

A letter from Barnardos' lawyers

This dropped through my door recently

http://harritt.net/barnardoletter

Considering the main document that they are still withholding from me contains information about my long dead putative father and my mother's relationship with him and that I am currently finding my patrilineal family they are acting very unprofessionally. Just one little twit trying to protect his own backside I guess

But that's how Barnardo's at Barkingside always seem to operate, always have always will I suppose.

I won't give up fighting this. I don't think I'll ever get an apology from Banardos. The management at Barkingside is so poor that it does not realise that by not apologising, it is showing itself up for what it really is, a bunch of uncaring individuals who are mainly concerned to cover their own backs and sod the rest of us. Not the right attitude for a caring organisation.

I am determined to have a readable set of records that haven't been re-photocopied half a dozen times. I also intend to get either the few records that are still missing from those that Banardo's has provided or a full explanation for why they are still being withheld.

At least this latest letter is a move forward, in that in it they admit that some records are still being withheld, at the end of last year Barnados were claiming the bundle that it sent in December was all of the file records Barnado's hold on me. It does show what a bunch of liars can be, doesn't it.

Robin

*

Usenet

Is anyone out there still useing Usenet? Is anyone in the UK other than me still even looking at it.

If you have an RSS capable browser

feed://news.aioe.org/cgi-bin/nntp2rss.pl?group=uk.people.adoption.searching

and its sister group which at the moment has just the one same message posted by me

feed://news.aioe.org/cgi-bin/nntp2rss.pl?group=uk.people.adoption.misc

or for a more international but mainly American point of view

feed://news.aioe.org/cgi-bin/nntp2rss.pl?group=alt.adoption

Find out how you can post to Usenet groups and help to keep them alive

http://news.aioe.org/

Or if you don't want to set up Usenet software you can contribute or just read via Google Groups

http://groups.google.co.uk/groups/dir?

You can join Google Groups here

https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount

Dr Barnardo's Homes

For anyone whose life has been touched by Barnardos (Dr Barnardo's Homes) in
the past.


http://groups.msn.com/thebarnardofamilygroup/general.msnw?all_topics=1

New Barnardos or Dr Barnardo's Homes support group

*

A new support and discussion group

For anyone whose life has been touched by Barnardos or Dr Barnardo's Homes at any time in the past or if you are trying to gain access to your own records or your ancestor's records.

For Barnardo care leavers, child migrants and their descendants and those who were adopted from Dr Banardo's homes Also known as Banardos Homes, Barnados Homes, Barnado's amongst other spelling mistakes

http://groups.msn.com/thebarnardofamilygroup
/general.msnw?all_topics=1


Robin


*

Barnardo's Family Connections UK Just before Christmas 2005 and after 14 years of argument, Barnardos have given me what they claim is all of my care and adoption file records. 309 pages, when at one point in time Barnardo's claimed to have just enough information to cover less than one side of A4 paper. 309 sheets of paper that are of a quality little better than toilet paper. The quality of print from the microfilm is still very very poor. Because someone at Banardos is just unable to understand that if you make photocopies of photocopies of photocopies you end up with something virtually unreadable. But then perhaps that is just what they want. There are still various documents missing. The entire file has been renumbered from previous submissions no doubt with intention of confusing. 080106 The battle goes on

my barnardo's storey

Registration modernisation

Registration modernisation

Following the debacle of its last attempt to introduce new legislation
via a Regulatory Reform Order, the General Register Office have just
released the following

REGISTRATION MODERNISATION
A position and consultation paper on the delivery of the local
registration service in England and Wales


The documents can be downloaded from the links on the following page

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/news/Registration_modernisation_position_and_consultation_paper.asp

Having given it a quick scan, the most important parts as far as we
who are involved with adopted adults and those separated from family
by institutional and long-term foster care are concerned, are
following. But I am concerned to note that the list of organisation
whose views they particularly seek does not include any of the groups
who represent those affected by adoption or separation from family by
other forms of care. I am also concerned to see that GRO's records of
adoption are again left out of this round of consultation.

________________________________________________

ANNEX 1

ACTION REQUIRED TO PROGRESS THE MODERNISATION
OF CIVIL REGISTATION (yes their spelling and proof reading really is
that bad)

4. Records Management

Changes requiring primary legislation:

􀂾 develop a system where records relating to the same person can be
linked – `a through life record'

􀂾 extend the definition of registers held by the Registrar General,
and enable other records to be added to the central database, and to
link these records to birth, marriage and death records

􀂾 the introduction of a new framework for accessing records.

5. Statistics

Changes requiring primary legislation:

􀂾 enable the range of statistical information required to be
collected at birth and death registration to be varied more easily

􀂾 consider including within a legal framework the information
currently collected voluntarily at birth and death registration.

Responses required by Monday, 20 February 2006
______________________________________________


Please remember what almost happened in the last attempt to change
birth marriage and death records in 2004 where we almost lost our
right to much of the information contained in recent records
(certificates). Please remain vigilant and keep your MP informed of
what is happening and how it affects your rights.


Robin Harritt


http://harritt.net

*

Adopted children's reunion after 50 years

Barnardo's Press Release Date: 21/10/2005

Barnardo's Family Connections service based in Barkingside recently marked the 100th anniversary of the charities founder by inviting back adults who were placed with adopted families as children by Barnardo's.

See rest of story

http://www.barnardos.org.uk/news_and_events/current_news.htm?id=16776

Guess my invite must have got lost in the post.

.

Irish orphanage and industrial school victims of abuse, last chance for redress 15 December 05

Were you or a deceased parent or spouse badly treated or suffer abuse in an Irish Orphanage or Industrial School?

You may be entitled to make an application to the Residential Institutions Redress Board.

Closing date is December 15. 2005.

To facilitate applicants the Board will remain open until midnight on December 15. 2005.

Contact: Burns Kelly Corrigan Solicitors at: 248. Harold's Cross Road. Dublin 6. Telephone 00 353 86408 9492

Barnardos (or Barnardo's) and my story so far

I've just updated the story so far. It's extremely long and rambling over 5000 words and I don't know maybe a bit tedious, please tell me if it is, but I hope it will not put people of reading to the end. I'm just maybe starting to make some headway with the Barnardos now I hope. It's a pity the only way to achieve that is with expensive legal threats and by shaming them on the Internet.

http://harritt.net/barnardos/barnardos/problems

Or if that doesn't work

http://robin.robin.org/barnardos/problems

Is the page.

Anyway it'll get that address seen around and help to raise it up the search engine ratings if anyone wants to put a link on their site please do. When I get the time I'll edit it down to something more easy to read.

Robin Harritt

http://harritt.net

phone 020 7871 1835 Fax 020 7691 9668
.

Access to Records

Just in case anyone is interested, Baroness Barker's question to the Government in the House of Lords about our right to have access to our records of our time in care and Lord Adonis's answer can be seen at


http://www.publications.parliament.uk/
pa/ld199697/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds05/text/50614-17.htm


This question was about the very important subject of access to files by people who have been in care and by those who were adopted and raised the point that there should be parity for these two groups in their rights to access to files.


I personally felt that what Baroness Barker said about adopted people's advantage over those in care was a little optimistic on their behalf. From my experience of being both adopted and in care and from helping other, it is actually often more difficult to get your care records if you have subsequently been adopted, I do not see how the new regulations improve that situation and I shall be making that point to her.


Contrary to what some may have believed, this was not a discussion about Civil Registration records. Proposed changes to our access to those records fell with the Regulatory Reform Committee's rejection of the Regulatory Reform Order on Civil Registration of Births and Deaths, last December. Though I think we may see another attempt at changes to B,M&D records there is no current threat to our access to those records at present.

The new Adoption Regulations for England on Searching and Access to Info

Old news now, but many people still seem confused

The following new Regulations for England & Wales have been laid before Parliament and will become effective on the 30th of December this year. Please take the bother to read them if you are searching, helping people to search or hope to be searched for and your adoption was finalised in England and Wales since the 1st of January 1927 (all but the last one affect you).


Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 890 The Adoption Information and Intermediary Services (Pre-Commencement Adoptions) Regulations 2005

Made 22nd March 2005

Laid before Parliament 7th April 2005

Coming into force 30th December 2005


http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2005/20050890.htm


************************************************

Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 924 The Adopted Children and Adoption Contact Registers Regulations 2005

Made 24th March 2005

Laid before Parliament 29th March 2005

Coming into force 30th December 2005

Note: in fact *Children* can not make use of these registers but the title reflects the personal belief of Mrs Margaret Hodge MP and her Ilk that anyone who is adopted remains for ever and ever a child in need of protection from the intrusion of their natural family. So it is "The Adopted Children and Adoption Contact Registers Regulations 2005" and not the "Adopted People..."

http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2005/20050924.htm


************************************************

This one is about future adoptions

Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 888 The Disclosure of Adoption Information (Post-Commencement Adoptions) Regulations 2005

Made 22nd March 2005

Laid before Parliament 7th April 2005

Coming into force 30th December 2005

http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2005/20050888.htm


***********************************************

The Adoption Support Agencies Regulations did not make it before the restrictions related to the calling of a General Election came into effect. But will no doubt will be laid before the new government shortly after parliament returns. I thought we would have seen that one by now but can't find it on the HMSO site.

************************************************