Saturday 12 September 2009

The Independent Safeguarding Authority and judgement

I'm am not a parent, I have little interaction with children, except for my niece who I have all the time in the world for. But I used to be a kid myself, and remember lifts to scouts, swimming, and the occasional school run.

I'm wondering, in the post-peodophile future, when all our children are safe, next month in fact, what happens if parent no. 3 on the giving lifts rota fails the ISA check? We could be liable for a fine of £5,000. I guess if we all chip in its only a grand or so each, or divvy it out proportionate to the number of children, sorry parent no. 2.

I mean for the past X years he's given the kids a lift to scouts/swimming/school and never fiddled with any of them (we checked), but for some reason the Independent Safeguarding Authority have decreed that he can't be trusted with kids, but well, he's not in prison so he's atoned for any sins, and they're not going to arrest him of anything. Do we still keep him on the rota?

1) We could boot parent no. 3 off the rota, to protect our own kids, just in case and avoid the fine. But then that means the others on the lift giving rota have to do more lifts, and what about his own kids, well, we can boot them off the rota cos they were little brats, but our own hypothetical kids seem to get on well with them. It seems a shame, but its for their safety.

2) Do we stop taking the kids to scouts/swimming/school, its more hassle than its worth and they prefer staying in with the xBox 360 anyway. We can just send them on the bus to school, they'll be fine on their own.

3) Do we trust our own judgement on the issue and keep parent no. 3 on the rota, doing the lifts as he's always done. Cos after all we know him far better than the ISA. The ISA have been around for a few hours now, we've known him since school, and since he first met his wife, she was fourteen, he was eighteen, there was that controversy, oh hang on, ahh. Still they've been together for years now and seem quite the happy family, and well we are responsible adults with our senses intact.

4) Is there some way perhaps to appeal the ISA decision? Is it going to involve weeks of forms and emails and letters and hassle? Possible some kind of sworn testimonial which will involve a day off work or handing over more personal information to the some independent authority who have a track record of handling personal information?

1 comment:

  1. This is one of the dangerous steps towards a totalitarian regime.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/26915283@N07/3896400202/

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