Monday 15th February marks the tenth anniversary of the Waterhouse 'Lost in Care' Report into the abuse of children in Welsh residential homes - but a leading Welsh Children's Charity has issued a hard hitting warning that hundreds of children remain dangerously vulnerable and 'lost in care' in Wales despite its recommendations.

Tros Gynnal, which provides direct support and advocacy services to children in all local authorities in Wales, has chosen the anniversary to highlight its extreme concern that Wales is failing the interests of children in private children's homes.  

Calling for a two-pronged approach it says that the Welsh Assembly Government must act quickly to introduce the same level of controls and regulations introduced into local authority homes as a result of the Waterhouse enquiry.

Roger Bishop, Executive Director of Tros Gynnal, which is currently working with over 1,500 vulnerable children and young people in Wales, said:

"One of the major outcomes of Waterhouse was the welcome setting up of a Children’s Commissioner for Wales and the provision of Independent Advocacy Services in all Local Authorities, so that children in care have someone to turn to if they feel they are in danger of abuse of any kind.

We are extremely concerned that advocacy levels in the private sector are not regulated, leaving hundreds of children in Wales without the independent support they need to voice their concerns about the treatment they are receiving in these homes.  The consequence on the child's development of not having help and support can be considerable and lifelong.

Whilst some private homes do provide independent advocacy for the children in their care, this number is only a small percentage of homes in Wales."

Tros Gynnal is calling on the Welsh Assembly Government to fast-track the introduction of an independent professional advocacy support service as a condition of the registration process of private children's homes.  It is also calling for the setting up of a detailed review of advocacy levels in private children's homes by all Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB).
"If private children's homes cannot evidence or accept the provision of advocacy services, then they should not be allowed to operate.  We know that WAG is considering making advocacy a statutory requirement in the private sector, but we hope that by voicing our concerns, we will help speed up the process."  said Roger Bishop.

Mr Bishop added: "A worrying number of cases have been made known to us of children experiencing inappropriate treatment as well as bullying in private homes. But these problems only surface when we go in with advocacy support where it has previously been absent.

With many of the 115 children’s homes in Wales being located in isolated rural areas, Tros Gynnal fears that the current shortage of social workers reduces the level of placement monitoring.  Added to this some of these children are placed such a long way from their home areas that they are in danger of being forgotten.

Actual Case Studies:

The following are actual experiences related by children to Tros Gynnal advocates:

'They keep moving me and I don't know why.  I don't know where my brother and sister are and I would like to see them.'

'A member of staff hit me; are they allowed to do that?'

'I haven't seen my social worker for months, I'm alone here and I don't know the area.'

www.trosgynnal.org.uk