(Alex Salmond)
St. Andrew's House
Regent Road
EH1 3DG
Dear First Minister,
Our group would like to raise some issues relating to family matters with you and look forward to your positive response.
Firstly could you please explain to our members why your government is funding Woman’s Aid when there appears to be no funding in place for men who are victims of domestic violence? Any domestic violence impacts on children and funding should be available to help all family members, not just women.
It is my opinion that your government does not work in the best interests of children because it does not use every means possible to protect them. The Charter for Grandchildren was created by a previous Scottish Government as a tool for best practice but because it was not made a legal document it has too often been ignored and without the positive backing of your Government and its Ministers this excellent and necessary guidance is lost. There was an accepted need for such a charter but it seems to have been removed from government responsibility to the responsibility of local authority who in turn says it is a government responsibility. How is it ever going to help families in this ‘pass the buck’ manner?
While contact with and support for any child is important, early intervention to prevent child neglect and abuse is sadly a major issue here. Grandparents are well placed to detect abuse or neglect and if they are not shut out can support and help children long before authorities can or would step in, perhaps preventing a child from being removed and placed in care. However without some formal backing this support system for children is cast aside.
All MPs and MSPs say they recognise the important role grandparents can play in a child’s life but most step back from actually doing something to make that recognition official.
Children are the backbone of society and our future citizens. If they are not treated with the love, support and respect that they are entitled to it reflects on society when they become adults. Feeling rejected by society, too many commit their life to unsocial activities as non achievers having been taken from their families and dragged through the care system, the cost of which is a major concern both financially and emotionally. Why are so many young people disrespectful to our elderly people, to other adults, but most of all to themselves? Because they are taught disrespect by a lack of family values, whether living together or apart, by the system your government supports.
Short-sighted financial constraints seem to be at the root of the problem, whereas short term investment in the right areas would give long term reduction in cost. Family education, mediation and better early support systems to allow families to help themselves when problems arise are the key. It should be automatic for separating families to use mediation to reach their own solution instead of legal, adversarial methods which should be kept for only the most serious cases, once again reducing costs in legal aid funding.
Please reply at your earliest.
Jimmy Deuchars (Manager)
Grandparents Apart
22 Alness crescent
0141 882 5658
http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk
Grandparents Apart
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