The need for a project like ours and how we have identified this.
We know there is already a need for this, even within the social work courses at universities and colleges. Often social workers do not get the chance to really meet the young people they will work with, to get to know their real feelings, until they are trained and often by then it is too late to change their minds about the profession they have embarked on.
The youth parliament is about creating a public mind-shift about the way we view children and their experiences. Public debate and publicity can help this project. There is a growing amount of real evidence as to the abuse of children.
Below is a list of the cases we were investigating just before our closure under John Major's administration:
• Lisa G 1989 – Split from siblings against her wishes- violent and humiliating assault by staff in secure unit MKH Greenwich . Ward of Court place in care by the London Borough of, Kingston upon Thames .
• Peter B, sexually abused/child porn, in Grafton Close, in Care to Richmond.(898 0880)
• Steve E, also known as ‘R' sexually abused/child porn, in Grafton Close, in Care to Richmond .
• Peter B, sexually abused/child porn, in Rodney Road , in Care to Surrey .
• John B, sexually abused/child porn, in Rodney Road , in Care to Surrey .
• Adam, ward of court, sexually abused/child porn, Grafton Close.
• ‘R' Bruce , Care Richmond, sexually abused/child porn, Grafton Close.
• Kevin B, sexually abused/child porn, Teddington Park .
• Chris , care of East Sussex sexually abused/child porn
• Paul R, Care of Surrey, sexually abused/child porn, Duncan ch, Tidworth Hampts
• ‘P',sexually abused/child Porn
• Allan B, Care of Richmond , Grafton Close, sexually abused/child Porn
• Lance C, Care of Richmond , Grafton Close, sexually abused/child Porn
• Mark S, Care of Richmond , Grafton Close, sexually abused/child Porn
• Tony, Care of Richmond , Grafton Close, sexually abused/child Porn
• Lee, Care of Richmond , Grafton Close, sexually abused/child Porn
• Paul S, care of Richmond ,(12 years old) Foster Home, sexually abused/child Porn
• Andrew, Bradford , sexually abused/child porn/snuff movies. We have all the evidence of flights, hotels etc. Andrew subsequently kidnapped from one of our development workers house when he stepped out her flat door. He had a blanket thrown over his head and was taken away in a vehicle. Seen next day in a Rolls Royce by a member. A few days later showed up at our offices demanding we give him back all evidence as he had the Walthamstow brothers outside waiting for him and the evidence. He was told he would be set up in a nice cushy job as a photographer back in Bradford if he behaved.
• Julie R, aged 15, July 1985, Greenwich , tortured with an electrical carving knife and involved in a porn ring. Now in long term psychiatric.
• Sharon B, Greenwich , raped, tortured, beaten with hammer, dec 1986.
• Pauline P. Beechfield, west Sussex, suspected child abuse there, became abuser later to another girl Michelle A, who she abused and tortured.
• Tania W, Beechfield, suspected abuse there too. Black magic rites, torture & sex.
• Kay R, Beechfield, suspected abuse there too, later believed to be part of the Tottenham ring. Kay became an abuser.
• Margaret F also became abusers & tortured a girl in Tower Hamlets, Joanne Wood.
• Melanie M, girl in MKH at the time, witness.( Coppetts Rd CH many of the girls had been there too)
• Maria S, Newham care, affair with staff at MKH and part of Tottenham ring.
• Dawn C, MKH, took part in sex video's
• Maria M-restrained lost count how many times, stripped searched (photos?).
• Tasma F- MKH
• Juliette S- MKH
• Kay R-MKH
• Sonia H, Melanie Klien House took part in sex video's
• Nicola F-Paul became an abuser was also in MKH, previously raped & tortured girls in Tower Hamlets. Possibly a victim of the Tottenham ring too.
• Nicola P (known as C) again developing torched tendencies whilst at MKH.
• Mark A sexually abused in Forbes Hse officer in charge.
• Michelle A, Haringey SSD, was at Coppetts road.
• Hazel D, Haringey, also in Coppetts road.
• Lorraine , Haringey, Coppetts road.
• Jane R, Tower Hamlets, known to be a high class prostitute, MKH.
• Katie C, Bromley, known to be prostitute. MKH.
• Sharon H, MKH, subjected to being inappropriately photographed by a male staff.
• Beechfield-mixed-Has secure unit-badly run down-still checking complaints.
• Coppetts road-mixed-Rumours of sexual abuse.
• Grove Lodge- mixed- Sexual abuse allegations.
• Castle Hill-Grafton Lodge-boys-main user Harrow SSD-sexual abuse and violence. Rent boy sex and porno ring, distributed to Amsterdam and paedophile group in the UK . Suspected murder of a boy after disclosure to us.
• Grafton Lodge-boys- administered by Hounslow & Richmond. Violence & Sexual abuse.
• Richmond social services-boys-Two senior members of staff running a west end rent boy network.
• South Wales-boys-boy thrown out window in private boys home, appalling conditions and allegations of physical abuse.
• 369 Romford Rd -mixed-Newham- rape allegation of girl by a member of staff.
• Frant Court-girls-rape and violence allegations for years.
• Jordans Brooke Hse-mixed-Run by Gloustershire. Male member of staff sexually abusing girls.
• Stamford Hse-boys-Secure unit extremely violent, sexual abuse allegations.
• New Hays-mixed- Liverpool- physical & sexual abuse.
• Dorset Wharf -mixed- Children's home run by Hammersmith & Fulham. Allegations of sex & violence.
• Birmingham-mixed-Scandals in four homes being investigated by us.
• Haringey-Kitchener House. Allegations of physical and sexual abuse. Current casework.
• Loxley Hall-Boys-Sexual and physical abuse still going on despite one prosecution.
• Mount Road-mixed- Taking children to Soho on vice trips.
• Angel Road -mixed-Lambeth home-Sexual abuse of children with widespread cover up.
• Adele Road -mixed-Home run by Lambeth-Allegations of sexual & physical abuse and a cover up.
• Green Lanes – Greenwich-Sexual abuse and violence- we exposed
• Parkview – Sexual abuse and violence we exposed.
• Newton Abbott-mixed-Allegations of 10 young people being sexually abused at this home.
• Spurgeons child care-boys-private home in Bedfordshire, photos and sexual abuse of boys.
• Netherton-mixed-local authority home in East Kilbride . Appalling state of the home. Allegations of sexual & physical abuse.
• Downcell Road -mixed- Hereford & Worcester home. Allegations of sexual abuse & violence. Current casework.
• Arrow Project Cumbria our Manchester office received reports of abuse. The whereabouts of the Manchester files are still unknown but an ex member says she knows where they are. We have all the work reports Nationally However.
• Kingswood School-Residential home in Surrey, we have been told that there is a lot of sexual abuse going on in there have not yet got hold of a young person to check this out with.
• Tyrffell-boys-Bangor-Reports of physical and sexual abuse there, not yet checked out.
• Sarah C-in foster care can't talk to anyone re her past, the fact that if she hadn't been taken into care she would not have made her fifth birthday, feels alone and isolated.
• Langton House-Mixed-It closed itself down after us working over a year with the young people to expose it. No independent inquiry that we called for. Unfortunately we never hear from any of the victims after and have no clue where they all went to. We still believe the flower beds in the garden should be dug up as some may have been killed off. Young People being given Brain Scans, medication, violently restrained, heads banged off walls, kicked in stomach, dragged down corridors, no formal training for staff. Allegations of sexual abuse. No formal investigation. Humiliation, verbal abuse and racism as means to control. Male staff taking part in strip-searching. Forcible sedation as punishment. Calming down room used which is unlawful imprisonment. Tampax given out by male staff with verbal humiliation to the young girls. No formal way to complain. Names of our cases were;
• Haley S– 40 pages interview with Haley-It was her 1 st letter that blew the whistle.
• Tracey H
• Ziggy W
• Sharon F
• Carloine S
• Scott R
• Steven B
• Del M
• Luke C
• Claire
• Bridget tried to hang herself in the toilet
• Noel-88'-89'Unnessary regular Brain Scans, didn't know what it was and wasn't told-Abuse of Medication-sedated-Failed to taunt him-Restrained with force-Locked up-violence. Noel says that all members of staff used to regularly strip search residents regardless of gender.
• Kevin B
• Nicolas R
• Christina B
• Paula-Blind Girl-failed regularly for getting upset and speaking loudly. People used to hit her behind her back so she bit them and they'd fail her.
• Joan G- Kept in most of the time, not the full shilling so staff used to wind her up and then restrain her. She wasn't allowed anywhere without a member of staff, they treated her very badly.
• A blind boy- staff used to hit him a lot and one day he wet himself so they rubbed his face in it. One member of staff regularly threw water at him.
• Claude R- Behaved well, failed regulary, staff think you are talking about them that's why they fail you.
• Michael
• Kaz
• Barry B
• Green Lanes- Greenwich top Tory MP supported a care staff- unsure why?
• Yvette F – Severely abused throughout her care under Southwark SSD. One of the worst ever heard of and still in the system-should write a book but fear they have cabbaged her.
• Cleveland enquiry-
• Martin H- Abuser convicted.
• Ugine L- Young person in Care- Lancashire run away from children's home as he does not like the way the place is run.
• Ombudsman report gives compensation to 3 of our clients from New Eltham
• Hill End adolescent unit 1990- We made the report, ‘Therapy of Fear'.
• Bromley Children's Homes Privatised with the children in them. We took the case to stop it to the high court but lost. Alex H& Laura S lead the young people.
• Epsom SSD make 16 year old boy John F homeless.
• Catherine A- abused by the care system in & out of secure since 13yrs old.
• Andrea R- Runnaway 16 yrs old- Liverpool .
• Chaz M, 16 yrs old, Hackney, Been in mental home, not mental.
• Patrica G. Discharged from care at 12 yrs old now 20.
• Fiona F-Southwark-16 yrs old in a Putney hostel.
• Erica offered high rise bed-sit with damp and no heating.
• Mathew S-16yrs old-sent to boarding school in Wales from Essex .
• Fay B, put in secure.
• Richard R-Corringhan SSD. Has a real mum wants not to be in care 12 yrs old currently in foster care.
• Jenny C-40 placements whilst in care. SSD East Park , Hull .
• Ms D M, 8 months pregnant, been in MKH very violent placement and fears her area so wants re-housing elsewhere.
• Eugene T -17 yrs old suffered abuse for three years every day, in Fairhaven , now skipped the country to New Zealand .
• Andrew K neighbourhood office. In care at 14 yrs offered no housing after a short term in prison.
• Edward M- Nottingham SSD-Full care order since 18 months problems getting a flat from SSD since leaving care.
• Lorna N-17 yrs old-Avon SSD- Lorna at the age of 4yrs and siblings were beaten by staff at Florbrow Children's home Bristol . She complained years later and this was never taken seriously even though the SSD she believes knew at the time.
• Tanya M-moved away from home area so has runaway
• Michelle K- all residents given one week to vacate Derwent house after sudden closure.
• Wilbert C- Put into a hostel by social worker, he was sexually assaulted by his room mate, nothing done, stabbed by his room mate, room mate moved to another room, all his electrical goods stolen, nothing done, bank book stolen, nothing done, complained to SSD and hostel treasurer, kicked out of hostel and told he needs to see a shrink, then put into Wembley hostel, still went back to complain, when one day they took him to the hospital and sedated him for a month. Came out of hospital looked for legal help, no one would help, got in trouble with police put on remand for 2 months, taken back to mental hospital for 6 months and sedated regularly we have the evidence notes. Now out and still seeking to address these matters. He seem's very angry and talks a lot, bit mad, hardly surprising.
• The Old Mill Hse-Serious allegations received as to the treatment of residents. Massive file on this. Imposition of a points or marks system. Continued use of expletives by staff. Violent restraint. The use by staff of young people to perform menial tasks for them such as; washing their cars, brass cleaning, ironing of personal laundry. They were told they could earn extra money of 52 pence which was then eroded to nothing by staff. They found this routine to earn extra income exploitative and intimidating. The banishment of one young person to eat meals in the animal shed, to sleep in a caravan, to sleep on a mattress on the landing. The irregular supply of clean and inadequate-sized towels for washing and bathing. Insufficient heating during the winter months. Limiting drinks of water, tea, coffee to 5 a day. Second hand clothing including underwear given to residents, no new clothes whatsoever. Used underwear having to be left in a bucket of disinfectant each night, found to humiliate residents especially at weekends when it wouldn't get washed. Showers not working one week and staff catered for but residents humiliated by having to do a stand up wash. Enforced viewing of early TV news as homework found to be unsatisfying and unhelpful. Staff opened personal mail and monitored personal phone calls. Occasionally personal calls were allowed but only by a phone box in the village. Forced to take part in games or marked down as unsocialable. Young people allowed 5 mins privacy in their rooms after which they are brought back down by a member of staff. Young people say they are allowed outside for ten minutes a day. No laughing permitted as this leads to marking down. Young people are only allowed a bedside lamp once they reach the age of 15 yrs. One resident given no support whilst pregnant and following a subsequent abortion. One resident had her hamster confiscated and never given back. One resident told she was selfish for wanting to find her father and that her mother didn't want her anyway. During a visit by the fire Inspector the residents were told to run upstairs and close all the fire doors which were usually left open. All young people complained they were not given sufficient food. Some of the Young People; Vicky B, Sarah Mc K, Lisa C, John B and more no names yet.
• Michael D-Dison Hall-14 yrs old-Violently restrained.
• Tony Mc G-11yrs old-Secure-Dison Hall
• Gary D-Dison Hall-15 yrs old-member of staff head butted him in the secure unit.
• Foad - 15 yrs old- violently restrained told ghost stories.
• Derwent-11 yrs old girl.
• Julie B-Abused by Mr B 3 times a week till she stopped screaming-Oxford professional telling us Feb-June 1992-Rope burns + bruises + anal agony due to massive penetration over a long period. Child porn video's of ‘Mr Men', costumes. Dinosaurs, scenes of fairy stories with monsters enacted at great expense for sophisticated child porn films. The plan is to give the child back to the father.
• Ricki F-Orchard Lodge-Grove Lodge-Redhill assessment centre-sexual abuse by older boys and them wanking in front of staff and months in secure, saw x rated Omen and other films.
• Sara P- Allegations of abuse at The Grange. Complicated abuse background. A bit crazy now in a strange way.
• Darren B-Cleobury Mortimer School- Abused by two male staff for years. 6 other boys have reported abuse.
• Vincent S. 10 yrs old at the time. Grafton Children's Home-Child porn Videos. Many other children involved. They would sit in the children's home in their dressing gowns when one by one they would be called to the top floor, first floor, emergency room, to have medicals. In there was a cot, weighing scales, seleotape, masking tape, cameras', Polaroid's. This went on every night for about 2 months. There were six boys but he would never touch the girls. Then we would go to a house in Sea Road , Bexhill. There was a sea Road and he used to drive up the hill. He had an Alsatian dog that sat in the back of his car. 1979-1981. Another House was next to the church in Bexhill. Another place they took Vincent was Elm guest House, Barnes. Two guys took him into a room and there were video machines and everything in there. He said Vincent was going to have a medical. He masturbated him and made him have oral sex with him, whilst he wiped baby oil all over him, tied him with the seleotape around his legs and arms and around his neck. Arms were behind his back and nice twice. This lasted about an hour. The man then exchanged money with Vincent's carer and the carer then took Vincent back to the home. If the carer made a command Vincent would jump to it as he was very scared. The medicals started again for another couple of months but got worse and worse as they seemed to get excited when they ripped the seleotape off. The home had frequent guests. One Christmas some Chinese people arrived so no abuse took place. The girls got perfumes the boys got tonnes of underwear, the reason being that they were always ruined as they were ripped off all the time. About 3-4 months later Vincent was taken to the guest house again. This time two men had sex with each other and then tied Vincent to the bed and filmed. They were also watching a video of scouts. When he left the guest hse he saw them remove big boxes & cases, one silver case. Vincent was nearly 12 yrs old by then. Vincent and Peter broke into the staff's bedroom one day and a silent alarm went to the police station so the police turned up. They had turned the place upside down but found nothing. The police told them to get out, saying they could be prosecuted. The cleaner came in to tidy and found photos and videos of young people behind the cushions. The police were called back but the staff disappeared. Vincent never saw that staff again but was told he got six years. Then he found in 1990 that he pleaded guilty and got 3 months probation and then went back to working with children. In 1990 we were helping the owner of Elm Guest House to put a case together of possible abuse going on in her guest hse without her knowledge. 3 months before the trial at court, she being the chief witness with all the evidence of who was in and out of her establishment including prominent people, with photographs of them, was found dead in suspicious circumstances. I met Vincent co-incidentally, at Madame Jo-Jo's; we both said at the same time, they murdered her.
• Terry C, sexually abused by officer in charge of Yarwood Road .
• John T-adopted against his will-access to natural family messed about with lies told to stop access-natural mother died-John 12-13 yrs old wants something done about the whole case.
• Sharlene E-Lancashire-Abused in the care system-we investigated- Sharlene now dead, went to funeral.
• Robert C –Barnet SSD- Abused in psychiatric units- Suicide-went to funeral.
• D M- believed to have been infiltrated by Nottingham child abuse gang after we exposed them on Channel 4, when she was 16 yrs old, now has two children by this older man, who has full custody of the children, we cannot prove he is abusing them but hold suspicion. Need to pay a top surveillance team or set up a specialist private detective agency. Police are not careful or useful in these matters nor the social services and big charities even though we've told them our suspicions, the older man looks cleaner than clean and DM looks like she abandoned them when she walked out once she had saved £20,000 & bought herself a house and took him to court to gain full custody, he had a female top legal team from London and won on grounds of stability for the children staying at there home. The mother has access twice a week. She is more aware now of what possibly happened as she was very young then. The older man controls the children and gives DM a lot of unrelenting hassle. He took her to court for half her house but she won and he now wants to get passports for the children but luckily needs her permission to do so, she is refusing. Now he is scaring the children and alienating them from seeing there mother, who knows with what threats, they now say they don't want to see her, its a nightmare. The system has shit in its eyes. This is not uncommon. We have told all the relevant authorities and they can do nothing! It would sound mad to suggest infiltration or would it? But those kids are scared of him.
• We have the names of the abusers and the abused but it is folly to hand them over to the police potentially putting our ex-clients in danger as well as not having permission to do so. We have our new way of dealing with this and when we are successfully back in business with all our workers ( we won't come back by half's as we could be ripped apart) then we can deal with these cases historically and the abuses that are going on now. WE WILL have systems to bust up abuse and they will not be hi-lighted on this website. We need our own security as these abusers are dangerous as we have experienced first hand. These cases were given to us in strict confidence and are protected by the data protection act which is why the names are obsurced. If young people have chosen to contact the police on these matters then that was their choice, we know most of them did and yet were not listened to. They did choose to contact us because we were young people running our own organisation who had been through the care system.
Our experience in the field of children's issues
History
- N.A.Y.P.I.C. is the consumer-led organization first set up in 1979 until
1993 when funding came to a halt. This being at a time when we were exposing
atrocities such as:
- Langton house (American Medical International private care hospital for children) psychiatric hospital, which we had closed down making News at 10 and costing AMI 8 Million Pounds.
- 'Pin Down' which prompted a public enquiry
- The Nottingham ritual abuse case that we helped work on with, Channel 4 Dispatches.
- Melanie Klein House secure unit Greenwich which we had closed down
- The Carol Cazier (who died mysteriously during our investigation and shortly before the court case, which was about to reveal influential people's involvement) case dating back to 1973, which made front page news in the Daily Express back then.
- Our child pornography and snuff movies exposure, which made front page in the Times newspaper.
- The Bromley privatization of children's homes (selling children with the homes), which we took to the hight court , the council narrowly escaping paying £600,000 if we won, however the director of social services and the chair of SSD both being arrested and put in the cells for taking bribes and countless more exposures which we are well documented on exposing
- We created a tide of justice for children with abusers certainly knowing where it was being exposed from and had as a result many enemies in the midst.
- We will no longer put our workers in danger our our organization in jeopardy by doing casework.
- There is evidence to suggest that workers felt they were being observed and threatened. The subject of child porn rings attracted a lot of attention before NAYPIC's closure (two other well known for exposing abuse organizations also had their government funding withdrawn) and some evidence suggests that well known personalities were involved.
- Children and young people need better protection than merely exposure, they need a really powerful voice that will be listened to in order to attempt to actually stop the abuse.
- We are now back. We would like to extend our agenda further now by advocatong a youth parliament for all young people as a voice, regardless of having been abused, to have broader representation.
- Our organization is exclusively consumer-led and as such, we have already for many years identified the need for representation.
- Our last conference in 1993 which had 1100 members attend, as well as our 9 full-time workers stated that a full membership and the advocating of a youth parliament was the future. Was this too powerful considering the old style way we used to work as within a few months we were gone!
We would like to make it clear, we are not housed by another organization, nor are we adult-led like all the organizations that do in some way empower young people.
QUOTEWe are and always have been through many of our strife's, a truly youth-led organization, blatantly the original and only, National Association of Young People In Care.
Empowerment is identified in the dictionary as a gift and although good it is not a right
As such we already have a wealth of knowledge, publications, videos, a twenty seven year-old filing system with computers included, information and experience and when funded a very powerful nationally implemented Structure and National Executive Committee.
Research
There are countless reasons we, as NN/YP are needed. The original N.A.Y.P.I.C. over the years has campaigned relentlessly for young people to be consulted by the policy makers. They are after all the consumers of the service and decisions made about their care, have far reaching effects on young peoples lives.
QUOTE
We maintain that no person should be expected to live their lives within a system that they have not participated in building. Adults at least have the right to vote.NN/YP is a unique organization in this country, it is not a professionally-led organization, it has not developed theoretical practice to identify the psychological and sociological influences which may determine the way in which young people should be cared for. It is simply an organization, which has developed its constitution and policies by listening to its members.
The original N.A.Y.P.I.C. has successfully campaigned and made significant impact on the way young people are now heard.
Our successful campaigns include:
- Participation in reviews
- The abolition of the clothing order book
- Access to files
- In 1983, the original N.A.Y.P.I.C. submitted evidence to the House of Commons,
social services select committee. The committee later said to a community
care journalist, "we've been amazed at the resiliences, in the face
of the experiences that have had to go through. Their maturity has surprised
many members". The original N.A.Y.P.I.C.'s 40-page report, with
its concluding children's charter was:
- methodical
- comprehensive
- representative of an increasing number of children in care who are becoming vocal in expressing their views
- The organizations' first campaign, to ban the clothing order book received backing from the Association of Directors of Social Services, the Residential Care Association and the British Association of Social Workers.
- Our second campaign, the rights of young people to attend reviews and case conferences, was launched with some 3,000 questionnaires to young people in different situations and was supported by a parallel survey by the N.F.C.A.
- The original N.A.Y.P.I.C. has achieved recognition in the field of child care policy has been supported by the A.D.S.S., the S.C.A, the National Children's Bureau, the National Council of Voluntary Organizations, the National Foster Care Association, Community Service Volunteers and many others.
- The original N.A.Y.P.I.C. was also endorsed in the 1984 Select Committee enquiry into Childcare and gave evidence to the Barclay Committee.
- The original N.A.Y.P.I.C. gave evidence to the Stafforshire 'pin down' inquiry and also the government review into residential childcare, headed by Sir William Utting.
In 1990 we conducted a survey of abuse in the care system, which was adopted by the N.S.P.C.C. who promoted our findings. The research was based on interviews with fifty young people who came to our offices within a space of 3 months. The findings in our research were staggering, with 65% of all young people interviewed having been sexually abused whilst in care and 75% of young people interviewed having been physically abused during their time in care. Very few of the young people interviewed were believed when they had complained. Most had not complained because they either did not think they would be believed or were too frightened to complain. Even when young people were believed, the police were seldom involved, prosecutions were rare and even disciplinary action was rarely taken. The person involved often resigned or took early retirement or either party was moved to another home. The report covered 30 different forms of abuse, sexual abuse, sexual assault, physical abuse, over-use or wrongful use of restraint, use of sedation as a punishment, use of sedation as an alternative to treatment, imprisonment as a result of secure order, no consultation, imprisonment-over the limits allowable. Imprisonment abuse of wardship orders, locked up in psychiatric units. Racial abuse and racism. Sexist abuse. Verbal abuse. Frequent moves, being placed away from the home area. Failure to hold reviews, failure to consult re: Section 18 of the 1980 childcare act and section 22 of the 1989 child care act. Abuse of wardship orders. Denial of the right of access to siblings. Denial of right to family life, Denial of access to independent representation and legal advice Neglect emotional abuse. Frequent carer changes. Lack of educational opportunities. Getting a criminal record. Failure to recognize or treat abuses that led to care. Lack of permanency or planning for the future. Loss of innocence, failure to care, provide a warm and caring environment.QUOTE
There is a need for NN / YP, social services department and central government ministries are organizations that are there to look after, devise and propose policies that care for children. It is of great concern to us that within this Billions of pounds industry there is still no place for the child's voice. There have been over the last 30 yrs, more than 60 different official inquiries into bad child care practice, the collective conclusions have not yet been put into practice.The majority of young people that go into care are victims of abuse, either by parents or by society at large.
- It has been established that 48% of young people living on the streets have at some time in their lives been through the care process. These statistics are very worrying especially when looking at the growth of child prostitution and of child pornography.
- Children in care are running away from situations they cannot face or have not the power to do anything about. Many young people in care have pointed out to the original N.A.Y.P.I.C. that "at least on the streets we have our freedom" even though they then speak of the appalling lengths they have had to go to, to survive.
The care system does not offer choices to these young people as to how they would like to be cared for nor does it adequately assess a young persons needs.
Instead children and young people are fitting into whatever part of the system has a vacancy available; This type of care can feel like a lottery to children and young people.
Many problems of the care system are linked to resources, however there is little point in having a Children Act when often there is not the money to implement most parts of it properly.
There are many other factors that are inadequate presently, that would take little if any money at all to change, just some enlightened imaginations.
For example, setting up proper channels of communication between professionals in childcare, decison-makers and the consumers themselves. This would be part of an essential ingredient towards change for the better.
NN / YP believes this could easily be achieved by the setting up of local groups in every local authority and smaller NN / YP consumer groups in each care establishment.
Whether it is a foster home, children's home, community home of education, secure unit or psychiatric hospital, it is not an unattainable goal.
When you think that there are only an average of 150,000 in care, and 4,000 care leavers a year. Enough to just fill Trafalgar Square.
We need this change and this representation, to be looked after properly, is not impossible. It is just a natural progression in a developing and more aware society.
A local authority pays anything up to £4,000 per week for a child or young person's accommodation in care. Surely a minute percentage of this money can be put aside once a week to provide a private place for children and young people to meet. Either. this can be at their home or at their local group. They can meet and discuss any problems they have or any changes they wish to make regarding their care.
If this was developed in every local authority children and young people would at least have a place they could speak out and save themselves and others in the future from potential abuses.
If local authorities agreed to pay a membership fee for their young people to join the NN / YP local group, then the local group could also run independently of social services.
When one considers the amount spent on childcare, a small membership fee that ensures young people receive information on their rights and a group that belongs to them is nothing in comparison.
The local groups could also participate in the training of social workers enabling them to understand the care system from the consumers' perspective.
The groups could have a commercial side which could also help young people do training for work even if it is simply helping out in the local groups café as a volunteer.
The local group could actively take part in consultations with their local authorities when the authority wishes to make changes in the ways they run their services for children.
NN / YP groups can help a very vulnerable section of society too, care leavers.
Through NN / YP local groups we would allow young people to express themselves in a safe group that belonged to them.
Powerlessness is about lack of information, lack of knowledge but most importantly lack of rights.
We must identify the fact that there has always been a crisis within Britain's childcare system.
How the Youth Parliament would work
The youth parliament will liaise with government by using voting methods, similar to that of the houses of parliament. It will also have select committees to write reports and research on important matters identified by young people. This will in turn go through the current parliamentary process. Perhaps if successful and like most bills if it doesn't cost too much money, we can create changes in law. NN / YP will always hold National Annual General Meetings to be informed by their members, regarding any changes to our plans to date of membership etc and to address the needs we have already identified.
The key steps and dates leading to the outcome and long term changes
The start date will be dependent on how soon we are invested in. However advertising and appointment of our workers will take on average two to three months. The CCTV (care Consumer Training Volunteers) training, will start when the workers are appointed and should be up and running within two to three months from then. The membership to NN / YP project and the advocating of the youth parliament will start immediately when the workers are appointed as with the creative activities, including monthly private views of youth exhibitions at the gallery. When we are funded we will be up and running within three months. The implementation of the project will take thereafter-another 3 months, so therefore we will be fully operational in six months from the date investment commences.
Some of the outputs resulting from three years of our project being funded
Year one:
- Revenue from the sales of new publications, dvd's, artwork, music and training which will educate the public, professional and government and help young people work as trainers, artists and musicians, including care leavers. Also young people gaining access to education such as learn direct.
- Promotion of the web site youth parliament.co.uk to create debate on the important and real issues young people face, helping young people becomes more vocal on their opinions.
- Start to build a membership scheme. Hold a national conference for young people in care. Ensuring young people in and ex-care are aware of their legal rights. Avenues to help them get housing quickly for example, or helping them see their brothers and sisters quickly if the social services are taking a long time as another example. Young people represented legally where necessary.
- Use the revenue from sales and membership to create more offices, workers and galleries/cafes/factories/shops throughout the country, to carry out more of our work, to benefit more young people
- Buy a building to host a youth parliament, finally giving young people some power and responsibility of their own.
- Develop our membership identifying the growing needs and changes, young people in care are identifying, providing certain legislation tips or access to good child care related lawyers etc.
- Set up a Care Consumer Training Volunteers (CCTV) Magazine, keeping people informed of the outcome of C.C.T.V. and how the profession sees ways of changing care to suit young people and themselves too also identifying obstacles to a better practical working system also identifying bad practice and good.
- Create parliamentary changes on key issues to do with young people, which would show we are really being heard.
- Continuing to develop a Children's Law Centre and library through our Children Act Monitoring Officer to ensure the Children Act 2004 is being adhered to and young people are cared for well. To ensure that the act is not just another piece of legislation being ignored or financially incapable of doing what it is set out to do. Taking important test cases to court, to create changes.
I WROTE THIS IN 1996
The NAYPIC Handbook written by one who ran away and lived to run another day!!
N.A.Y.P.I.C.
POLITICS AND THE YOUTH THREAT
Cleveland a Catalyst to open the can of worms on child abuse. The media could now open a new agenda. The mood of the Nation was now to talk about the victims of child abuse. Adults and children who were victims could now open their mouths. The coverage of child abuse in the media went on for years. Other cases started to be exposed. Marietta Higgs may have been witch hunted and condemned over zealous but she had opened widely a door that could not and would not be closed. Talk shows, documentaries and media broadsheets alike were obsessed. However like all trends there was to be a backlash, first we were the victim, then we soon became the enemy. (Research on this should be collected to prove this point, research broadsheet libraries) It was strange that young people seemed to be either scapegoated or assumed to be perpetrators of so many publicly broadcasted crimes. At one stage if something went wrong, the indoctrinating mentally by the media got so bad that the immediate ‘Stop Concept' was ‘it's probably just kids'. Those ‘kids' had, in the early eighties, been stripped of almost all their play facilities and benefits. Organisations such as child poverty action group had and still do have cause to exist without being political about it. Such things as free school milk taken away, youth clubs taken away, free nurseries for under fives taken away, social security benefits for 16 and 17 year old's taken away. Cuts in education, cuts in child benefit and many many more cuts.
We need N.A.Y.P.I.C. to write about sociological and environmental reasons youth crime exists. We must never again force a media tide of us being blamed for being practically gold bullion robbers or as well political activists. Just so as they can sweep our issues under the carpet.
As a warning to workers the media do not always come down on our side and propaganda against us is possible especially if we are exposing people with connections. Also if we upset people in high places, M.P.s, Police, Government etc. then the ‘Indoctrination' and ‘fear of kids' tactic through mass media placing strategic bad stories about ‘kids' on top news slots and front pages is possible. This can and has been extreme in the sway of public opinion, they will go so far as avocation mental and physical torture. The locking up of 10 year olds being of high imminent danger and the torture mentally of children already in existence in the psychiatric system. Research research research is needed. Perhaps high court test cases and a report from Amnesty International is needed.
This is yet another warning: research can and is carried out by some top people that is rubbish. If faced with this and you suspect (for example the Department of Health's top researcher) just phone a T.V. documentary company and search for the truth, or write a letter to a top national newspaper.
Money is power, Media is power, politics is power, wisdom and experience is power. We can and must find the good adults out there with some power, they will help us. But be careful who you choose and give them no power, just use them. If they are good they won't mind You cannot trade experience and wisdom. For example:
At the age of 8 years old you may have more wisdom in your little foot than some one of 40 years old, but they may have greater experience. They may know more about corruption than 200 8yr . olds. Therefore experience must be taught to us. When we gain our power we must be as corruptionless as possible, like not ‘selling out' to tabloids (Newspapers), We can have our wisdom but must be taught and learn from those with experience.
Innocence is a beautiful thing for children and adults alike, try not to get burnt, just to experience what it is like. As for learning by your mistakes, yes, but this is too important to make any more mistakes, be wise. Are young people. such a threat. The women's movement fought for the vote and equality and some used to say things like; When a small child looks down her trousers at say 3 years old and the same age boy looks down his, that was the difference between their salaries when they grew up. A good funny way of putting it. For our fight we believe, Empowerment may be a lordable gift, but that's exactly what it is, it is not a right!! Look up the definition of Empowerment in the dictionary. You like any other discriminated people need hard cash, facilities, access to knowledge and research for their rights.
WE ARE ALSO WORTHY NOT TO BE ABUSED!!!!!!!!
THE PHOTOCOPIER
NIGHTMARE Check all contracts don't enter into- agreements and make sure all service calls are good. All office equipment will always be insured - important. Call outs being efficient is imperative, this also applies to any computers.
SETTING UP OFFICES
N.A.Y.P.I.C. has experienced setting up several offices. London and the south for example moved from a small office in Islington in 1992 to a large two floor office in the heart of Camden Town . North East/North West office moved from Newcastle to a smart new huge office on Manchester in 1992, and the Midlands office was finally established in Coventry in 1992 in honour of Carol Cox our London worker who was from Coventry who died in 1987. The office in Coventry was in an office complex with shared meeting rooms a place that sold food and had a garden. Experience shows that in all cases hard work is required. Note: Draw up an itinerary of both the office equipment you have and what you need. To start with it is possible to get free office equipment from Social Services, offices and businesses and other charities that are supportive to N.A.Y.P.I.C. Note: Perhaps put the phone on answer machine to certain groups of people that can be dealt with later also close office for about a day and a half but warn people for a month before. Filing is essential, get this sorted immediately, especially if new office. An organised office needs to be accessible to new workers and management. The essence of an office is to make it educational and friendly. Most of all professional.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE RENDERED INVALUABLE
If you have had a-personal experience of perhaps leaving care from one part of the country to another, the North of England to Landsend, for example, the effects that may have on you may be profound. However like all experiences that are bad we can learn lessons from them and not put others through the hell of the same kind of thing. Personal experience no matter how large or small is invaluable data to the organisation. If we are to make changes young people and children must have a collective voice. It is important that experiences that are in the face of it are talked about. This is simply because they may have some common ground to a lot more people than the victim/survivor may think so. Don't let anyone put you down you may be deprived of let's say education or verbal skills, or you could be so messed up from the past you could be helplessly labelled now in your psychiatric unit. However no one can take away from you the knowledge of your abuse. (Unless they cabbage you). Keep on moving and keep remembering. If you have been treated badly or unfairly and this Country still chooses to say it is justified in it's care, then justice you will have to receive. Take them to the ombudsman, take them to the high court to a judicial review. S.S.D. have got to compensate us before they move on from their countless mistakes. NOTE: It is as easy as getting a solicitor
So get one. Find a good one.
They do the work, the decision is yours.
CASEWORK
Refer first of all to the casework pads as soon as the phonecall comes in or visitor makes contact, (Update all casework pads annually). Write all information regarding who you are dealing with on this sheet. This will be filed in a casework (Confidential) file, unless the person for many reasons wishes to remain anonymous. Filling out this sheet is your essential first step and will now be a referral, maintaining vital statistical information too for the organisation.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Will be guaranteed. Only workers/employees will be able to deal with casework and advice can be acquired from legal channels and office managers.
SAFETY OF THE EMPLOYERS AND YOUNG PEOPLE
N.A.Y.P.I.C. has in the past had young people who are in immediate danger contact us. Without being paranoid, the possibility of young people in danger having real people following them or indeed trying to shut them up is a reality. Treat each dangerous case with caution. Discuss your own fears, even if over sensitive. Share the burden so as not to take it home with you and dump it on your peers. Counsellors are available for employees, volunteers, local, regional and National management. Also our team of advisors in many fields may be of use. Once a year at least all workers and management separately should hold a co-counselling seminar with professional counsellors. For employees dealing with young people , they must first inform the young person that we promise nothing, however being knowledgeable and ex—care, they have reached a place of safety. Also in some extreme situations like imminent danger, we can as an organisation, or should in future, be able to provide safe houses or hideaways, (a lot like the days of women refugees). Even if it means booking into B&B's and a volunteer or two staying with the young person. We may be able to get a local safe house or funding from each local authority for this as a right in each local authority.
CAMPAIGNS
When N.A.Y. P.I.C. takes on a campaign the organisation must first agree to it at a full N.E.C. meeting unless it is of course of immediate importance. In this case it can be passed on to the National Chairperson or acting Chairperson. This will be in the first instance, secondly two other N.E.C. members. These three people should wherever possible inform all other N.E.C. members before deciding. If not they can take an emergency decision or chairs action. The responsibility for success or failure of the campaign will lie with these three people (So vote these three in well). They must feedback all information at the next N.E.C. in full. If they can not attend then a full report or such like should be sent in their place. Any further actions or decisions will then be voted on at the N.E.C. meeting –
ADMINISTRATION
This is one of the few posts that can be in/ex-care or not as long as they are professionals. In the case of them being non-care professionals they must be called back up staff. As N.A.Y.P.I.C. would prefer to employ care-people, the former would be sought. However emergencies have occurred in the past and this is why the term back up staff was required and voted through at the 1992 N.A.G.M.. The same situation can and does occur with accountants. Lets hope this changes in the future, perhaps with better education and training in the care system so as our recruitment opportunities are much broader.
EMPLOYMENT
Each employee will be treated with the same respect as any other member of the organisation. This means they will act accordingly to their defined roles. Employees must enable others, such as volunteers, to work for the organisation in the proper way as also set out in their defined roles. The employees must be as paid professionals of N.A.Y.P.I.C. and advocates. Taking on their duties as described in their job description. Employment in our organisation is more dependent on self sufficiency, perhaps also little fear. The employees are paid to assist, looking to our young people to direct N.A.Y.P.I.C. Workers are valued as having good knowledge so as to assist and represent the organisation at all times and should have reasons to be especially committed to the organisation including different ability and knowledge. N.A.Y.P.I.C. has put a lot of work into our employment contracts over the years, with these we have often tried to restrain ourselves from putting as an essential requirement ‘The ability to walk on water', however the contracts do meet employment law requirements. If paid employees have a problem with either management or other members, they must not gossip about the situation but rather take the person to one side and speak to them. Honesty can be effective. If the person/s involved can not or will not resolve the issue/s then your line management should be informed. If you are still not satisfied, follow the grievance procedures. When an employee has done something wrong they could face disciplinary procedures. Job contracts are available when employment commences. Also when all legal requirements such as references and top category police checks are received and NOT before.
FUND-RAISING
Application of thought, visions through communication and paperwork. If you know a good thought you must express this to someone who can do the paperwork if you can not do it yourself. Never believe there is only one opportunity to do something good. Sometimes you just have to wait for the resources. People need basics, at least before they go tearing about with good intentions or good ideas. Confidence is most important you must believe in yourself. Say you idea to someone close, don't give up when others can't see. If it is good risk and stick your revelations in their faces until they see and believe. Rise above fear, dreadful emotion, believe and make it happen. Keep on motivating others, however don't let it go to your head whether you lose or win.- Calmness, it is possible. Timing is also important, when your idea is taken seriously. Humaness being also unavoidable. N.A.Y.P.I.C. can be glad to have had some good development workers, for members sharing idea; with them can be very good as they can feed back to the organisation and activate awareness or motion. Some people keep ideas in their heads this can be lonely for one thing, and for two it can mess you up, trust someone. By passing on information you can get on with your life, however some will survive and die for their dreams and visions. No dreams are unforgettable perhaps someone will see. Then again if at first dreaming gets you nowhere, hold on. move on and try again.
N.A.Y.P.I.C. and our ideas are worthy, we do not have to give materially or emotionally to gain financially, we just have to state the facts and our rights. We do not have to emotionally bribe. Just tell it how it is, we have a good dream. We deserve our rights to be treated with ‘Care' universally. N.A.Y.P.I.C. has much information, keep up the paperwork and we will expand, when all of us agree to expand. Sometimes someone will offer you a jewel (metaphorically speaking) but if you can not carry it, be calm, if it was offered in good faith it will still be there when you have the strength. Your calmness is much appreciated. The organisations gradual expansion is only as solid as it's foundations. Carrying heaviness is not good. So your calmness is irreplaceable. If we have unity we have strength. The membership is what we have to give back to, so having unity we have strength and can give back to them which creates our freedom.
If WE, not I, have a dream, this is important. Some people will remember those words, always, ‘Unity is Strength'. Some bad people will want to give us money, don't sell out. Bad fortune may become of the giver but also of the receiver. Share decision making, then you can learn from good advice. Decision making is democratic, people don't have to live the same hurts, the same mistakes, the same regrets. Learn about N.A.Y.P.1.C.'s expansion history. Gather all information before making decisions. N.A.Y.P.I.C. must of course make their own decisions, but remember advice is free. The more we become a profitable organisation the more worried the abusers will become but remember they work in mysterious ways. Stay true because if you take a leap make sure everyone is protected and damn sure they don't get you before you get there because they know your plans. Some structures have loop holes, some infalable, take risks but look for sudden changes, be prepared with answers in all directions. Don't be stubborn like a kamikaze pilot (unless you are an island, this is very lonely) Trust is growth if there is two doors you will not find one. (unless it is the one off the planet) No wo/man is an island. You like us all can heal and also find some happiness. Unity is strength even if alone inside.
Procedures for fund-raising are as simple as seeing previous work reports and grant applications, which always outline our current direction. The N.E.C. Fund-raising Co-ordinator delegates responsibility for every employee and all employees are involved. Most of the core of our money comes from membership. We should in future demand £50,00 per year per child in care membership. So as each child has knowledge of the organisation and access to their rights. £5o.oo is nothing compared to what each child in care deserves as a right. We are accountable to our membership, but like them we are young and not miracle workers, but one day we can and will try our best to create better rights for them, so we can have our day and be listened to. We can make up a good package from social work training also this educates them at grass roots level. This already also brings in revenue, as we do charge the system for this as they need our help. We have many areas we can make our money, we deserve to keep surviving.
MONEY MADE FROM CHILD EXPLOITATION
Little is known in terms of hardcore facts about this however the fact that we met a lot of people in the 90's and dealt with many cases of child exploitation, according to us, it is the fourth largest money making industry in the world, after diamonds, drugs, pornography at best estimation child pornography is next. N.A.Y.P.I.C. must get on the Internet. This will be set up in every N.A.Y.P.I.C. local group cafe. This is a N.A.Y.P.I.C. idea and we don't want no pretenders, if some other organisation does this it won't be as effective. As we are who we are. This is to be discussed at N.A.G.M., safe houses would also be necessary. Also some recovery units for intensive dissemination of information and not so intensive groups for recovery of information also. People who are also not safe mentally even when the abuse has gone. Also no sooner are the abusers gone than they set up somewhere else. Therefore the organisation nearly has an unmanageable job. We need to look ahead also at futuristic plans and solutions, this means making more plans.
SECURITY
Each local group will hire security or will start up National Security (in-care) Firm.
THE DANGERS OF N.A.Y.P.1.C.
In the past the organisation faced all sorts of people who were either angry with us or trying to find out what we were up to:
Private Investigators.
Infiltrators.
Gangsters e.g.: brushing shoulders with drug rings.
Police.
Private Companies/Proprietors.
Places we wanted to close down and places we did.
Private children's homes.
Media.
A referrals family.
Close surveillance, kidnapping, to name but a few things to worry about.
Always speak to someone if you feel or suspect anything. We have ways of dealing with this and also we can check whether or not your home or office is being bugged or any thing like that. Sweep the place for bugs. We also have a cross section of advisors who can check things out, defusing any paranoia. This cross-section being hard and safe, clever and above the law! Also on a wider level as previously mentioned propaganda can destroy. One must keep reputable as an organisation, without reputation they, anyone, can and will destroy you. we are good and need to be here.
BEING NON-DEPENDANT ON GOVERNMENT MONEY/FUNDS
In the world there are some countries with dictatorships, perhaps also one or two individuals at least, who are abusers in some governments. This is corrupt. In an attempt to make many points let's say:
Man runs hospital, things are corrupt, he has friends in high places, perhaps an MP who is also corrupt. N.A.Y.P.I.C. investigates the hospital and in the process, the hospital man, phones his friend the MP and N.A.Y.P.I.C. loses its funding. This is only possible if one MP has much power. This is possible. To add quickly to this abstractness, before moving on, just imagine if the firms being investigated by us have International links or contacts, you see. This is why N.A.Y.P.I.C. should fund ourselves and depend only on government money as a right. For example, they could pay us a certain amount of money per year to fund the printing and distribution of our membership packs. This could be on a £5 per head basis. Not much money to be seen to be supporting an actual consumer group of their own care service and to be seen to be supporting, children's rights.
Membership is not a ‘closed shop', we are not a union. Joining is a voluntary action based on the decision of the young person. However always remember, people, staff, carers etc, may always stop young people joining. So use this quote if you come across a local authority that won't pay up for their young people to join:
UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHlLD, which this country has signed says:
The child shall have ‘freedom of association'.
INVESTIGATING' SACRED COW ‘ ESTABLISHMENTS
It is probably little well known that when investigating ‘sacred cow' establishments (this means very old establishments and reputable buildings and organisations etc) they have their contacts, they have cash and they have lots and lots of strings to pull, so nothing gets done about them. The media included are scared of ‘sacred cow' establishments, nothing can be proved and sometime they mess up the patients/ victims so much, there is often seen to be not much credibility to what they are saying, especially testimonies in court.
This is where N.A.Y.P.I.C. is so important as the collation of information on this type of establishment, you can almost guarantee will come to our doorstep. So, what to do is keep it. Help the victims through N.A.Y.P.I.C. facilities to get better, recover, but don't push it , don't guilt trip yourself over it, just bit by bit collate it. Half way cases going to court, especially the high court are not worth the effort and potentially dangerous! If you wish to crack it, in time, however frustrating we'll get them good. we are sometimes putting individuals through too much alone, trying in court large establishments, with just a few people giving evidence. However.., a case with 30 people giving evidence takes some organising! N.A.Y.P.I.C. will be providing counselling for workers also ‘burn out' is something hard to recognise, however it is best if it can be prevented. We like to send our employees off on holidays, peaceful retreats or give them time off rather than work with the walking dead. When an establishment needs to be closed down or it is necessary to eradicate it, something better must take
-its place. There is little point in residents of a mental health establishment ending up in another type of establishment that is pretty much the same or even ending up homeless. We must always have fall back plans, ideas that are better.
SETTING UP CONFERENCES
1. First plan date
2. Plan venue
3. Decide how many young people can attend from each local authority for example in 1991,
265 delegates, and 1992 350 delegates.
4. Decide whether this is an overnight conference or an afternoon, one day, evening, morning etc event.
5. how many people are organising the conference for example in 1991, five people and in
1992 more than ten official organisers.
6. Decide who is doing what around the country, distribute tasks, set up working parties.
7. Decide what the theme this year will be overriding all other issues, for example 1991 ‘Biting back' held on the day of the implementation of the Children Act, a day for young people to voice their opinions on the act and in 1992, ‘Wot more of us' this weekend conference, (held at Butlins) voted in our new national structure, voted in our new full national executive, holding elections also for the first time. From one office and two workers the year before, we now had nine workers and five offices nationally, thus the theme.
8. Decide which workshops will be held, who will facilitate them, for example 1992 Yvette Francis facilitated the workshop on psychiatric units, as our leading consumer expert.
9. Organise printing up of membership cards for the year- and membership packs. Decide what is in the membership folders, for example the conference ticket, accommodation ticket if suitable, an agenda stating events, time of events, a N.A.Y.P.I.C. pen, note pad or paper, perhaps, as we have also had, a N.A.Y.P.I.C. baseball cap, key rings, publications, a charter of rights and of course the latest N. A.Y.P.I.C. T-shirt, with the theme printed on the front and a piece of poetry on the back (it is customary to pay £50 or something like that to who ever makes up the best poem, which is then printed on the back). So a poetry competition is also in the membership etc. etc. etc.
10. Decide if you want media there or not, decide then if you want it video taped as well orinstead. (Use a few cameras for all angles, hand held ones are fine, do not pay extortionate prices to a crew). it is important to keep a record anyway of the conference and audio or video is the best way to do this, people who wish not to be on camera must state this to the people videoing and a blind spot area can be organised.
ll. The accounts must be audited for presentation at the A.G.M. section of the N.A.G.M.
12. Decide how long the A.GM. Section of the conference will last. Not all the delegates especially the reality young ones will want to attend as they can find accounts etc. a bit boring. However attendance should be encouraged to the A.G.M. as this is where the policy changes can if required be voiced and voted upon. Alternatives in the past to the A.G.M. session have been to set up a small disco as well for the ones who do not attend or free time. (But better to keep them in the building)
13. Often the conference has been held on N.A.Y.P.I.C.'s birthday. A huge birthday cake is also made. -
14. N.A.Y.P.I.C. has large and small N.A.G.M.'s the small ones are called N.A.G.M. working parties, which consist of N.E.C. Management and representation of the membership through the local group/cafes. N.A.Y.P.I.C. hold these when firstly cash is tight or secondly when we can not afford time and effort to organise the large ones. For the future this could be resolved by having bi-annual large conferences and bi-annual working parties.
15. Communication, walkie talkies and mobiles are useful for the large conferences. A meeting on how these help communication is essential before usage.
16. First aid is essential, health and safety must come first!!!! Check.
17. Decide who will open the conference, who will be the speakers at the A.G.M., who will host (the compare ha!), this can mean staying on stage all day and it is a hard work job.
18. Food- will we do it ourselves as in 1991 - cash and carry inexpensive, or Butlins as in 1992 catering. At a working party one dayer we would just do sandwiches.
19. Make budget for the conference.
20. If large conference, how much are we charging local authorities including accommodation if required. (Can we get sponsorship from British Airways, never done before, may be a wild goose chase so don't waste too much time on it.)
21 How much are we charging for membership.
22. Do you want social workers in attendance, sometimes R.S.W.'s and Foster Parents accompany the young people. Think about workshops for them. It is often useful to split them up into small groups. Do you want directors or an A.D.S.S. representative to answer questions, maybe even an MP or top dog official, like the Minister for Health.
23. What is the aim of the conference apart from the legal A.G.M. you should talk about why we are bringing all these people together. What are we up to and what are we offering.
24. There should be posters and information around the conference, educational material on healing and such like.
25. Feed back - suggestions, such as for example, dealing with anger, ask people for their suggestions, this can be then used for the next years conference. Gathering peoples names who have similar ideas as each other for them to meet up or phone each other to work out ideas for next years conference. Also a conference list for people who want to make -friends or contact with each other can be drawn up before the conference, if addresses and phone numbers (?) are printed it can save us having to track down lost friendships through lack of proper communication.
26. Suggestions as to how to deal with trouble makers, must be worked out, there is also such a thing called agenter provocateurs.
27. There must be outlets at the conference for creativity, drama, arts etc.
VOLUNTEERS
Being a volunteer/ unpaid worker, allows you to be flexible with your time an energy. Some volunteers do nothing but be around (thus the need for local group/cafes as well). Maybe this is because they are holding something down learning/watching deciding or healing. Whatever makes them useful, welcome. there is plenty of work to do and each job is learning a skill and team work. Unpaid workers should not be party to confidentiality that is unless they are part of the management and have permission.
It is often useful for frequent volunteers to join a working party on research. In care and ex-care volunteers' experiences will help for future research and their views can be accounted at these working parties. The research forming the most solid foundations. if we have fifty young peoples experiences on emotional abuse, this can help to make changes in the laws write books and even and even put educational ripples through society. Your unpaid worker is someone who can only claim voluntary expenses if needs be and does work for N.A.Y.P.I.C. They are accountable through the structure (as voted in 1992). Refer to it. They are independent agents of the organisation interviewed by management. Very often they will make money for the organisation, they will have half the money they make, unless the N.E.C. decides they are making a killing out of N.A.Y.P.I.C. or just doing plain hard work generating money. If the former and it is our remit then we claim it at an N.E.C. meeting, if the latter then good luck to them.
Volunteers are welcome to hang out in our local group cafes. Suggestions form our volunteers/unpaid workers are welcome at all times. If we have talented unpaid workers who we will help become successful, through our contacts and efforts (such as singers musicians artists accountants etc.) then we can contract them to us to use our resources to help them to succeed. When successful they - can leave our ‘half money donated contracts' and give voluntarily as they so wished. This does not have to be financially, it can be giving other future young people a chance to succeed, through their help, contacts or resources.
MEMBERSHIP
As we stated to all funding bodies in 1992 N.A.Y.P.I.C.'s capacity in membership will be worth at least six million pounds. N.A.Y.P.I.C. with its rapid developments surpassing all expectation in 1991, 1992, 1993 our membership with our extensive and expensive new computers and our friends in parliament was about to progress to a very high level, the data and blue prints on the continuation on this expansion are still available.
AGEING
As one moves on however valuable the cause is you also move away from it. Life goes on and life, love, justice, beauty and healing is all part of moving on form the past and on to yourself and your own future. This cause may be supported but the twilight zone of youth is adulthood. We have had our chance and our day. If young people do not run this organisation then it is not the ‘association of' , do something else useful. Support but move over and let the next generation with all its trials and tribulations experience good and bad take over. If they make mistakes they are their mistakes and they will learn, knowledge is useful and powerful, find a way to pass it on. The organisation should consider support groups for older ex-care people. it is known information for us now that a lot of people's pasts do not effect them severely until they are much older. They need the same things as young people need, like some justice obviously. However their knowledge of the powers that be and the valuable sources of redress are far greater than young people who need and deserve assistance much more.... they can find or have often found personal ways of dealing with the past and their own cases. Supported care groups will also help these people. Any assistance from ex-care people is greatly appreciated. When we move on from N.A.Y.P.I.C. it may have had like our own experiences a profound effect on us. However just to know N.A.Y.P.I.C. is there may help you sleep more soundly at night. We'll keep that, but you have a good life for all of us to know it is possible.
VALUE OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS
Strong people will head up the fight, less strong will help. We all deserve to be valued and respected. Nature is innate but keep unified and value ourselves to make the changes very, many people think negatively about themselves, when they have been through a tough time. Beware of this. Love ourselves and we may love each other.
UNORTHODOX METHODS OF EVIDENCE
By any means necessary!!
YOUTH OUR PLATFORM
Who knows what we have in store for the future but right now the abuse is killing us and it has to stop!!!! Back in 1991 London Borough's Grants Unit provided us with consultants Jenal 2. They said they would gather all our working knowledge and any statements and put it into a handbook for each worker. They were paid £6000,oo , a few weeks work.
At a management committee meeting Robert Caldwell-Jones said, “When this handbook is done we will open an magnum bottle of champagne” (as we were lead to believe that this would outline our fantastic work & development for future staff). The trusted consultants produced a 70 point condemnation of the organisation, so badly done with even seven points just repeated to add up to seventy, we still have it and its a sham and a pack of lies, (e.g no paper shredder!). When we were given the opportunity to have feedback the consultant pulled a long piece of fax paper out of her bag and said for us to read it and that the orginal was already on its way to the LBGU for a decision on funding. We just chases the consultants out of the office. However it caused the L.B.G.U. and then the DoH to withdraw all funding immediately. This handbook written in India by one of our N.E.C. members afterwards is how it should have been written. The only magnum was the toy gun left, in the suddenly one day, quite bizarrely, disappeared & empty of everything, offices of the HQ in Camden of the National Association of Young People in Care which we left as a statement. The Socialwork papers said:‘NA.Y.P.I.C. is dead' ‘Long live N.A.Y.P.I.C.'with some totally fabricated article about financial mismanagement - No money, No staff, No offices, No Voice and then that article like a nail in a coffin...So no reputation...
Enjoy the handbook, it will help any worker who ever dares to continue. Keep up the fight.‘Rise up there young soldier they buried you long ago, don't you know you are a woman of the world' and ‘the boy had a cry with a gun in his eye rise up there young soldier young man'
Percentages and possibility of an investor/lender
spaceshift will take 10% of overall shop trading for administration to continue good work to help set up the Children's Law Practice of Youth Parliament.
30% of all shop trading as well as 100% membership will go to Youth Parliament.
60% for each shop will go to ‘the founders 007', 30% to each young person founding a spaceshift (25% if investor gets involved).
If an investor/lender wanted to get involved with a £7,653,000,oo investment they would get 10% of all shop profits. They would see a return of £3.4 million per annum from 114 shops. They would also get all their money back in one year paid by the first annual membership for Youth Parliament.
For further info see, the aims, the model local group and the numbers.
