A common situation I hear is grandparents having concerns for their grandchildren’s welfare.
Those concerns are wide and varied.
They can range from a belief that the children are not living the life we would want for them to serious concerns about children being raised in unsafe environments.
Although it is distressing to either see or believe that they are not having the life you would want for them, it is important to remember that we are not their parents and that ‘things’ are different from when we were raising our children.
I have many conversations from grandparents who say that their grandchildren are being brought up within households where drugs and alcohol dependency is occurring. Sometimes grandparents will alert social services with their concerns, a visit will take place and all too often the report is that there is no cause for concern.
Perhaps as grandparents our cause for concern is different from the authorities?
It is beyond my understanding, how it is ok for a child to be living in such an environment.
Many grandparents are not even listened to as it is deemed that grandparents have no rights, an all too easy excuse.
And yet, we are told, quite rightly in my view, that if we have concerns with regard to welfare of children we must report it, but if we are not listened to, who is taking responsibility?
Are the boundaries blurred as to what we understand as being well-being and safeguarding?
The definition is: Safeguarding is the act of protecting people from harm, abuse, and neglect. It’s a collective responsibility that involves people and organizations working together to prevent and stop abuse. Child welfare is a system that aims to improve the safety and well-being of children and families, while safeguarding is a process that protects people from harm, abuse, and neglect. Child welfare is one part of the safeguarding process.
From that definition I can’t really see the difference.
At the end of the day it is surely about the best outcome for children,that they are able to live in a safe and loving environment, free from harm.
Whoever we are, we all have a responsibility to report concerns.
