NO2NP public meeting in Montrose

"The campaign, against controversial plans to appoint state guardians for every child in Scotland, stepped up with a public meeting in Montrose."

"Part of a series of meetings, being held across the country, the No To Named Person (NO2NP) campaign aims to increase pressure against the Scottish Government proposals and the No2NP Roadshow was in Montrose on Wednesday, November 26, in The Park Hotel."

"NO2NP has challenged the provisions contained in the Children and Young People Act in a Judicial Review at the Court of Session in Edinburgh. Under the legislation, more than a million children in Scotland, aged under 18, will be assigned a "named person" (someone other than their parents) - a health visitor or head teacher - who will have the power to "advise" and "inform" the child or discuss or raise matters about the child with the relevant authorities."

http://www.montrosereview.co.uk/news/local-headlines/no2np-montrose-meeting-1-3626624

Looking at the Act, INFORMATION SHARING is related to the wellbeing of a child or young person. Local authorities, health boards and other designated authorities (including voluntary organisations) have a duty to share information with the child`s Named Person if they consider it might be relevant to the exercise of the functions of the Named Person. From Part 4, subsection (5) of the Children and Young People Act, these functions include:

(i)advising, informing or supporting the child or young person, or a parent of the child or young person,

(ii)helping the child or young person, or a parent of the child or young person, to access a service or support, or

(iii)discussing, or raising, a matter about the child or young person with a service provider or relevant authority.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2014/8/part/4/enacted

Reading this part of the Act, parental authority is being taken over completely by the Named Person and so information can be shared without any thought about issues of confidentiality.

As leading human rights QC Aidan O’Neill says in the article above: "What is startling about the proposed named person service in the Bill, is that it appears to be predicated on the idea that the proper primary relationship that children will have for their well-being and development, nurturing and education, is with the State, rather than within their families and with their parents."

It will be even more extraordinary if the Scottish government gets away with it !