British task health inspectors with spying on families

By Stephen C. Webster
Monday, November 16th, 2009 -- 10:24 pm
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childrenviolence British task health inspectors with spying on familiesThe British Department of Health has drawn up new guidelines for the administration of child safety that will allow government monitors access to private residences, according to a published report.

The move is an escalation of the UK government's efforts to ensure children are protected from unintentional harm, according to authorities. Inspectors would be primarily tasked with finding out whether proper safety devices are present, such as smoke alarms, water temperature monitors and door locks. In instances where proper safety has not been upheld, the monitor would be tasked with installing the devices and "collecting data" on the residence.

"The draft guidance by a committee at the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has been criticised as intrusive and further evidence of the 'creeping nanny state,'" The Times Online reported.

The paper continued: "Until now, councils have made only a limited number of home inspections to check on building work and in extreme cases where the state of a house is thought to pose a serious risk to public health."

The guidelines also recommend that doctors and midwives be allowed to spy on parents and collect data for a national child safety database.

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The new recommendations are the latest in an unprecedented growth in British surveillance over the last year.

The United Kingdom rolled out in September the first phase of an anti-pedophile system called the “Vetting and Barring Scheme,” which will ultimately create what one British newspaper referenced as “the largest database of its kind in the world.”

“It’s not as quite as radical as it sounds,” explained UK children’s Minister Delyth Morgan in an interview with the BBC.

The Vetting and Barring Scheme is essentially a system of criminal background checks that is mandatory for every paid worker in a job which gives them access to children. Those workers must pay a fee of £64 to register themselves with the new agency, established by the government’s Independent Safeguarding Authority.

If those workers — estimated to be some 11.3 million people — do not pay the fee and register with the database, they will be subjected to a fine of up to £5,000 and a mark on their criminal record, according to The Telegraph.

Others required to register for the database include volunteers, or anyone who has any supervisory role over a child that is not theirs. This would even include parent drivers, who volunteer to carpool others’ children home, noted Politics.co.uk.

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Story comments are below...

  • davidrvelasquez
    The brits are really up their own asses when it comes to overreacting.
    But then the Magna Carta or similar declarations of individual rights were intended to the serve the aristocracy more than the average person. The US Constitution is superior in that way.

    They are reacting though to some pretty horrific recent cases of child abuse where child protective services should've been more responsive to the signs of abuse. A couple practically tortured their son to death. You couldn't help but be moved. But even with their 'Vetting and Barring Scheme'...it wouldn't have helped because some of the people involved those recent abuse cases weren't official child minders.
    It's a fine line we walk when trying to protect our kids.
    I think in many cases its just a matter of common sense as far as social services are concerned. What I've noticed is that the worse cases usually occur in a situation where social service workers are underfunded, overworked and have developed an indifference even when the signs are there.
    What I've also noticed about the british is that their gov't treats its populace like they're subintelligent children.
  • matticusfinch
    They let their government do that shit, all the population has to do is say no. Same here in america everyone complains about the government but do we see millions protesting in DC holding up their constitutions and saying "NO!" nope we save our rage for football games, soccer games, rock concerts that get cancelled and wedge issues.
  • IgnorantYank
    Isn't there a difference between council housing, to which these rules apply, and private residence? Like american projects?
  • damixaustex
    Follow the BBC link and hear Esther Rantzen. Her pragmatic view and eloquent comment help sort out concern for children and privacy of the population.

    It's always difficult to oppose proposals that are "for the welfare of the children." I can't imagine this level of dialogue in the US media.

    This UK effort is originating in the Department of Health. Why haven't the US anti govt run health care lot grabbed hold of this story?
    It's "for the children," you see, and they're speechless.
    Shouldn't the likes of Beck and Limbaugh weigh in on this?
  • NO NAME
    Limbaugh has...that's how I found out about this article/atrocity. You Brits should hope we do stop it here...if we don't, there won't be an America left to come to your rescue again.
  • DeadFed
    Can we not see where this is all headed? Protecting people from themselves, their parents, strangers, people ..... PROTECTION, PROTECTION, PROTECTION, PROTECTION, SAFETY, SAFETY, SAFETY, SAFETY,

    Yet people are allowed to starve, bombing innocents in illegal wars, genocide .. not a problem. Duh!~

    Speak out at every available opportunity to those who can not see it yet!~
  • rickpetes
    Boy, and I thought our Department of Homeland Security was invasive. I guess the british gov't doesn't want to lose the "population suppression" race...
  • matticusfinch
    Wow the UK is in full on police state mode over there. jesus. Seems the EU is the testing lab for new Police state 1984 stile tactics that later get brought over here through the socialist capital of america, New York.

    im so glad i dont live in europe. I wish i could live in Japan though, they got their heads on straight.
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