Clause 16
Children and Young Persons Bill [Lords]
12:00 pm
Kevin Brennan (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Children, Schools and Families; Cardiff West, Labour)
Yes, indeed. It is important that we make that clear, but that is not an attempt to dilute the importance of the necessary skills and experience. It is simply that there are circumstances where it may not be either practical or in the interests of the child for the person visiting to be a qualified social worker. For example, the relationship that an individual has with a child may be vital, and the child may have expressed a wish to be visited by a particular individual who is not a qualified social worker but with whom they have established an excellent relationship. It is also possible there will be times when a visit from somebody with a particular specialism is appropriate, for example, regarding the child’s transition to independent living. That person might not be a qualified social worker, but they would have the particular skills or experience relevant to the child’s circumstances.