Maggie Atkinson Englands Children's Commissioner

[Elaine Kirk]

`Now Maggie maybe you could help me with this one, you see it is evidence and it would appear that this child was at...school..

He said that he returned home from school to find Khyra lying asleep in her mother’s lap in an upstairs bedroom.

And Maggie this is SERIOUSLY disturbing as Khyra was still registered at school ! now surely if a child hasnt attended for 2 months and the staff have been alerting the 'caring' agencies for 2 months then you as Childrens - Commissioner - in - Waiting do not live-on-Air and in response to a question about Home Education from the parliamentary Select Committee say that a young girl died because Home Education stood in the way of her receiving help!! I repeat she was a SCHOOL PUPIL!!
[QUOTE]

Giving evidence on the 11th day of their trial, social worker Ranjit Mann said she visited Khyra's home in Leyton Road on January 28 last year.

She told the court she was following up a referral from Khyra's school following her non-attendance since December, along with concerns that school staff had not managed to contact Gordon.

"I just went along to see if I could speak to Mrs Gordon and see if I could assist her in any way," Mrs Mann told the jury. The witness added that she had knocked on the door, but there was no answer and she then looked through the letterbox and through the window before leaving her contact details./QUOTE]

[Elaine Kirk]

And it wasnt a sudden catostrophic event that led to her death this evidence says weeks possibly months so plenty of time for it to be picked up and acted on

"The actual means or process which resulted in (Khyra's death) was brought about by a series of actions that were in effect the deliberate and calculated starvation of that little girl over a period, certainly of weeks, and very possibly months,'' he said.

[Elaine Kirk]

I will finish with this Maggie
Maybe as you are Childrens-Commissioner-in-waiting you should have thought before using those ''two words'' you are not yet in the role and already you have FAILED a child in the most criminal fashion you said that the state was powerless to help Khyra !
What you should have said was that Khyra was failed by an overburdened system , that you deeply regret that in her hour (days + weeks + months ) of need you didnt help her, that you will learn, but most of all Maggie you must accept that there are evil people who will harm children and that with the best will in the world we cannot save every child. The Ofsted report on Birmingham was published on the 5th of this month , It says Khyra was one of the children KNOWN to social services who died . You made a wrong call stigmatizing home educators , that is an estimated 50,001 children that you FAILED... maybe a report should be commissioned.

[Elaine Kirk]

May 28th 2008 and Maggie Atkinson knew the SYSTEM had failed Khyra

But Dr Atkinson admitted the recent case of Khyra Ishaq, a seven-year-old who apparently starved to death in Birmingham, showed there was still some way to go.
She said: "There are 11 million children in this country and any death is an absolute tragedy.
"We had another absolutely awful story from Birmingham last week - the details of which are still not known so let's not speculate - but it's clear that the system still has some development to do and still has a lot of lessons to learn."

[Elaine Kirk]

I have, as a result of seeing Maggie Atkinsons refusal to engage in dialogue re her statement to the select committee, sent the following FOI request

Dear Sir or Madam,
in the Spring/summer of 2008 the Association of Directors of
Children's Services issued a Position Statement following media
coverage of the Birmingham case of Khyra Ishaq the way it was
reported and the way in which some newspapers interpreted the
comments of Lord Laming and Bether Climbie.
Copies of the Position Statement were issued to
Key officials atDCSF,
The Children's Commissioner,
Local Government Association,
And the British Association of Social Workers.
I would like a copy of that statement and realise that identifiers
will be removed

Yours faithfully,

I have added the following annotation

To clarify the reason for my request on Oct 12th 2009 Maggie Atkinson told the Select Committee
'' But I would give you two words, and they are the first and second names of the child who died—Khyra Ishaq. I do not think that it is taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut simply to be able to go across the doorstep of the home where a child is being electively home educated. Not to interfere, not to insist, not to direct, but simply to check that they are as safe as you need them to be. Khyra Ishaq was electively home educated and withdrawn from the roll of her school in Birmingham, and within 10 weeks she had starved to death. That may be an extreme case, and horrible and dreadful, and it happens very, very, very rarely indeed. None the less, it happened.''
I believe Maggie Atkinson was aware when making that statement that Khyra was not de-registered from the School she had been attending , she was in fact a registered pupil who did not attend for a number of months.
I also maintain that Maggie Atkinson was and is fully aware that if there are justifiable concerns for a childs welfare then the Authorities have all the powers they need to see the child already established in law.
I also maintain that Khyra was seen by the authorities in the weeks preceding her death.
It is not my intention to criticise the services involved they all do a very difficult job and they do it very well.
It is my intention to ensure misinformation that has entered the public domain from an official source is publicly corrected

[Elaine Kirk]

OK Maggie I will keep this very very simple
Khyra last attended school December 19th 2007
Khyra died May 17th 2008

That is 22 weeks

Your testimony to the select committee
''Khyra Ishaq was electively home educated and withdrawn from the roll of her school in Birmingham, and within 10 weeks she had starved to death. ''

That Maggie, means (as was said in Court) that Khyra was stilll registered at school in MARCH 2008, 3 months after she last attended school. 3 months when she was missing from education and her teachers were expressing their concerns, 3 months !!

[Sheila Struthers]

Speechless

[Elaine Kirk]

To ensure we have the complete picture of Maggie-two-words-Atkinson I am copying over from the Select Committee Memoranda thread
And what about ADCSMaggie (two words) Atkinsons outfit advocating changing the law ??
The SILLY woman (dangerously silly) is about to become children's commissioner upholding the rights of the child
A change in the law would totally override the UNCRC!!

The child should be seen, preferably alone, in the first 4 weeks of home schooling. This would allow the child's views about being removed from school to be taken into account when assessing the suitability of home education. This is as important to ensure a child is engaged with their education, wherever it may take place. This complements provision for a child to stay on the school roll for a short period after removal - the two measures together will provide a more flexible system to accommodate those who want to return to school in this early period.


4.3.2 It would be helpful and supportive for the local authority to have the power to interview the child, alone if this is judged appropriate, or if not in the presence of a trusted person who is not the parent/carer. We are concerned, however about the legal framework required to give local authorities the right to speak to children alone in this context - as far as we are aware, child protection investigations do not have the legal authority to demand this, even though it is seen as best practice. It is difficult to see how this could be resolved without legislative changes.
Quote:
Quote:

Article 5

States Parties shall respect the responsibilities, rights and duties of parents or, where applicable, the members of the extended family or community as provided for by local custom, legal guardians or other persons legally responsible for the child, to provide, in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child, appropriate direction and guidance in the exercise by the child of the rights recognized in the present Convention.
Article 9

1. States Parties shall ensure that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will, except when competent authorities subject to judicial review determine, in accordance with applicable law and procedures, that such separation is necessary for the best interests of the child. Such determination may be necessary in a particular case such as one involving abuse or neglect of the child by the parents, or one where the parents are living separately and a decision must be made as to the child's place of residence.
Article 14

1. States Parties shall respect the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

2. States Parties shall respect the rights and duties of the parents and, when applicable, legal guardians, to provide direction to the child in the exercise of his or her right in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child.

3. Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health or morals, or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.
Article 16

1. No child shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his or her honour and reputation.

2. The child has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.


A change in the law would totally override the UNCRC!!

[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

[Sheila Struthers]

Thanks Elaine You've lost me but I'm sure you're right...

[Elaine Kirk]

If they make legislative changes it would remove a child's rights under a number of articles of the UNCRC on which Every Child Matters and the 5 outcomes are based Maggie-two-words-Atkinson is advocating the removal of a child's rights under the UNCRC which the position of Children's Commissioner should see her upholding not trashing