Child contact centre closes after 23 years of service

A centre where family members can spend time with a child in a safe environment has closed

A charity helping children with separated parents has closed its child contact centre after 23 years.

The Milli's charity provides a place for children from separated families to be with a parent or other family member who does not live with them.

It said new laws regulating how such centres can run would make it too difficult and costly for them to continue.

Co-ordinator Denise Carroll said the "system is broken".

She said: "Whilst we welcome with open arms standards to be brought in, that's absolutely positive for everybody involved, we then progressed on to find out those standards really didn't fit the process and how we work with children and families.

"It actually strips back being able to work and react quickly and actively with children and families when a situation arises."

'Failing Jersey's children'

The Jersey Care Commission launched its new standards for Children's Social Care on Tuesday.

It said its standards set "clear expectations" about how different children's social care should be provided, including:

• Show what people should expect from the care they receive

• Set out what those who provide care must do to meet expectations of those using its services

• Provide a structure that can be used for inspection

Ms Carroll said it would keep its other support services going, but the change in law did not leave them "with any option" but to close.

"Because we put children first we work with those families, we don't want to sit there filling out report forms and pieces of paper all day, we've got more important work directly with those families," she said.

Ms Carroll said the charity had not been contacted in regards to the final decisions.

"We can all go and read text books and put into theory, but actually I think that theory is failing Jersey's children hugely in many many areas... our children are in crisis... the system is broken," she said.

The Jersey Care Commission said it "refuted" claims it did not inform the charity of its decisions.

It said: "All of the providers of care were consulted prior to the implementation of the new standards and we have met with Milli's to develop with them the standards they are required to meet, which we believe are achievable and appropriate.

"The new standards are required in supervised and supported centres. Our priority in implementing standards for children's social care services is the safety and wellbeing of the children involved."

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