‘As a nation, we don’t care as we should for the most vulnerable children’
Working as an inner city parish priest the Rt Rev Philip North spent a lot of time dealing with vulnerable families and children in care.
“I started to see the profound damage that kind of instability can have on children’s lives,” he tells i.
“I also became aware of issues in families where there were problems with neglect or whatever and they were under social services care and I realised how un-joined-up that support can be with swift changes of social workers and the damaging impact for a child if their family life collapses and they are moved away from their parents and network of relationships and the school they know to other places.”
Bishop Philip, who became the 10th Bishop of Blackburn earlier this year, is particularly concerned at the way post-industrial towns such as Burnley and Blackpool have seen a growth in the number of care homes for children.
“There has been an explosion of care homes in the north-west of England – not because of increased need, but because of the privatisation of the sector.
“As a result, large numbers of children are being moved, often from the south-east of England, to care homes in other parts of the country where property prices and labour costs are cheaper.
“So children are being moved from the communities they know to totally different parts of the country, often hundreds of miles away, simply to generate increased profits for private companies.
“That makes me feel very angry – that we have monetised children’s misery and that companies are making a profit from the most vulnerable children in the country.
“It seems to me that a country should be judged on how it cares for its most vulnerable. And there’s nothing more vulnerable than a child whose family has collapsed or has been a victim of abuse. The fact that those children have become monetised units, I find so depressing.”
Bishop Philip says local authorities have been finding it harder and harder to afford the running costs of children’s homes and as a result, the private sector has been playing a larger role in running them.
“It has always been an area of concern to me the way we as a nation don’t care as we should for the most vulnerable children in the country.
“Imagine if you are unsafe at home or if your family collapses, what you then need is a place of love. But if rather than finding a place of love, you find yourself as a marketable commodity, that just leaves me lost for words.”
Bishop Philip was inspired by the work of the charity Become, which supports children in care and young care leavers and he supports the cause financially.
i launched its charity appeal to help raise £150,000 for Become so they can support more young people. The generosity of i readers means donations have now surpassed the target and reached more than £165,000 so far – and there is still time to donate and make a difference.
“To me, it is a particularly poignant time for this appeal because the heart of Christmas is a family,” said Bishop Philip.
“So many children will be having a lovely festive time with stable families, food, fireplaces and presents. But for so many other children, Christmas just brings home their own lack of family and the instability in their lives.
“Become is a charity which inspires me because it gives voice to the child.
“Their campaigns come from the children’s voices. It is not adults telling children what is best for them; it is a charity listening to children and placing their voices at the centre of everything and that is very powerful.”
How to donate
i has launched its 2023 Christmas Appeal “Together We Care” urging generous readers to raise money to help Become give vital advice and practical support to 1,300 children in care and young care leavers.
We initially set a fundraising target of £75,000 but thanks to the generosity of i readers, we now hope to raise £150,000 for the charity.
Click here to read more about what Become does:
Here’s what your donation can provide:
- £2.50 sends a handwritten Christmas card to a child in care.
- £5 helps a child in care stay in touch with brothers or sisters living apart from them.
- £12 gives Christmas dinner to a young person who recently left care.
- £25 gives a Christmas present to a child in care or young care leaver.
- £45 pays for a young person to travel to Parliament to share their story with interested MPs.
- £50 pays for employment coaching to help someone leaving care find a job.
- £75 provides one-to-one guidance for a young person applying to university.
Click here to donate: www.becomecharity.org.uk/i-appeal
