What is shared parenting?

Shared parenting is where both parents have a significant involvement in a child’s life including playing a significant part in the physical day to day care of the child. However, it is often and unfortunately interpreted as strictly equal division of the child’s time between each parent. These two versions of ‘shared parenting’ both play a part in the current debate about the government’s proposal to introduce a ‘presumption’ that shared parenting will benefit children.

What do children want?

There is considerable evidence that children can benefit from and enjoy shared parenting arrangements so long as:

1. Parents are co-operating
2. Arrangements are flexible. There has been no research to suggest that equal division of time between households is beneficial and in fact, research suggests inflexibility around this area can cause particular problems for children.
3. Financial and other resources are not limited
4. Parental conflict including court applications are avoided

However, some children can find shared parenting disruptive, difficult and stressful when switching between two households.

What does research tell us about the needs of the child?

In November 2012 an interesting study into the perspectives of young adults who experienced parental separation in their your was published by the Sussex Law School of the University of Sussex, the authors of which were critical of the government’s shared parenting proposal. They found that children were interested in whether time spent with parents was enjoyable and not how that time was described (contact/residence/shared residence) and nor were they interested in whether their time was divided equally between parents.

The report made it clear that the young people interviewed viewed contact as very important for reassuring them that he or she is still loved by the non-resident parent and also that unless contact is not in the child’s interest it should be established as soon as possible and maintained.

The authors urge parents not to worry about issues such as frequency of contact and overnight stays as they believe the research shows that arrangements tailored to the age, needs and circumstances of the individual child, the quality of the relationship with the non-resident parent and the child’s own views on what would suit them best are more important from the child’s perspective.

What are the ingredients for successful contact?

The report showed an array of ingredients for making contact with the non-resident parent successful:

1. Parents involving children in decision-making. A large number of parents of the young adults interviewed were unaware of the new found maturity their children had gained through experiencing the separation and assumed the children would fall in with whatever contact arrangements were needed. Consulting children routinely through any decision-making process around contact creates a more positive experience of contact. It is therefore particularly important for mediators to engage children in the mediation process when deciding on contact arrangements.
2. Little or no post-separation conflict between parents.
3. No domestic violence or serious concerns about the care the non-resident parent could provide.
4. The resident parent encouraging the relationship between the child and the non-resident parent.
5. The non-resident parent making time for the child. Particularly important was the perception that the non-resident parent is making an effort to make contact enjoyable and child-focused as a way of demonstrating commitment.
6. The child feeling equally at home in both households.
7. Either the non-resident parent not re-partnering or the child getting on well with their new parent.

In addition, the report conveyed the need to prepare children for a separation, explaining the reasons for it and maintaining support for the child through the process. Many of the young people interviewed felt a sense of abandonment and isolation when parents became less emotionally available in the aftermath of the separation. They suggest that parents need to seek help for themselves to enable them to continue supporting their children. Again this is support that a mediator can offer as well as helping to identify other suitable, external support.

Finally, one of the strongest messages of the report was the authors’ conviction that parents should feel confident that even with one parent being the primary carer and the other maintaining regular contact, the child has no sense of ‘second best’ from their perspective.

What are the government’s shared care proposals?

The government’s latest shared parenting proposal is for a new section 1(2A) for the Children Act 1989, which says the following:

‘A court, in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (4)(a) or (7) is as respects each parent within subsection (6)(a) to presume, unless the contrary is shown, that involvement of that parent in the life of the child concerned will further the child’s welfare.’

There is some confusion as to whether or not this is a presumption in the legal sense, or what Mr Justice Ryder described to the Justice Committee as an ‘imperative’, but the government does seem to believe that whatever it is, it will be subject the ‘best interests of the child’ presumption, which the government believes will take priority in all situations.

A new section 1(6) is also planned, which will provide that:

‘(6) In subsection (2A) ‘parent’ means parent of the child concerned; and, for the purposes of that subsection, a parent of the child concerned – (a) is within this paragraph if that parent can be involved in the child’s life in a way that does not put the child at risk of suffering harm; and (b) is to be treated as being within paragraph (a) unless there is some evidence before the court in the particular proceedings to suggest that involvement of that parent in the child’s life would put the child at risk of suffering harm whatever the form of the involvement.’

What are the criticisms of these proposals?

Critics have expressed serious concern over the introduction of a shared parenting clause and in particular the legislation on equal parenting time.

The Justice Committee have heard evidence from supporters and opponents of the new legislation and also expressed anxiety over the shared parenting clause. They identified four key questions to address in the debate:

1. Does the draft clause detract from the principle that decisions must be made in the best interests of the child?
2. Is the draft clause likely to be misunderstood as a right for parents to spend particular amounts of time with their children?
3. What effect will the draft clause have on the number of cases requiring court orders?
4. Will the draft clause change perceptions of bias within the family courts?

Their main concern is that the draft clause may detract from the principle that the best interests of the child are paramount and that shared parenting should not be presumed to be a good thing in all cases. The Committee also points to the fact that the shared parenting clause will only be of direct relevance to the type of cases that require a court order, which are precisely the types of case with the highest levels of conflict, in which the benefits of shared parenting may be most questionable. The Committee therefore recommends that the government should include a statement making it clear that the child’s welfare presumption takes precedence over the shared parenting presumption.

The Committee is also concerned that many parents will misunderstand the clause as giving rights to equal time, although it does not in fact do so. This may be an issue of particular concern to mediators, who could well have difficulties explaining the true position to parents who have been encouraged to believe that equal division of time has become the norm.

The Committee does not believe that the draft clause will necessarily help to reduce the number of cases that reach court, and notes that the evidence about other jurisdictions has no direct application to the English situation for a number of reasons. In fact, the Committee thinks it likely that in the short-term the new clause will actually result in an increase in the number of cases reaching court, as parents, lawyers and the courts work out how the draft clause operates in practice.

The Committee does not believe that the draft clause will, on its own, change perceptions of bias within the family court system, and suggests that the real problem lies with the failure to enforce court orders that exist, rather than with the content of those orders.

What happens next?

The government’s response to such criticisms is that it does not intend or expect that the proposed new wording will necessarily change the content of court orders, but that the shared parenting clause will make a positive difference by encouraging parents to reach agreement on shared parenting, and will also reduce the perception of bias towards mothers. Both of those aims are worthwhile.

However, the fear is that in fact the new clause will change parental expectations, creating three separate potential problems.

1. Particularly worrying from the perspective of mediators, is the possibility that changed parental expectations will make it more difficult for parents to agree workable, child-focused children arrangements.
2. The possibility that the draft clause does not in fact change the approach of the courts, in which case ‘non-resident parents’ who believe that the draft clause gives them certain rights (fighting long, hard, and expensively) but who are disappointed, are likely to feel even greater frustration and disillusionment with the system than they do at present.
3. Faced with increased pressure from parents, the draft clause does impact on the courts, and in doing so dilutes the fundamental principle that the welfare of the child is of overriding importance by giving weight and significance to issues that are of no particular interest to the child.

The voices of young adults in the Sussex report made it clear that parents should make an effort to agree, make sure their child feels loved and supported and none of them insisted on equal division of time or shared parenting. This is good advice from people who have experienced separation from the perspective of a child. It is uncertain whether the shared parenting clause is going to be anywhere near as helpful.

In November 2011 the Family Justice Review Panel announced a package of recommendations aimed at tackling delays in the family justice system and to make sure that children and families were given the service they deserved.

What were the key recommendations?

1. A six month time limit in care cases so delay is significantly reduced.
2. Enabling people to make their own arrangements for their children when they separate, and only use courts when necessary.
3. Overhauling the family justice system so that agencies and professionals work together with greater coherence to improve the experience and outcomes for children and families.

These recommendations followed the independent review panel findings that the previous system of family justice was under huge strain.  Rising caseloads coupled with incoherent organisation and processes were causing damaging delays for children and families.  It took on average over a year for an outcome in a care case, which is far too long in the life of a child.  The backlog of cases in the public law system meant that around 20,000 children were waiting for their futures to be decided.

David Norgrove, chair of the Family Justice Review, at the time said:

“Our package of recommendations to the Government and the judiciary will make the current family justice system more effective.  We need to eliminate the shocking delays in the system.

“This is why we are recommending legislation to ensure that child protection cases must not be allowed to take any more than six months save in exceptional circumstances.

“We also propose better ways for parents to be helped to keep the focus on their children as they separate, with information, education and mediation, and court action only if all that fails.

“Every year 500,000 children and adults are involved in the family justice system.  They turn to it at times of great stress and conflict.  It must deliver the best possible outcome for all the children and families who use it, because its decisions directly affect the lives and futures of all those involved, and have repercussions for society as a whole.”

The panel recommended a simpler system to deliver an improved service

This was to be achieved through:

1. The creation of a Family Justice Service to make sure agencies and professionals worked together to make positive improvements in the system for children and families.
2. More judges who are specialists in family law to hear cases from start to finish to ensure consistency and confidence in the system.
3. A simplified court structure making it easier for people using the courts to know where to go.
4. More child focus and better training for professionals to make sure children’s views were heard.

The panel recommended changes to public law (protecting children and taking them into care) to deliver more quickly for children

This was to be achieved through:

1. A six month time limit for all cases, save in exceptional circumstances.
2. Less reliance on unnecessary expert witnesses and reports.
3. Refocusing the courts on the core issue of determining whether the child should go into care.

The panel recommended changes to private law (arrangements about children and money following separation) to create a simpler service for families who are separating, aimed at helping them to focus on reaching a joint agreement, if possible, without going to court

This was to be achieved through:

1. A single online and phone help service to make it simpler for people to decide the most appropriate way forward and increase clarity of understanding.
2. Use of Parenting Agreements and a new ‘child arrangements order’ to bring together arrangements for children’s care after separation, focusing on the child rather than ‘contact’ and ‘residence’.
3. Increased provision of mediation to prevent cases going to court unnecessarily.

The independent panel was appointed to review the whole of the family justice system in England and Wales, looking at all aspects of the system from court decisions on taking children into care to disputes over contact with children when parents divorce.  This was the most comprehensive and far-reaching review of the family justice system since the Children Act in 1989.

By now, we are all familiar with the term ‘current economic climate’ and that this implies ‘difficult, unstable or terrible economic climate’. We hear on the news most days how people are losing jobs, companies are closing down and people generally have less money, so we understand the impact the problems with the economy have had on our wallets, but knock on effects of having less money, losing a job or being unable to find a job have much wider implications for society than just having to tighten our belts.

It could be argued that being a good parent becomes significantly harder when money is scarce and there is instability at work. Below is a list of examples of how the current economic climate may be affecting our ability to be good parents ranging from the more usual to more extreme cases:

These are just a few examples of how cuts in funding and the current economic climate can affect our ability to parent children well and provide the things they need to become upstanding citizens.

We should also remember that the children of today are the parents of tomorrow. Children who miss out on good parenting, education, healthcare, housing and job prospects will pass on negative attitudes, behaviours, beliefs and ways of life to their children and we are likely to see more outbursts of undisciplined anger, frustration and thoughtlessness as we saw in the London and Manchester riots.

A great way to tackle all of the problems facing parents today is through provision of parenting programmes or initiatives. If parents are having to rely on fewer resources and less time, we can at least help them to become better parents through simple classes, information or resources about parenting tips and strategies.

Some of the benefits of having these things available are:

• If parents are stressed or depressed, they can learn easy ways to discipline children and set boundaries that, if carried out correctly will be effective and simple and negate the need to give in to demands or ignore bad behaviour for the sake of an easy life.
• Parents can become better role models for their children so they have someone to look up to apart from celebrities or the rich and famous.
• Even if parents have few resources such as money, a large enough home, toys, clothes, etc, they can still learn to manage children’s behaviour and reinforce a positive self-image to help develop solid self-esteem. Love, discipline and understanding can go a long way towards developing great, young adults rather than having all the latest toys.
• The classes or resources can offer support to frazzled or confused parents who are having specific issues with a child’s behaviour and feel they have tried everything. They can learn how to tackle the issues they are faced with in their own lives.
• Parents can learn to communicate with their children more effectively, which can help them to make the most of the time they do get together and to help parents understand how their difficult work or financial situation is impacting on their children. In turn they can therefore learn how to support their children through these difficulties more effectively.
• Help parents to become pro-active about parenting and understand why it is so important to do it well. Courses, sessions and resources can all help to give confidence to parents about what they are doing and therefore keep them motivated to keep going.
• These services can, in more extreme scenarios help to turn around entire families who are heading in the wrong direction. It can help to prevent children becoming aggressive, violent or law breaking teenagers and adults or turn things around for young people who are already heading down that road.

It is much easier to change a child’s behaviour and mould the person they will become than it is to change an adult, so supporting parents and facilitating good parenting is the key to building a sane, healthy and productive future generation.

Pre-court Mediation Assessment Meetings were made compulsory for divorcing couples from 6 April 2011.  Below we are going to look at the benefits of using mediation over a divorce lawyer and how it can alleviate many of the difficulties faced by people going through a divorce.

Mediation is quicker

The National Audit Office found that mediation, on average could take up to 110 days instead of the 435 average found for divorcing through the courts. John Sturrock QC, in an interview for BBC News, said that he witnessed many instances where mediation was concluded within just 1 day.

With the process taking less time, you will be able to move on as an individual more quickly and/or have more time to spend with your children.

Mediation is cheaper

The National Audit Office found that mediation, on average, cost £535.00 compared to the £2823.00 that a divorce through the courts cost.

The money you save can instead be used on building your future and/or invested into your children’s future.

Mediation reduces stress

Most people will never have been to court and find the formality of the process intimidating and stressful. Mediation takes place in a much more informal, peaceful environment, which can facilitate a calmer approach to discussions and be beneficial to you and your children.

The shorter length of time and the cheaper cost will further reduce the stress involved. Happier parents are better parents, so if you have children, this benefit will also reduce the negative impact of divorce on them.

Mediation is less adversarial

Having an impartial mediator as opposed to lawyers fighting for different corners can reduce the level or duration of conflict and bring about joint decisions and resolutions. Open communication is facilitated so decisions can be arrived at that everyone is more likely to be satisfied with instead of having the courts impose decisions on you that you may be unhappy with.

Mediation can be ongoing

Mediation can be used whenever it is needed unlike the courts. You can re-visit mediation, particularly if new issues arise as children grow up and important decisions about your children’s future need to be made. In court your divorce will be finalised and you would not be able to re-visit it to solve future conflict. Mediation can therefore help you to build working relationships as parents into the future.

Mediation is good for children

The shorter length of time divorce takes when mediation is used, the lower cost, pleasant environment, reduced stress on parents and the ongoing support into the future will all impact positively on a child’s well-being and experience of divorce.

In addition, with parent’s permission, children can speak confidentially (unless they decide otherwise) with a mediator to help them to resolve and painful feelings they may be experiencing.

Mediation may even be good for your health!

The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale lists 43 stressful life events. Each event is assigned a score of 1-100, 1 being not stressful and 100 being the most stressful. They concluded, through experiments, that people whose life events from the last 6 months added up to 300+ were at a significantly increased risk of illness.

In the scale for adults, divorce was given a score of 73 and came second only to ‘death of a spouse’. For many people, with busy, fast paced lives, it could be easy for divorce to drastically increase your score on this test and therefore your risk of illness.

The equivalent list for young people put ‘divorce of parents’ third.  Reducing the stress of divorce through mediation may also benefit your children’s health!

Mediation can also, in some instances lead to reconciliation.

Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly praised mediators for helping separating families resolve their differences outside courts.

Mr Djanogly said: “Court can be intimidating for everyone involved and it is fantastic to see mediators working with agencies and parents to give them the skills they need to think about the best interest of the child – not just in the short term, but for the future too.”

Quicker and cheaper

Mediation is often a quicker and cheaper way of resolving disputes which can lead to better outcomes and stop people having to go through the anxiety of attending court.

New rules, which came into effect on 6 April, mean that anyone setting out to contest the terms of their separation in court must consider mediation.

Research published by the Ministry of Justice shows that when couples use mediation first they are more likely to continue to mediate rather than go to court. The report also shows that fewer people needed further assistance with children arrangements after using mediation.

Family justice

Mediation is supported by David Norgrove, chair of the independent Family Justice Review Panel, who published a package of recommendations aimed at improving the Family Justice System in England and Wales.

In his report Mr Norgrove praised the Government’s use of mediation in divorce and separation cases and encouraged more couples to use it when working out how best to look after their children.

February 23rd, 2011 Ministry of Justice

It has just been announced that from the 6th April, before applying to courts, most couples disputing family matters will need to attend a ‘mediation awareness session’ or ‘assessment meeting’ in order to find out about the option of resolving matters through mediation.

Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly said:

‘Nearly every time I ask someone if their stressful divorce battle through the courts was worth it, their answer is no. Mediation is a quicker, cheaper and more amicable alternative, particularly where children are concerned.

‘Mediation already helps thousands of legally-aided people across England and Wales every year, but I am concerned those funding their own court actions are missing out on the benefits it can bring.

Now everyone will have the opportunity to see if it could be a better solution than going straight to court.

‘Currently many people repeatedly go to court to argue over matters they are better placed to sort out themselves….. This is expensive and emotionally draining for all concerned. Parents are best placed to resolve these types of issues and mediation can help them do this.

‘Our proposals aim to radically reform the system and encourage people to take advantage of the most appropriate sources of help, advice or routes to resolution – which will not always involve the expense of lawyers or courts”

“Now everyone will have the opportunity to see if it could be a better solution than going straight to courts.

Rob Cole, Sky News Online

Children in the care system are losing out because many Britons believe that gay parents will make worse adopters, research shows. A survey of more than 2,000 adults found one in three (32%) of the public do not think gay couples can parent as well as heterosexual couples.

Barnardo’s chief executive Anne Marie Carrie said society’s attitude must be changed to increase the chances of the 64,000 children in care finding secure homes. “The idea that gay parents are second best must be challenged,” Ms Carrie said. “There is no room for prejudice. Children are in desperate need. “To suggest that a same-sex couple is not as able to raise a child as a heterosexual couple is at once absurd and unsubstantiated.” She called for a debate on the subject to be “urgently raised”. To suggest that a same-sex couple is not as able to raise a child as a heterosexual couple is at once absurd and unsubstantiated.

Barnardo’s chief executive Anne Marie Carrie “To continue to discourage potential adopters simply because of their sexual orientation is severely diminishing the chances of securing loving, stable homes for the children who are waiting,” she said. “This debate needs to be urgently raised and myths surrounding how sexuality, race, marital status and gender can affect your parenting dispelled.” One gay adoptive parent, Marcel, who has two sons aged 17 and 18 with her partner Meryl, said society’s attitude was based on “ignorance”. “I feel the result is based in ignorance because nobody knows if they are going to be good parents and no child comes with a manual so everybody does the best they can. “I don’t think a same-sex couple is going to find that any different to a heterosexual couple.”

We at DWC are non-prejudicial when it comes to parenting skills.  The knowledge and principles of parenting that we share can help any family begin building a solid family relationship.  Communication is key to become educated parents.  Let’s face it, no-one ever handed you the parenting handbook when you became a parent, however, we have that education ready and waiting to help you get the very best family dynamics in the home.  After all, home is where the heart is.

Call us today on 0208 650 6770 for a free 30 minute consultation to see how we at DWC can help you and your family.

The DWC  Team

SOURCE:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Barnados-Attacks-Opposition-to-Gay-Adoption-With-Survey-Finding-Many-Prefer-Heterosexual-Parents/Article/201101415919215?&lpos=searchresults

At DEALING WITH CHALLENGES – We run parenting workshops – for couples and single parents.  We know the struggles that many parents face.  We help parents stop pulling out their hair to knowing how to effectively raise their children in a much more conducive environment, especially to growth and support in the absence of one parent. 

Call us on 0208 650 6770 today to see if you qualify for one our special Parenting Workshops and when our next one is for 2011.

Being a stay-at home dad ‘tiring but very rewarding’ ………….

Interesting Article:

From April, fathers will be able to share maternity leave with their wives. Currently they get just two weeks off after a child is born, while women can take up to a year. So what is it like being a stay-at home dad?

“At first, my dad kept sending me the jobs pages from the Telegraph,” says Thom Chesser.

“I don’t think he was really sure what I was doing all day. Then he looked after his two nephews for a week and realised I already had a full-time job.”

Thom, 41, has two boys, Jacob, four, and Isaac, two, and another child on the way. His wife Ann is a personnel manager for Network Rail and they live in London.

After what he admits was an “eclectic” job history – including working as an agent for circus performers and a graphic designer for a bank – he gave up work in 2006, just before Jacob was born.

“The childcare costs were about what I was making and Ann wasn’t keen to leave him in a nursery all day, so when she asked me I was more than happy to do it.

“My job was mostly designing bits of paper that were going to be thrown away. It could be exciting when deadlines were looming, but ultimately it wasn’t particularly fulfilling.

“I was fearful in that I didn’t know what it was going to be like, but I was convinced I could do it.”

Ann took six months’ maternity leave and during that time Thom helped in any way he could.

“When she went back to work she wrote me lots and lots of lists about what I should be doing and I just got on with it.”

A report released by Demos says new parents are increasingly relying on friends, rather than family, for support, and the government should do more to help them develop local networks.
If I see a dad with a buggy I’ll always go up and talk to them”

“NCT (National Childbirth Trust) classes teach you to change a nappy, but they also introduce you to five other couples in your area who are about to have a baby. It’s an instant support network. I also go to a group on Fridays called Dads and Little ‘Uns, which I help run, and to another group on a Saturday morning.

“If you go to a park there’ll always be a group of mums with babies chatting and having coffee. There’ll be some dads too, but they’ll be on their own – they’re less gregarious than women. So I’ve spent four years collecting them. If I see a dad with a buggy I’ll always go up and talk to them.”

‘Marvellous’
 
Being a stay-at-home dad has transformed Thom’s personal and professional life, he’s now taking an NVQ in childcare and wants to do a primary school teaching course.

And apart from his slightly sceptical father – who is now fully on board – Thom says he has received almost universal support.

“I’ve had the odd comment from random blokes in the street, but that’s it. Women are very supportive. They always say ‘it’s marvellous what you’re doing’. And I think ‘why? It’s no more marvellous than you doing it.’

“Clearly it’s hard work. The kids can be frustrating and I’m so tired, but every day they’ll do something new, something I taught them, and that’s very rewarding.

“It would be lovely if more men got the chance to spend more time with their children. Fathers tend to take longer to bond with babies, so it can only be a positive. It’s tiring, but very rewarding thing. And even where dads do go to work, if they didn’t have to work such long hours it would make a big difference.”

(Reported in 2008, – Same principles apply today in 2011)

More couples will decide to divorce on January 12 than on any other day of the year, it is claimed.

Lawyers believe many couples whose marriages have reached breaking point have stuck together over the past year as they calculated whether they could afford to go their separate ways when the economy is heading into recession.

They predict they will stick together for one last Christmas as a family then split up the Monday after their children go back to school.

Legal experts are expecting a record number of separating spouses in the New Year as the rising unemployment rate and the crumbling housing market puts relationships under greater strain.

It comes just weeks after academics claimed that a 10 per cent drop in property prices leads to a 5 per cent increase in the divorce rate.

Shelley Hesford, of Cheshire law firm SAS Daniels, said: “We believe January 12, 2009, (or the first Monday) after children return to school, will be D-day – divorce day.

“We get more calls in the first few days of New Year from couples wanting to separate or divorce than any other time of the year – and the reasons behind divorce are often, though not always, based on money problems having pushed a relationship to breaking point. And it’s blindingly obvious that a large part of the population has money worries.

“We’ve also had a considerable number of enquiries from people who have been asking about the divorce process but said they will be thinking things through over the Christmas break.

“From first contact with one of our solicitors to the instigation of proceedings has been, on average, around two or three times as long in 2008 as in any previous year.

“In our experience, and going on the evidence of previous years, combining those factors means we can expect far more appointments than in recent years from couples who believe their marriage is beyond repair.”

She went on: “This has been simmering for most of 2008. People have been delaying for a number of reasons – sometimes it’s simply a worry about the cost; many are concerned that divorcing when house prices are plummeting means they’ll lose a great deal of money from what they view as an inevitable sale.

“Of course the key factor for many is their children – we know of a surprisingly high number of couples who are having, very sadly, one last family Christmas together before mum and dad split up.”

Resource: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3709155/More-couples-will-decide-to-divorce-on-January-12-than-any-other-day-lawyers-claim.html

*** We have a team of trained professional mediators which may help you save your marriage through opening the lines of communication.  We cannot guarantee this outcome, however, we feel before married couples throw in the towel, why not try all avenues available.  Call our friendly team for a free confidential 20 minute consultation today on 0208 650 6770.***

West Midlands Police say he had been employed as an assistant at the Little Stars Nursery in Nechells for 18 months.

They believe only one child is involved and say the family has been informed.

Officers had a warrant to search the man’s house in connection with a different matter and then found evidence regarding a youngster at Little Stars.

Several items have been seized from the arrested man’s home, including a computer, telephones and various other electrical items.

Superintendent Matt Ward said: “When the computer was forensically examined, (it) led us to believe a series of serious sexual offences against a child had taken place at the Little Stars Nursery.

Little Stars opened in 2006 as part of the Nechells Regeneration Project

“The investigation is in its early stages but at the moment all our evidence suggests there is one offender and one child at the nursery.”

Supt Ward declined to comment on the initial allegations which led officers to arrest the man, adding: “That investigation is itself in its early days and it would not be appropriate to comment on that.”

Parents of children at the nursery spoke of their shock at the arrest, some claiming not to have known the school had been closed as a precaution.

One said: “I thought it was open – nobody called me.”

Another added: “Nobody has contacted me, nobody has told me anything. I study here and I am afraid for my kids really.”

Police said they would be contacting parents and guardians “at the earliest opportunity”.

Police say the nursery has been closed ‘as a precaution’

The latest Ofsted report reveals an unannounced visit was made by inspectors to Little Stars in August following a complaint.

As a result, the report says, it was concluded that the nursery “does not have an effective safeguarding children’s procedure”.

Speaking outside the nursery, Sky News’ David Crabtree said: “It was told to get that  procedure in place – and it was, I understand, due for another investigation by Ofsted within the next few weeks.”

According to Ofsted, the nursery employs 14 members of staff and provides care for 55 children under the age of eight.

One website – findmyschool.co.uk – says it opened in 2006 and has two playrooms, one for babies and toddlers and the other for pre-school children.

“The nursery provides child care places for parents who are on training courses organised by the (Nechells Regeneration) Project,” the website adds.

A telephone number -  – 0121 6754806 – has been set up for worried parents to offer advice and support.

Resource:  http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Birmingham-Child-Abuse-Arrest-Male-Worker-At-Little-Stars-Nursery-Arrested-In-Nechells/Article/201101115882384?lid=ARTICLE_15882384_BirminghamChildAbuseArrest:MaleWorkerAtLittleStarsNurseryArrestedInNechells&lpos=searchresults