Some Members are now considering not signing an eight-point children’s pledge, which was unveiled last week by the Council of Ministers as they feel unable to commit to such promises without having the authority to deliver change.
Ministers and senior civil servants have already signed the large pledge board – which came after a damning report from the Jersey Care Commission into the state of children’s services in the Island was published. All other Members are due to be asked to sign the pledge at this week’s States sitting.
Deputies Scott Wickenden, Kirsten Morel and Jess Perchard say they support the principles of the eight-point plan and will work within their remits to support vulnerable young Islanders but feel the pledges could hamper scrutiny processes.
And Deputy Wickenden said ministers were attempting to ‘railroad backbenchers’ into sharing the accountability over changes to policy and service without having the authority to follow through on their signed commitment.
He said: ‘It would be disingenuous to sign pledges that are unachievable in my role as a backbencher.
‘None of those considering not signing it are against the principles of what it is trying to achieve. We just feel that to sign a direction like this without having the authority to influence change would be wrong. It is a directive of sharing culpability but ministers holding all the authority.’
Deputy Wickenden said he would not be signing the pledge board and expected a number of other backbenchers to do the same.
Both Deputies Morel and Perchard were still considering whether to sign the pledge.
Deputies Wickenden and Perchard said a clause regarding recruiting and retaining staff within children’s services was particularly problematic as they have no power to appoint social workers.
Deputy Perchard said: ‘I am completely supportive of the Children’s Minister [Sam Mézec] and relevant bodies carrying out these actions.
‘I can’t agree to do something which is not in my power to do. There is a difference between the operational side of the States and the government side.
‘It is the duty of the executive to implement policy changes. I will take seriously my role to scrutinise these actions.’
She added that she understood that the Youth Service had not been aware of the pledge board until it was announced by the government despite one of the pledges being to ‘listen directly to children and young people and involve them in how we design, deliver and review our services’.
Deputy Morel said there was a danger that by signing up to the pledges, Members would be unable to properly scrutinise any legislative changes. Both Deputies Wickenden and Perchard shared similar concerns.
Deputy Morel said: ‘I do have concerns that the executive is trying to make everyone accountable for work it should be doing.
‘I think these pledges are a public relations tool rather than a tool of government. They will close down debate in the Assembly and also in scrutiny.
‘We need to be able to ask questions and if necessary review legislation, which can take time. That would go against some of these pledges.
‘These people [ministers] have taken ministerial responsibility and they can’t shed that responsibility.’
The Jersey Care Commission, in partnership with Ofsted, released its review of services in the Island last week which found a ‘legacy of widespread failures’ were hampering social workers and laid out 20 recommendations for change.
