Rachael Wardell OBE, President of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, said: 

“As Directors of Children’s Services, we share the same concerns about the unnecessary criminalisation of a small number of children in care.  

“While the protocol sets out some expectations, it isn’t the whole solution. Good relationships between homes and their local police force are vital, as is staff training.  

“It is also important there is an appreciation and understanding of what lies behind a child’s disruptive behaviour, such as bereavement, earlier abuses or neglect, and that responses are suitably proportionate and rooted in trauma-informed practice.” 

Ends