‘Named person has total lack of respect for parents’

Named person surveillance represents a ‘total lack of respect and confidence in parents’, a father has told a leading Scottish newspaper.

The man, who asked to remain nameless, talked candidly of his experience with a pilot version of the Named Person scheme, in an article published in Scotland on Sunday.

He revealed that notes written by his youngest son’s named person expressed concern over “trivial things” which are “part of everyday parenting”.

Trivial concerns

Mr Smith, as he was dubbed by the newspaper, eventually got hold of a 60-page record kept by his two-year-old son’s named person.

Although largely redacted, it showed that notes had been made on the fact his son sucked his thumb and had a runny nose.

One handwritten note from the named person read: “[Mr Smith] feels it is impossible to stop his youngest son from sucking his thumb as he needs it for comfort. Did not appear to take advice on board fully.”

Another separate comment raised concerns over his child having “crusts on his face from nasal discharge”.

Powerless

Smith told the newspaper that he felt “shocked and vulnerable” when he saw the level of information recorded.

I find it sinister. I find it very creepy. I find it chilling

Mr Smith

“I felt angry and powerless when I saw these notes made of very trivial things and constant surveillance of small things that are part of everyday parenting – a total lack of respect and confidence in the parents.”

Commenting on the Named Person scheme itself, he said: “I find it sinister. I find it very creepy. I find it chilling”.

Data sharing

The father warned that sensitive data on children will be collated “into huge documents and on to databases”, which are accessible to “all sorts of people”.

He added: “All they need is four or five reasons for intervention and they can hoover up information from any database”.

The Named Person scheme, which assigns a state guardian to every child, is due to come into force in August this year.

Under the plans, named persons will be tasked with looking after children’s wellbeing – which state-funded guidance has defined simply as ‘happiness’.

Legal action

At the beginning of March, a panel of five judges considered legal arguments about the scheme at the Supreme Court in London.

The Supreme Court’s decision will be delivered in the coming months.