Education and Skills Bill

Listening to the strong arguments deployed based on concerns about bringing more children into the criminal justice system, I find myself on the horns of a dilemma. After all, we have more children in criminal custody than several of our European neighbours put together, and that is a great indictment of our provision and support for vulnerable families and children. I also see the other side: the Devil makes work for idle hands. Sixteen and 17 year-olds who are not in school or training are susceptible to joining gangs or getting involved in other activity. I remember that when Louise Casey was charged to reduce the number of rough sleepers on the streets, one strong component of her policy was to find them what she called ““constructive activity””. She felt it imperative to get them to do something useful and constructive. It is, then, a difficult question. I would like to know more about the enforcement officer who will decide who can be exempted. It seems an important role, and it should be carried out by someone with a deep understanding of child development. Because of how we train teachers, sadly not all of them have that understanding. A special person is needed. I hope that the Minister can give some detail. It should probably not be necessary to go right up the hierarchy of a local authority before a decision can be made. I imagine that those decisions need to be made promptly. More generally, this is a huge cultural shift for this country: to find the vocational courses to engage young people, at which we have been so lamentably poor, and to change our culture to encourage young people to stay on in education after 16 and 17. Fundamental to success in that is the workforce. I specifically mentioned enforcement officers, but our children’s workforce needs to be raised up to another level of professionalism altogether. I know that the Minister is working hard on many initiatives in that area, but while we have had so much legislation and so many new policies—the noble Baroness, Lady Howarth, might testify as much—it really comes to nothing without the people on the ground to deliver it or the framework to support that delivery. I would imagine that, in this case, there needs to be excellent communication between those working with vulnerable young people—youth workers, social workers, foster carers and residential childcare staff—and the local authority. While we all talk about multidisciplinary and partnership working, so often in the past it has been difficult for communication to take place where there is no parity of status and where that low-status work sometimes attracts people who feel they can really do nothing else—although there are also amazing people doing it in difficult circumstances. I look forward, then, to the Minister’s reassurances on these matters.