A proposal re CYFS and CYFSWatch

It occurs to me that both CYFS and CYFSWatch are less than happy with the status quo re the CYFSWatch Blog.

CYFS has been unable to get the blog deleted. Further it has been unable to get personal details of its staff removed – something which must trouble it as an employer. And their attempts to get the site closed down have just ended up getting more publicity for it.

However CYFSWatch are not looking at all likely to get the resolution they want, which is some sort of review of CYFS. While they have succeeded in attracting many stories and many readers to their blog, their cause is not being taken up by those with the ability to get results. Why? Well CYFSWatch commented on their blog that I am almost the only media commentator who has stated some of the grievances on the blog appear genuine.

What may surprise them is that in private almost every journalist I have spoken to agrees that some of the stories are genuine and probably should be investigated. However because of the targeting of staff personally, they are reluctant to say things which may be seen as positive about the site. So the style of the site is why MPs and journalists are not rushing to take up the cause. Tough maybe, but that is how the world works.

Anyway I have an unsolicited proposal which both CYFS and CYFSWatch may want to consider so they both get something they want.

Firstly if CYFSWatch went through the blog and changed names to initials, stopped soliciting personal details such as home addresses of staff, and edited out unnecessarily nasty descriptions of staff, then that would be a sign of good faith. Make a pledge that you will concentrate on allowing people to have their say, without targeting individual staff.

In return CYFS then agrees to commission an independent review (with the reviewer being chosen by mutual consent between CYFA and a representative of disgruntled parents) of say a dozen of the cases highlighted on the blog. That independent reviewer to look into the grievances, and report back both on the grievances, but more importantly any changes which can be made to minimise future grievances (they can never of course be eliminated).

This way CYFS gets the personal details of staff members removed from public view, and CYFSWatch gets an independent look at some of the claims on their blog.

For if some compromise does not happen, then the stalemate of both sides being frustrated will just continue ad infinitum.