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Latest items: follow the links below
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Grandparents are at the heart of children’s lives - From - In My View - in Sunday Post - by Jimmy Deuchars
Brave granny
72 travels over 1000 miles to see her granddaughter.
The Charter for Grandchildren Acceptance
A young mother contacted us concerned that Glasgow Council’s acceptance of the Charter for Grandchildren would mean that her child’s grandparents could tell her what to do with her children. Please be assured this is not the case - click here to read more
A big unanimous “yes”
vote plus a standing ovation for Grandparents Apart UK by Glasgow City
Councillors on 18th February 2010 to accept ‘The Charter for
Grandchildren’ for mandatory use by professionals that work in the
welfare of children. By this historic vote brave
The Charter for
Grandchildren was created by the Scottish Executive in 2005 to accompany
the Family Law Act (
The Policy Development
Committee
(PDC)
in Glasgow City Chambers will now decide to accept parts or all of the
Charter. The Charter was produced by the legal team of a Scottish
Government on evidence produced by a stakeholders group of which
Grandparents Apart
The Charter for Grandchildren
It is important that parents, grandparents and other family members, speak to, and treat each other, with respect. You may not get on, but you can still be civil, for the sake of the children. Try to avoid arguing with or criticising family members in front of the children. It can be very upsetting for them.
On occasions professional organizations such as social work departments or the courts can become involved and may have to make decisions that will have a lasting impact throughout a child’s entire life. In these circumstances it is vital that the loving and supportive role that the wider family, in particular grandparents can play is respected and protected for the child…
FAMILIES ARE IMPORTANT TO CHILDREN
Grandchildren can expect:
- To be involved with and helped to understand decisions made about their lives.
- To be treated fairly
- To know and maintain contact with their family (except in very exceptional circumstances) and other people who are important to them.
- To know that their grandparents still love them, even if they are not able to see them at the present time.
- To know their family history.
- The adults in their lives to put their needs first and to protect them from disputes between adults - not to use them as weapons in quarrels between adults.
- Social workers , when making assessments about their lives, to take into account the loving and supporting role grandparents can play in their lives.
- The Courts, when making decisions about their lives, to take into account the loving and supporting role grandparents can play in their lives.
- Lawyers and other advisers to encourage relationship counselling or mediation when adults seek advice on matters affecting them and their children.
Along with others, Grandparents Apart put a lot of hard work into “The Charter for Grandchildren” demanding to be heard about the gaps in the family law concerning their grandchildren. Why? Because we really do have the best interests of our grandchildren at heart, if it was not for love of them why would we bother?
We are happy to promote the Charter for Grandchildren and the Parenting Agreement because they are useful documents.
Also on the Scottish government website.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/04/21143655/0
Ends
Contact
Jimmy Deuchars
Grandparents Apart
22 Alness crescent
0141 882 5658
http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk
The ‘Charter for Grandchildren’
(Bringing families together)
Our aim is to have the Charter for Grandchildren adopted and made mandatory for professionals working in the welfare of children. Not to do so is not using every avenue for child protection.
The ‘Parenting Agreement’
(Putting children first)
For parents that are splitting up to think of the children before themselves.
The ‘Charter for Fathers’
(Avoiding Conflict, Protecting children)
Avoiding conflict and softening the blow for children.
These can be
obtained from
Grandparents Apart UK
0141 882 5658
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Grandparents Apart Wales
01492 874 395
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Grandparents Apart Self Help Group Kilmarnock
01563 821 869
Scottish
Tour to promote the Charter for Grandchildren
& Parenting Agreement
This will take a little while to download - so be patient!
VISIT our Blog
http://chatterboxblogforyou.blogspot.com/
OUR Book
‘Grandparents Speak Out for Vulnerable Children’
A book exposing the injustice of family law
This book is our real-life stories of the heartbreak for both grandparents and grandchildren when adults fall out or go into care. What you should know about the legal service and social services. The failure of the government to address the gross injustices
in family law. How at the end of the day it is the children who suffer the most. The story of our campaign to have grandparents recognised for the vital role they can play in children’s lives.
Out now – Order your copy today.
£5.00p inc P&P
Overseas £6.00.
Make Cheque or P.O. payable to -
Grandparents Apart UK
Please note:
Membership is now £10pa
which entitles you to a free copy of the above book!
Post it to:
Grandparents
Apart UK
22 Alness Crescent
Glasgow G52 1PJ
Scotland
A non political volunteer charity. No SC 031558
Patron- Sir Bob Geldof.
We are a self help group dedicated to ease the suffering of grandparents and
grandchildren and extended families torn apart. If you feel your
problems could be resolved by mediation a trained counsellor is
available to help you with your problems before the trauma of court
cases, that splits families and harms children emotionally.
OUR AIMS
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To promote a network of support groups
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Provide a helpline for anyone in distress
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To network with other family support services
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Provide leaflets / literature
HOW WE HELP
Have meetings where one can find a friendly sympathetic welcome,
Drop in centre, a cup of tea, one- to-one talks or group, try to help
patch up differences in families by mediation, write letters to
officials etc
We hope we can be of some assistance to you.
When we started our support groups, grandparents were regarded as irrelevant persons, shut out by governments, social services, and professionals across the board that dealt with children. Because of this lack of respect by authorities grandparents have easily been cast aside by families, aided and abetted by the thoughtless family laws of that time.
Now we are proud to say that the profile of grandparents have been raised tremendously. In the five years of our existence we have been highlighting the asset that grandparents are to the family. We would like to think we had a big hand in the current improvements with all the hard work our groups have put into it. There hasn't been a week without us highlighting the case that grandparents are an essential part of a child's life. We have attended loads of meetings with The Scottish Executive, putting our case that children need us in their lives.
Our groups were invited to consult with the Scottish Executive on the proposals for the new Family Law Act (2006), the accompanying “Parenting Agreement” to help separating couples and the “Charter for Grandchildren” to help adults think of what matters to their children. Both contain a lot of our proposals, which were based on common sense and experience.
We think it is a tremendous boost that grandparents will now be restored to the rightful respect they used to have and lost because of The Children’s Act 1989 and following Scottish Acts.
The Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 came into force in May with the accompanying Parenting Agreement and Charter for Grandchildren coming into use at the same time.
The Family Law
Bill with the accompanying agreement and charter will be available
on our website
www.grandparentsapart.co.uk or on the Scottish Executives
website.
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