I’ve drafted a letter to reproductive health and drug & alcohol agencies explaining the basics of what to watch for and how to report wrongdoing from Project Prevention.
The version forEngland & Wales is ready for download now. The Scottish version will be available soon. Please pass it on to anyone who may come into contact with PP activities in UK. There is a legal framework designed to prevent just this sort of exploitation. Let’s make sure we use it.
England & Wales open letter re PP
Many thanks.
Filed under: duty of care, law, mental health, Project Prevention, safeguarding Tagged: | addict, adult protection mental capacity, drugs, duty of care, ethics, law, pova, project prevention, safeguarding, sova, sterilisation
There should be no need to “fight” Project Prevention, other voluntary agencies should be working with them to improve the lives of addicts and their children.
Hi Lucinda,
Other agencies are doing just that. In fact just this afternoon I was talking to someone at the head office of Addaction who run projects like you describe on the back of the government’s ‘Hidden Harm’ document from 2004.
This is not America – we have established services in UK that are far more reasonable than Project Prevention.
It’s interesting how many people seem to think there are no alternatives to the Project Prevention approach. Interestingly these tend to be people who have made no attempt to find out about what is actually already present in UK.
I think that the very presence of such organisations provides an excellent case for fighting Project Prevention in UK. It’s unethical, disproportionate and runs a very real risk of breaking UK law.
Oh – just to be clear. When I say “doing just that” I mean working with addicts and their children.
Project Prevention has consistently refused to work with UK agencies along the lines of established UK provision. In fact Barbara Harris typical response has been to accuse existing workers who have contacted her (but not bought into PP’s entire remit) of bering child abusers and then either blocked or simply ignored them. I had this same experience myself when I tried to open a constructive dialogue with her.
It seems that PP’s approach is non-negotiable. This is a shame but if she won’t work reasonably with UK services then that’s her choice. It leaves us with an unethical and divisive proposal that really should be resisted – and indeed is being resisted by many UK agencies, not just me.
However, many voluntary agencies in the UK do not like working in Partnership with NHS or with Local Authorities.
Many Government and Local Government Agencies do Joint Working very badly.
Hi Lucinda,
The fact that every system has imperfections does not justify the presence of Project Prevention in a civilised society.
Anyway I question your notion that many voluntary agencies do not work with the NHS. I train across all sectors in UK and in my experience, although there are some problems, they’re far from insurmountable. I fail to see how an American organisation that refuses to work with other UK providers (statutory or otherwise) could be helpful in that respect anyway.
I understand that you are unhappy about the fact that so many of us oppose Project Prevention but flitting around my blog making antagonistic statements for the sake of it isn’t helping your cause. If you were actually to engage with the arguments you may do Project Prevention much less harm.
Thanks for putting the work in and sharing the letter, Stuart. For one, I am grateful for the time you’ve spent battling against the nefarious aims of Project Prevention which I find highly objectionable and immoral.
In fact, everyone in my own area who I’ve come across (including drugs workers both voluntary and stat sector) share similar ideas but I was horrified when I heard they were actually operating in the UK. I can’t see how anyone could think this is a good way of dealing with the issue (of addiction and parenthood) which does need to be addressed but not in this way.
Well you’re in a target area CB so please direct people in your area to the blog and give them the letter.
Cheers,
Stuart
[...] I mentioned my disquiet about ‘Project Prevention’ the other day. I was pleased to discover blogger Stuart Sorensen, who is working at stopping this odious group from operating in Britain. Of particular interest is a model letter to reproductive health and drug & alcohol agencies explaining the basics of what to watc…. [...]
[...] of care and safeguarding legislation which I have outlined in letters to front line workers here: http://stuartsorensen.wordpress.com/2010/10/21/how-to-fight-project-prevention/ UK safeguarding legislation exists precisely to prevent this sort of abuse but we need people to [...]