Independant Safeguarding Authority - Lets apply a bit of common sense.

I have just had an email from a local arts group that is considering excluding children and young people from their organisation because they are unable to cope with the Beaurcracy involved in the new Independant Safeguarding Authority.

This is the new Government quango set up as a knee jerk reaction to child protection by assuming we are all Paedophiles unless we can prove otherwise.

I have always felt that one of the great things about living in Warwick and Leamington are the wide range of activities and groups available to people of all ages. This helps build a cohesive community that makes this area a great place to live and grow up.

Now I am all in favour of protecting our children, however I feel the latest government knee jerk reaction to the issue, simply throwing more beaurocracy at a problem will end up having the opposite effect.

Children benefit from having constructive interaction with people of all ages such as membership and involvement sports and arts groups. Otherwise we are creating a society in which: all adults are feared as potential paedophiles; children are left with nothing else to do but hang out on street corners getting into trouble and alienated from the rest of society; and adults fear having anything to do with children in case they are seen as abusers.

This does not paint a picture of a Britain I want to live in.