Late last month, Penny Wright resigned as the Child and Young Person’s Visitor. There has been some confusion that Penny resigned from all her roles within the Office of the Guardian for Children and Young People. This is not the case.
While Penny has resigned from her role of the Child and Young Person’s Visitor, she will continue her other two roles as the Guardian for Children and Young People, and Training Centre Visitor.
The Child and Young Person’s Visitor role was established in 2017 to head up a visiting and advocacy scheme focused specifically on the children and young people living in residential and emergency care. After a two-year trial program which ended in 2019, and a business case calling for funding in 2021, the role unfortunately did not receive any further dedicated resourcing, leaving Penny to make the decision to resign from the role.
At the time, Penny said, “I have now concluded that, in the absence of any dedicated resourcing for the Child and Young Person’s Visitor, and no likelihood of resourcing in the foreseeable future, I am just not able to meet the obligations of the role… a role in name only, without resources, does not enable me to fulfil its functions even to a minimum standard. It is for these reasons, as a matter of good conscience and transparency, that I resigned from the role of Child and Young Person’s Visitor, on 23rd August.”
Penny, together with her team, will continue their enthusiastic dedication to advocate and promote the rights and best interests of all children and young people in care and in Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre.
Read more about Penny’s resignation from her role of Child and Young Person’s Visitor.
