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Cabinet agrees to new smoking policy to safeguard children

Council agrees new smoking policy for foster carers

Redbridge Council is striving to bring up looked after children in a smoke-free environment to give them the best possible start in life.

Looked after children in Redbridge will no longer be placed with foster carers who smoke since a new smoking policy was agreed by the Cabinet. Stubbed out cigarette

Redbridge Council's Cabinet met last night (Tuesday, 4 November) to discuss the new policy which would ensure that from January 2010, other than exceptional circumstances, you will not be able to foster children if you smoke.

The Cabinet ruled on the decision to limit looked after children and young people's exposure to the damaging effects of passive and second hand smoke from cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco.

Now approved, the new smoking policy will apply to foster carers, shared carers, respite carers, kinship carers and supported lodgings providers. It will not extend to private foster carers.

Cllr Michael Stark, Cabinet Member for Children's Services said, "We know this is a difficult issue because some people will feel it is an intrusion on personal freedoms. But we also know that smoking increases the risk of serious illness in childhood. On balance, we have decided children in our care shouldn't grow up breathing secondhand smoke.

"There may be exceptional cases, and we will support and encourage foster carers who want to give up. But the bottom line is we must put the welfare of young children in our care first."

Under the new agreed policy all new applicants who smoke will be advised at an early stage of the process that their smoking habits will be taken into consideration along with other health issues.

The new policy has been developed to address the impact that passive or second hand smoking has on health.

Recent scientific evidence has shown that "secondhand smoke is a cause of lung cancer and childhood respiratory disease," and that young children are particularly susceptible to the effects of secondhand smoke because their lungs and airways are small and their immune systems are immature.

This means children exposed to smoke are at an increased risk of:

  • cot death
  • asthma
  • middle ear disease
  • pneumonia and
  • bronchitis.

All existing carers will have a discussion about smoking at their annual review and during home visits. No children under five, those with a disability who are unable to play outside or those with respiratory problems will be placed in a smoking household.

Norma Gregory, Chairperson of the Redbridge Foster Care Association, said: "Foster carers in Redbridge think this is a good idea and would support anything that safeguards children. However they have been aware of the impact that passive smoking has on children's health for the past three years and most either don't smoke because they have kicked the habit or if they do, they don't smoke in the company of children."

Redbridge Council will offer support to its current foster carers who smoke to help them give up.

Those wishing to give up will be given:

  • support and advice from their supervising social worker
  • will be given information and training on the effects of passive smoking on children and adult health
  • offered smoking cessation programmes
  • offered help with nicotine patches.

But come January 2010 only non-smoking carers will be recruited in Redbridge!

For further information please contact:
Kirsty Tobin, Media and PR Manager on 020 8708 3766 or email: kirsty.tobin@redbridge.gov.uk