ABC Australia's response to Bringing Up Baby

Thank you Victoria for contacting me about this dreadful and discredited series. I have not yet been able to correspond directly with ABC. They are fundamentally wrong in that Claire Verity has not been able to provide any evidence of any qualifications (see the Times article on this blog or here http://www.socialbaby.com/shop/page.asp?id=CVtimes). This is ABC's response to Victoria's complaint in which they use Claire Verity's fake qualifications as a defense. I don't blame ABC for this as I assume they I are using promotional material provided by Channel Four in the UK...

Dear Ms xxx

Thank you for your email regarding the first episode of the British
documentary series Bringing Up Baby, broadcast on ABC1 on 19 February.

The ABC regrets that you were concerned by the inclusion of Claire
Verity and the Truby King childcare method she espoused in this program.

I should first explain that Bringing Up Baby was categorised as topical
and factual content for the purposes of the ABC's Code of Practice. This
content category allows for the presentation of programs which reflect a
wide range of audience interests, beliefs and perspectives, including
programs which present controversial views. Where topical and factual
content deals with matters of contention or public debate, a diversity
of principal relevant perspectives must be demonstrated across a network
or platform in an appropriate timeframe.

Bringing Up Baby is a four-part series in which three of the past
century's most influential approaches to childcare are compared to
assess which, if any, are best for today's parents to use. The series
features Claire Verity, an advocate of the Truby King method, Dreena
Hamilton, an advocate of Dr Benjamin Spock's approach, and Claire Scott,
an advocate of the continuum concept, each of whom instruct and mentor
two families with newborn babies. It is important to note that the
series does not promote or advocate any particular childcare approach,
or endorse the views expressed by the three mentors.

The ABC acknowledges that some of the methods used in the program and
championed by each of the mentors are controversial, and more broadly,
that the question of how best to raise a baby is highly contentious.
Accordingly, in keeping with the requirements of the Code of Practice,
ABC Television must demonstrate a diversity of principal relevant
perspectives on childcare methods in an appropriate timeframe.

On review, the ABC considers that this episode of Bringing Up Baby
itself provided a range of perspectives on each method and on childcare
in general. In addition to the views of each mentor on the methods they
advocated, the program included the views of the other mentors on those
methods through scenes of robust debate between all three mentors, the
positive and negative feedback of each parent in relation to the methods
they were applying, and other views such as those of a broadcaster and a
1950s mother. Furthermore, other relevant viewpoints have been presented
on previous documentaries such as the Life at 1 and Life at 3 series
(http://abc.net.au/tv/life/). As such, the ABC is satisfied that the
requirement to demonstrate a diversity of principal relevant
perspectives has been met.

Your comments in relation to Claire Verity's qualifications are noted.
The ABC understands that Ms Verity is a nanny with many years of
experience. Throughout the program she was described as a mentor,
reflecting her role in the experiment. However, early in the program,
the narrator introduced her as a maternity nurse, which viewers may have
interpreted as implying that she has nursing qualifications. The ABC
acknowledges that Ms Verity has no such qualifications and should not
have been described as a maternity nurse. ABC Television has advised
that the remaining episodes of the series will be preceded by an
advisory note clarifying that the term is not intended to signify a
professionally qualified nurse, but rather, someone with experience in
caring for babies and children.

Please be assured, your comments about Bringing Up Baby have been noted
and conveyed to the ABC Television management. Thank you for bringing
your concerns to the ABC's attention. I have attached a link to the
ABC's Code of Practice for your information:
http://abc.net.au/corp/pubs/documents/200806_codeofpractice-revised_2008
pdf.

Yours sincerely

Sally Griffiths
ABC, Audience & Consumer Affairs

My Complaint
Location: QLD

Subject: Bringing up baby- dangerous advice

Comments: I was appalled by the Channel 4 program, Bringing up baby,
aired on Thursday 19th Feb. The program was apparently widely protested
in the UK and its so-called expert, Claire Verity was discredited once
the show had aired. The methods this particular woman promotes are close
to "institutionalised neglect". Her promotion of "leaving a baby to cry"
is proven to cause psychological damage. The baby to develops "learned
hopelessness"- put simply the baby gives up on attempting to communicate
its needs and has no-one in its life that it can trust. This is a
symptom seen in many neglect and abuse cases- very quiet and compliant
children. Verity's approach, which discourages bonding between babies
and their parents- even down to regulating physical and eye-contact
between parent and child, may suit parents who do not want to "deal"
with their offspring but long-term effects are not exposed or even
discussed within this program. It is irresponsible to air such a progra!
m without allowing the general public to understand the potential harm
that can be caused to children in following such a method. A forum or
discussion panel after each program airs- such as was done with the
Great Global Warming Swindle- may go some way to addressing the serious
problems associated with such irresponsible programming.
-----------------------------------------------------------

Bringing Up Baby - again, sadly

I've had a couple of comments through our socialbaby.com website about Claire Verity and her involvement in ABC Australia's showing of Bringing Up Baby.

There was huge protest here in the UK resulting in the UK newspaper, The Times completely discrediting Claire Verity. She is completely unqualified, and the UK broadcaster, Channel Four and the production company are aware of this. Here is the article

http://www.socialbaby.com/shop/page.asp?id=CVtimes

We have a history of the campaign, including a petition to 10 Downing Street to have the programme stopped on our website...

http://www.socialbaby.com/shop/page.asp?id=CVhome

Many many organisations tried to make sure this sort of programme never gets made or broadcast again. This should never have been broadcast in or outside the UK and shows how much work there is to be done to protect infants and their families from abuse by the television industry.

Smacking discussion and phone-in on Radio 5 Live 18th April, 11.00pm

I have been invited to appear on the Stephen Logan show tomorrow night (Friday) 18th April. I'm on at 11.00 pm for up to one hour. It's a discussion and phone-in on smacking following the Bowens' decision to mount a legal challenge to Somerset council's decision to not accept them as foster parents because they smack their child (though they say they would not smack a foster child).

Opposite me in the studio, is a barrister called Mark Mullins, who is the London Chair of the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship. I understand he supports the Bowens' stance and is pro smacking.

I find it puzzling that many pro-smacking people are Christians. I find it difficult to correlate the work of Jesus and the teachings of the bible to the smacking of children, so I hope this will be an interesting discussion.

You can listen on DAB radios, or online at www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive or by clicking here and following the on-screen links.

Hope you can listen in.
Regards to all - Clive

Violent links to smacking

So I did the Richard Bacon show last night on smacking. I am anti smacking, Lynette Burrows is very pro smacking and she could be an extraordinarily dangerous woman were it nor for the fact she is so happy to dig holes and jump in them. It was a difficult discussion to get any meaningful points across and she clearly wound up Richard Bacon.

I wanted to pin Lynette down on the process of smacking - exactly when, and how. What triggers it, is she preemptive, ritualising the act, or does she just snap. She didn't answer. She doesn't know what attachment is. She admitted to hitting all her six children (it is necessary for a child's learning to experience a small amount of pain). Her eldest is special needs - a down syndrome baby. And she hit him too "but only when he was very small".

What was so clear (and no time to discuss on the show) is how damaged she is. She must have experienced a good deal of pain in her own childhood. Many victims of harsh parenting say - it never did me any harm. As if they have to validate it. How else as an adult can you square your mum or dad (or both) hitting you? You keep being told you are naughty and in time you believe it. You either become compliant and spend the rest of your life trying to get parental approval, or defiant and get angry with no outlet and all the mess we see around us. As I said last night you can modify the behaviour but you can't change the thoughts.

Interestingly as I arrived the receptionist said he'd shoot all the yobbo's hanging around out there and leave them to rot in the gutter where they belong. The security chap said "I'm from Africa and there all the children are smacked". To which I replied "Yes, and Africa is a very peaceful country isn't it?". "No it isn't," he came back, "it's very violent." "So now you know why." I said. He laughed and said "I'm not sure about that". But I reckon the thought registered. Treat children violently and they tend to grow violent.

I have started a discussion on this topic on our group. To apply to join, click here.

Clive

Claire Verity (bringing Up Baby) has no qualifications

TV bosses wash their hands of nanny with fake qualifications

Patrick Foster, The Times, 19th January 2008

A controversial television nanny whose "outdated and potentially harmful" childcare methods brought complaints from hundreds of viewers fabricated her qualifications, it was confirmed yesterday.

The Times disclosed in October that Claire Verity, who appeared in Bringing up Baby, a programme that explored various methods of infant care, claimed to hold numerous childcare diplomas from organisations that denied knowledge of her.

The NSPCC said that the nanny’s methods, which included leaving babies to cry and limiting cuddling to ten minutes a day, were "outdated and potentially harmful". The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said that her recommendation that babies should sleep alone in a separate room contradicted guidance from the Department of Health on reducing the risk of cot death.

Channel 4 announced that it would hold an investigation into Verity's qualifications after it circulated publicity material detailing the awards that she claimed to hold, and described her on its website as having a “string of nannying qualifications”.

Yesterday, 12 weeks after The Times reported the story, the broadcaster said that it had concluded its inquiry. In a short statement it said: "At Channel 4’s request, Silver River [the production company] has asked Claire Verity for documentary evidence to support the qualifications listed in a document her agent supplied and, thus far, none has been forthcoming."

The channel said that it had no further plans to work with Verity and had planned only one series of Bringing up Baby.

A source at the channel defended the length of time that it had taken to provide a response. The source said: "We had to give her a bit of time to produce proof of the qualifications that she said she had. It’s nearly three months later and she hasn't done that. I’m sure you can draw your own conclusions."

Ofcom received 752 complaints from viewers, some of whom accused Verity of child cruelty. The industry regulator said in December that Channel 4 had been wrong to describe her as a maternity nurse, adding: "Where there is the potential for harm, broadcasters should be careful when using terms which may imply participants have medical qualifications or other professional status."

In October The Times asked Chloe Cunningham and Simon Fairclough, Verity's agents, to confirm her professional qualifications. The list supplied by Cunningham Management, which described Verity as highly qualified, differed from the qualifications that Channel 4 claimed she held.

Verity, who has no children, claimed to hold diplomas in child daycare and preschool practice from the national awarding body ASET. But a spokeswoman said: "There is no trace whatsoever of this lady on our database." She said that ASET did not offer a diploma in preschool practice.

Maternity Nurse Training, from which Verity said that she had qualifications in maternity practice, sleep training and paediatrics, said that she did not hold any of its awards. A spokeswoman said: "This person never enrolled on any of our courses and as such has never been trained by us. We would like to make it quite clear that we do not in any way endorse the methods employed by Ms Verity in her work."

Goal, from which Verity claimed to hold a diploma in childcare, said that it had no record of her and had never offered the diploma.

In addition, Ms Cunningham admitted that Verity had not yet taken the postnatal depression or care of multiple baby qualifications that Channel 4 claimed she held.

The awarding bodies also searched their systems for Verity under the name Houseman, the name of her former husband, and Bradley, under which she is listed on the electoral roll.

In an interview with The Times, Verity claimed to hold a degree in business studies from the University of York, but a spokesman said that it had no record of her and did not offer a business studies degree.

Verity could not be contacted yesterday. Both Ms Cunningham and Mr Fairclough put the phone down and did not reply to e-mails, but Cunningham Management did remove from its website a profile of Verity containing claims about her qualifications.

The Times understands that she has enrolled on childcare courses since October