Hundreds of taxi drivers in Scotland are being ordered to report conversations about children to their Named Person, a secret recording revealed at the end of December.
Jim Terras, a Child Protection Training & Development Officer, was recorded saying that taxi drivers have a ‘legal duty’ to pass on information to the Named Person. Speaking at a training day for voluntary sector workers, Mr Terras, who works for Scottish Borders Council, emphasised the need for workers to pass on confidential information to the authorities. Using the example of taxi drivers, he said the idea of ‘what happens in the taxi, stays in the taxi’ doesn’t exist anymore.
He warned that taxi drivers who are contracted by the council must inform a Named Person about what they hear in the cab or risk being held directly responsible for not passing it on. Mr Terras added: ‘So have I terrified you all about the Named Person coming in?’ The move was branded ‘Stasi-like’ by the No to Named Persons campaign (NO2NP).
