Older children need safeguarding too

He says: "The information is neither sought because the journalist is curious to know, nor given to bestow knowledge on 'the people'. It's used as a weapon." He goes on: "Without the confidentiality, people are inhibited and the consideration of options is limited in a way that isn't conducive to good decision-making." Blair may have a point in some instances but not all.

Our FoI request on serious incidents in the youth justice system is absolutely in the public interest. It should be used as a weapon against no-one, but a wake-up call to everyone. The fact, in particular, that there were 96 deaths, suicides and attempted suicides among young people subject to youth offending team (YOT) supervision in the first eight months of this year alone, compared to nine in the whole of 2006, is appalling. The Youth Justice Board attributes the rise to more robust reporting of incidents since it issued guidance to YOTs. That being the case, the 96 might in fact be the tip of the iceberg as reporting quality continues to vary between YOTs across the country.

The numbers of children who die each year under the supervision of YOTs have not until now been available. But the response did not separate deaths and suicides from attempted suicides, or provide any breakdown of incidents, as requested. This might involve checking hundreds of files but it is vital. With YOTs, we are talking about children aged 10 to 17. More detail and a breakdown of incidents by age, gender and other variables will indeed be "conducive to good decision-making" to help professionals prevent tragic deaths and re-integrate some of our most troubled children into society.

Welfare services such as drug rehabilitation and mental health support and professionals working together to share information on the histories and needs of these troubled children can all be key to improving matters.

The findings also carry a deeper message for society. Child safety is too often regarded predominantly as a matter of protecting small vulnerable children. There is, quite rightly, widespread anger and condemnation that a (usually, small) child will die at the hands of neglect and domestic abuse every week or so. It is now time to recognise equally the safeguarding needs of older children and adolescents. Their needs should be no less recognised and their suffering no more tolerated.

Ravi Chandiramani, editor, Children & Young People Now