Hilary Benn

Ministers should not see parenting orders as a "panacea" for youth crime, the government's adviser on families has warned.

The call for caution on the wholesale use of parenting orders came a Home Office minister called for more court powers to force the mother and father of first time offenders into training.

Hilary Benn said orders should be extended to the parents of juveniles who plead guilty at their first court appearance and are given a referral order.

"We want more parenting orders to be issued to ensure parents of children engaging in anti-social behaviour get the support they need to address the problem," he said.

"Being a parent does bring with it responsibilities for all of us. There are a small number of parents who seem unwilling or unable to take personal responsibility for what their children are getting up to. It isn't good enough just to let this happen and that is why and where a parenting order should be issued."

The government sees the compulsory measure as "support" rather than punishment for parents.

"The parenting order is designed to offer support to parents whose children have been involved in offending, anti-social behaviour or truancy," said Benn.

"It is not a punishment but a positive development for the concept of parental responsibility, allowing parents to build their skills so they can respond more effectively to challenging adolescent behaviour."

Home Office ministers claim that despite "initial reluctance" parents actually like the orders.

"Parents are finding the programmes beneficial regardless of some initial reluctance to attend them because of compulsion," said Benn.

"It is very positive that participants feel the programmes have helped the relationship with their child, and I hear some parents go on to establish their own parenting support groups as a result of attending the courses."

But the government's advisers on parenting have "sounded a note of caution on any wholesale imposition" of orders.

Mary MacLeod, chief executive of the National Family and Parenting Institute believes the emphasis should be on expanding family support across the board.

"Parenting orders do help some families and it is right that they should be more widely available, but it is important that they are not seen as a panacea, or that only children at risk of offending get access to family support," she said.

"Our research has confirmed that, when providing support to families and to parents, it really is true that one size does not fit all.

"We want to see continued and increased efforts to expand family support services across the country. At present too few families who could use help can find it early enough."