Category: News

In a judgment given today (24 November), the Court of Appeal has unanimously declared that the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, acted unlawfully in failing to consult the Children’s Commissioner for England and other children’s rights organisations before making “substantial and wide-ranging” [79] changes to legal protections for England’s 78,000 children in care. Read full piece at source: … Continue reading COURT OF APPEAL RULES EDUCATION SECRETARY ACTED UNLAWFULLY IN REMOVING SAFEGUARDS FOR CHILDREN IN CARE

The Covid-19 pandemic is having a “devastating impact on children’s rights, wellbeing and futures”, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has warned. Read full piece at source: Covid-19 ‘having a devastating impact on children’s rights’

Pressures on the care system amplified by the impact of coronavirus restrictions have been worsening “upheaval and distress” for some children, Ofsted has found. A briefing note on the state of children’s social care, – one of a collection issued by the inspectorate whose activities were largely suspended during lockdown – identified plenty of positive … Continue reading Pandemic pressures amplifying ‘upheaval and distress’ for children in care, Ofsted finds

A second council has stopped taking in unaccompanied asylum-seeking children after a rise in arrivals saw independent reviewing officers’ (IROs) caseloads top 70. Portsmouth council has joined Kent in saying that it is at capacity, meaning children arriving at its port are having to be moved to other local authorities under the national transfer scheme … Continue reading Second council no longer taking asylum-seeking children as IRO caseloads soar

A damning parliamentary report on racism calls on the government to "urgently take action to protect the human rights of Black people, including within healthcare, criminal justice, nationality and immigration and democracy." Whilst the issues of racial inequality have been the subject of repeated reviews, the lack of progress in implementing the findings of those … Continue reading A damning parliamentary report on racism calls on the government to urgently take action

A report by the Family Solutions Group, entitled What about me?: Reframing Support for Families following Parental Separation, has been published. The report points to the "ingrained culture of traditional welfare protectionism" which it says has "inhibited understanding of the central role children’s views can play in improving outcomes for them". It shows that vast numbers … Continue reading Hearing the Voice of the Child “What about me?”

Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, has published a set of reports showing how the children’s residential social care system is broken and is failing many of the most vulnerable children, in particular those who are most at risk of falling through gaps in the system and becoming victims of criminal or sexual exploitation. Today’s reports … Continue reading Thousands of children in care being ‘failed by the state’ because of a broken residential care home market | @ChildrensComm

Inevitably, I was on a zoom call when I received the phone call. We had been expecting it since the start of term – Ofsted were coming to Newham for a focused visit. Source: Learning from Ofsted focussed visits

Ofsted’s study highlights the importance of getting foster matches right for children’s futures, as well as keeping foster carers in the system.  While recruiting enough foster carers to meet demand is vital, more could be done to make sure matches with children are successful, new Ofsted research finds. The shortage of foster carers is one … Continue reading NEW OFSTED REPORT HIGHLIGHTS NEED TO GET MATCHING RIGHT