IROs know from experience that stable and well-matched care for children and young people in care often makes all the difference, but this paper argues that there is system failure in delivering this at scale. At a time when resources are so precious, the sector must tighten its control of the money spent on children … Continue reading ARE WE VALUING CARE? Childrenās services essay collection | iMPOWER
The government is urging councils, the police and courts across England to sign up to an agreement aimed at reducing the unnecessary criminalisation of looked-after children and care leavers. The national protocol calls for a reduction in the number of incidents at children's homes that police are called out to. Read full piece at source: … Continue reading Call to end unnecessary criminalisation of children in care | Children & Young People Now
The government must do more to divert families with āentrenchedā problems away from the courts, research by the chief childrenās social worker has concluded. The āCase for clear blue waterā briefing by Isabelle Trowler found too many marginal cases involving children at risk of significant harm were entering the family justice system. The study argued … Continue reading Families must be diverted away from courts, Trowler report argues
How will the Ā£84m funding announcement to expand Leeds, Hertfordshire and North Yorkshire's innovation projects make a difference to the sector as a whole? Read more at source: Zahawi announces plans to extend DfE innovation projects to more councils | Children & Young People Now
Every year the Department for Education publishes official statistics on children in care. These statistics tell us how many children live in foster care or in a children's home, what proportion moved placement and educational outcomes. What is missing from these numbers is the voice of children and young people living in care themselves. How … Continue reading Hearing the voices of children in care | LocalGov
How a care-leaver self-published his childhood story and was invited to European Parliament Please watch and share:Ā http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voFxd1BjqeE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0UUGfuvoFI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9rCSGKxyJo In less than a year debut-author, street musician and care-leaver Ben Westwoodās book Poems From a Runaway has gone from strength-to-strength as social workers, foster parents, missing childrenās charities and safeguarding boards embrace his … Continue reading How a care-leaver self-published his childhood story and was invited to European Parliament | Ben Westwood
Featured article - 13 November 2018 via SCIE By Rachel Leslie, Project Implementation Manager, Break - Changing Young Lives Cambridgeshire and Norfolk are developing their arrangements for supporting young people as they leave residential care. Staying close and staying connected in East Anglia - definitely one to watch. Read more:Ā Staying close and staying connected in … Continue reading Staying close and staying connected in East Anglia | SCIE #ECLCM
Services supporting families at an early stage in order to prevent child safeguarding issues are "under serious threat", due to pressure on budgets as a result of rapidly rising numbers of children at risk of serious harm, and short-term funding arrangements, children's services leaders have warned. The Association of Directors of Children's Services annual Safeguarding … Continue reading Future of early help ‘under serious threat’ | Children & Young People Now #SGP6
A council rated as "outstanding" by Ofsted is planning to make cuts totaling Ā£3.7m to its children's services but has warned the move is likely to mean more children are taken into care. East Sussex County Council has delivered the warning as the council considers council-wide funding reductions, including cuts to programmes aimed at avoiding … Continue reading ‘Outstanding’ council issues blunt warning over impact of proposed cuts | Children & Young People Now
'It is not enough to hold a focus group or consult a few kids who have recently left care. We need to get the widest view based on the longest, most diverse and most experienced consultants available -the care experienced community of all ages, in all its glorious diversity. That is why I support a … Continue reading Given the paradox of the care system, how can we possibly know what is the best way to improve it? #careexpconf
