Entitlement to an Individual Savings Account Among the various entitlements that a child in care has are the requirement for the local authority children's services to provide arrangements for the child or young person to have an Individual Savings Account (ISA). Download the Statutory Guidance here: Junior individual saving accounts for looked-after children Information about Junior ISAs for … Continue reading Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs): Looked After Children
Following discussion of the issues raised in an oral evidence session with the Children’s Commissioner on 6 January 2016, the Education Committee has taken further evidence on the role of the Children’s Commissioner. Watch the meeting: here Read the oral evidence here: The Children’s Commissioner for England The deadline for receipt of written submissions is midday … Continue reading Children’s Commissioner for England: Committee re-opens inquiry
Community Care has released another article concerning a Deprivation of Liberty judgement. The case concerned a teenage boy, known as D, with multiple disabilities who was being cared for in a secure hospital setting and was subsequently moved to a residential placement. Read the story here: "Latest deprivation of liberty ruling has ‘huge implications’ for children’s social workers". The … Continue reading Latest deprivation of liberty ruling
Note: this is an updated post from October 2015. This latest post includes some additional recommended reading. Sharon Shoesmith found herself scapegoated and hunted following the death of Peter Connelly in Haringey, the authority in which she worked as head of children’s services at the time. More than anyone, she knows what it’s like to feel the … Continue reading Don’t meet blame with blame: we need to understand it
Greenwich council's failure to provide proper immigration advice may have led to the girl losing her right to remain in the UK. Read full story via Community Care: Council to pay looked-after child £5,000 compensation for immigration advice failures Asylum Support More information via Gov.UK: Overview of support Asylum helplines More information, advice and resources … Continue reading Council to pay looked-after child £5,000 compensation for immigration advice failures
By now we should all know of the recent developments in case-law in respect of the use (and misuse) of section 20, Children Act 1989 by local authorities when children are voluntarily accommodated in their care.  Now Leicester Designated Family Judge, HHJ Bellamy, has issued local section 20 practice guidance. Read more here via Family Law: … Continue reading HHJ Bellamy issues local section 20 practice guidance
The Minister for Preventing Abuse and Exploitation Karen Bradley has more recently announced a new policy to tackle gang violence and exploitation. New policy sets out a refreshed cross-government approach to tackling gang related violence and exploitation, and government priorities for the future. It sets out priorities for Government to deal with reducing violence including knife crime, tackling … Continue reading Gang violence & exploitation
The House of Commons Education Committee has launched an inquiry on social work reform based on a memorandum from the Department for Education outlining the government’s approach. The Committee invites written submissions on the government’s approach to children’s social work reform. The deadline for receipt of written submissions is midday on Friday 4 March 2016. It … Continue reading Social Work Reform: Call for Written Evidence – England
The Library section of the National IRO Manager website All information contained on this site has been prepared with all due care and every effort is made to provide updated information regularly. However the partnership does not warrant or represent that the information is free from errors or omission. Whilst the information is considered to be … Continue reading Library updates
Modern Slavery Act 2015 Since November 2015 all public authorities including the police, local authorities and the National Crime Agency, have been required to notify the government where they have reasonable grounds to believe that a person may be a victim of slavery or human trafficking. The duties of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 apply to the … Continue reading Human Trafficking and Slavery
