Originally published on 28 November 2018. Source: What Works Centre for Children's Social Care Author: Professor Jonathan Scourfield Most people reading this blog will be well aware, because it has been widely reported, that in all UK countries the rates of children looked after are increasing year on year. In England, the number has risenĀ from … Continue reading Not all local authorities have rising care rates. How do we explain this? | What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care
DerekĀ Owusu draws on personal experiences to argue that there needs to be more education about the needs of black children when being fostered I was eight years old when I first realised I was black. Before that, all I saw myself as was a ādifferent kind of personā. Ā No colour attached, but of course, visibly … Continue reading Foster families who ignore race are participating in a pernicious form of racism | Media Diversified #cep
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 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
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
This new report is the first legal study in England and Wales to focus on sibling relationships. It offers insights into current thinking about siblings and fills a knowledge gap. By identifying the impact of the shifting legal framework and practitioner and expert assumptions about siblings underpinning current legal decision-making, it addresses an overlooked issue. … Continue reading Siblings, Contact and the Law: An overlooked relationship? | Nuffield Foundation
āBeing involved in a process is not equivalent to having a voice. Voice needs to be nurtured. People need to feel able to express themselves without fear of reprisals or the expectation of not being listened to or taken seriously. Translating voices into influence requires more than simply effective ways of capturing what people want … Continue reading New: Stepping Up, Stepping Down | Professors Featherstone & Morris
This policy briefing highlights the findings from an exploratory study of care proceedings in 4 local authorities across England. The study found that the vast majority of decisions taken to initiate care proceedings were certainly reasonable but the question is whether or not they were always necessary. The study found that the difficulties facing families … Continue reading Care Proceedings in England: The case for clear blue water | Isabelle Trowler
