'Government plans to remove local authority influence over schools risks damaging child safeguarding, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) has warned. The government’s white paper also proposes widening the role of virtual school heads to include adopted children in response to figures showing that adopted children underperform in education relative to their peers'. … Continue reading Push for academy schools raises ‘grave concerns’ about impact on safeguarding
A new strategy to transform the life chances of children in care waiting to be adopted has been unveiled by Education Secretary Nicky Morgan: New #adoption strategy unveiled - 'A watershed moment' https://t.co/CZkDJcWAhT @NickyMorgan01 pic.twitter.com/J0SXyfXbD2 — DfE (@educationgovuk) March 27, 2016 Andrew Christie has been appointed to drive forward the strategy: Andrew Christie has been … Continue reading New blueprint for adoption
Interesting findings from research sourced via the British Psychological Society Research Digest: 'We hear a lot about the unwelcome side-effects of psychiatric drugs, but not so much about the fact that therapy can also leave people feeling worse than they did already. Data is thin on the ground, but best estimates suggest that between 5 to … Continue reading How often does psychotherapy make people feel worse?
Thank you Áine Kelly and the BMJ for sharing this great piece: Growing up in care The paper contains helpful guidance for practitioners and carers and sets out Áine Kelly's own experiences of health care during her own childhood as a looked-after child. She describes how she began to access healthcare again after some humiliating childhood experiences: My first memory … Continue reading #Health #Care #spreadtheword
IROs and social workers will be interested to read this piece about relinquished babies. Relinquished baby, chapter and some verses Author: suesspiciousminds First posted: 8 Mar 2016 via suesspiciousminds 'I just ended up doing this long summary of the various issues that arise and where to find the answers in case law, so I thought it might … Continue reading Relinquished baby
The Immigration Bill, currently being considered by Parliament, contains measures to reform local authority support for certain groups of destitute families and care leavers. IROs need to be aware of the implications of the Bill as support for care leavers who have no status will be very limited. IROs and children in care teams with … Continue reading Immigration Bill Reforms: Factsheets & Guidance
Another ruling worth a mention. It involves a High Court ruling on a teenager 'C' who refused to live with her family 'because they were not strict enough Muslims'. Mr Justice Hayden ruled that the local children's services should have provided 'C', who had attempted to travel to Syria, with alternative accommodation. The Local Authority's decision making was … Continue reading High Court finds the local authority’s reasoning was “flawed”
Photo credit: Darwin Bell via Foter.com / CC BY-NC Case scenario PD is 16 years of age. He was previously known as HD, but formally changed his name by deed poll in August 2015. P's adoptive parents are SD and JD. P is placed with local authority foster carers pursuant to Section 20 of the Children Act … Continue reading Withholding information – balancing P’s Article 8 Rights
Photo credit: Mataparda via Foter.com / CC BY A 10-year-old boy has been awarded £5,000 after His Honour Judge Rundell ruled his human rights had been breached while in local authority care: I have found the local authority and the IRO service, both public authorities, on their own admissions, to be seriously at fault and … Continue reading IRO service & local authority Human Rights breach
The number of applications for children to be taken into care in England has hit an all-time high. In February 2016, Cafcass received a total of 1,225 care applications. This figure represents a 27% increase compared to those received in January 2015 and an increase of 9.4 per cent, or 105 applications, on the previous record … Continue reading Care applications hit an all-time record high
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