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Source: Nuffield Family Justice Observatory Decisions about contact are crucially important for children and families. But what can research tell us about the implications of different contact arrangements? A new evidence review published earlier this year by Nuffield Family Justice Observatory examined findings from 49 international studies to bring together what is known about the implications … Continue reading Event – what does research tell us about contact between children in care or adopted and their families?

Analysis from the largest survey of care leavers’ well-being in England has shown significant differences in the experience of care leavers between local authorities. Coram Voice in collaboration with the Rees Centre have published a report looking at how care leavers feel about their lives. Findings from a survey of 1,804 care leavers, collected in … Continue reading New analysis by Coram Voice shows stark variation in the wellbeing of care leavers across England | Coram

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has published a report expressing concerns about how the coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating existing inequalities and having a devastating impact on children’s rights, well-being and futures. Key concerns include: more children being pushed into poverty, widening educational inequalities and worsening mental health.Read the news story: Government must do more … Continue reading Coronavirus: Children’s Rights

The County Councils Network have released findings from a survey looking at the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on councils’ children’s social services in England. Figures show that county councils saw a 15% increase in child protection referrals for local authority support in the months of July, August, and September, compared to the previous three … Continue reading Over 600 vulnerable young people a day referred to councils after lockdown, with an increase in demand for family support during the pandemic – County Councils Network

The Public Services Committee has published its first report into lessons from COVID-19 for public services. In the report − the first comprehensive analysis of how public services responded to COVID-19, the Committee discusses lessons to be learned from the pandemic and recommends a number of principles to ‘reform and transform’ public service delivery. In … Continue reading Major report on public services calls for reform and transformation of public services

Dr Carlene Firmin MBE, creator of the Contextual Safeguarding model, will reflect on the thinking which led to its development, and importantly, what's been learnt so far to inform future professional practice.  This will be followed by a range of local experts who will share their experience of the application and the challenges of the model … Continue reading Free virtual event hosted by @UoB_ASS on Contextual Safeguarding

Most will have heard (& hopefully critiqued!) the term 'toxic trio’, but how strong is the evidence underpinning the term? Weaker than we might think, apparently. This review shows that the evidence base for the ‘toxic trio’ does not justify its current central position in shaping child protection policy and practice. [...] the ‘toxic trio’ … Continue reading The ‘Toxic Trio’: how good is the evidence base? – Summary

Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield has said there is a case for a “national care system” to enable children to receive similar standards of support across the country. The suggestion, which would implicitly strip local authorities of at least some of their responsibilities for managing care systems locally, came in a speech in which … Continue reading Children’s commissioner moots national care system to deliver same standard of support to all