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| | The Department of Education has announced a package of support for local authorities and independent fostering services to explore ways to recruit and retain a broader group of foster carers, including working professionals and people qualified to care for children with complex needs.
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| Source: Gov.UK 16 May 2013 |
| Further information:
Children & Young People Now |
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| | Early intervention for troubled families
This conference, organised by Capita, will take place in Central London on 28 June 2013.
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| Source: Capita |
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| | The neuroscience of adoption and fostering
This conference, organised by BAAF, will take place on 3 July 2013 in Cardiff.
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| Source: BAAF |
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| | The Fostering Network has published the results of a survey of 1,439 foster families in the UK which shows that in the last two years, 61% of foster carers have cared for children who had previously moved at least twice between homes. 43% had looked after at least one child who had been moved four or more times. 11% of carers had looked after children who had had at least 10 previous placements. The charity warns that this instability is due to a nationwide shortage of foster carers.
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| Source: The Fostering Network |
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| | ChildLine has produced posters and wallet cards publicising the service aimed at children in care, and primary school and secondary school students.
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| Source: NSPCC Inform 14 May 2013 |
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| | The Department for Education has published a list of projects which will be funded by the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) grants programme over the next two years. The National Children's Bureau has received the largest allocation of funding worth £2.9 million for 3 separate projects: support for children in care councils; help for disabled and SEN children who are being bullied; and training for providers working with two-year-olds.
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| Source: Children & Young People Now 10 May 2013 |
| Further information:
Voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) funding – grant programmes |
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| | Bridgend Local Safeguarding Children Board has published the executive summary of a serious case review in to multiple sexual offences committed by an adult male against female children in his family between 1984 and 2009. In 2001, following the perpetrator’s approval as a foster carer by Bridgend County Borough Council, his adult daughter reported his abuse to agencies in Hereford. Recommendations include: a report submitted to Bridgend LSCB setting out the Fostering Panel’s functions for considering applications for registration and de-registration of foster carers together with audit results of how consistently they comply with legislation and guidance.
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| Source: Bridgend Local Safeguarding Children Board - executive summary (Family T) 09 May 2013 |
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| | Cafcass has released figures for April 2013 showing that care applications are continuing to rise and are now at the highest level ever recorded. Last month, 908 care applications were received, a 20% increase on April 2012. Cafcass has also released statistics for care applications in each of the 152 local authorities in England.
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| Source: Cafcass 09 May 2013 |
| Further information:
Statistics for care applications per 10,000 children by local authority (PDF) |
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| | Statistics released by the Ministry of Justice show that the time it takes for the family courts to decide whether a child should be adopted or taken in to care has fallen from an average of 55 weeks in 2011 to 49 weeks in 2012.
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| Source: BBC Online 04 May 2013 |
| Further information:
Court statistics (quarterly): Family courts |
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| | The Care Leavers Coalition of charities, which includes Barnardo's, is calling for the cut off age for support for care leavers in England to be raised from 21 to 25 to help improve what are currently comparatively poor outcomes. Care leavers are more likely to be homeless, unemployed, suffer mental health problems and 23% of the adult prison population has previously been in care.
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| Source: Barnardos 09 May 2013 |
| Further information:
Still our children: case for reforming the leaving care system in England: briefing for House of Commons report stage of the Children and Families Bill (PDF) |
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| | Eight charities, representing all the different forms of care provision, have published a report on the findings and recommendations of the Care Inquiry. It urges the Government to treat all care options as equally valid. The drive towards increasing adoption rates should not lead to lack of investment in improving other forms of care. There should also be a focus on improving the quality of relationships for children in the care system and if they request a change in social worker, this should be taken seriously.
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| Source: Children & Young People Now 01 May 2013 |
| Further information:
Making not breaking: building relationships for our most vulnerable children (PDF) |
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| | The London Safeguarding Children Board is consulting on revisions to the Pan London Child Protection Procedures. The purpose is to separate procedures from practice guidance and update procedures in accordance with Working Together 2013 and other social work developments. Deadline for feedback is 14th June 2013.
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| Source: London Safeguarding Children Board 29 April 2013 |
| Further information:
Consultation page |
| Part A: core procedures |
| Part B: practice guidance |
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| | The National Crime Agency has published a report into allegations of historical child abuse at children's homes in North Wales. There have been a total of 140 allegations of abuse between 1963 and 1992 against children aged between 7 and 19. 85 suspects have been named, 75 male and 9 female. Investigations as part of Operation Pallial are ongoing and a Crown Prosecution Service lawyer has been appointed to assist.
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| Source: BBC Online 29 April 2013 |
| Further information:
Operation Pallial: the investigation of recent allegations of historic abuse in the care system in North Wales: public report on progress |
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| | A survey of 139 local authorities (LAs) by the Association of Directors of Children's Services reveals that the number of children placed for adoption rose by 45% between March 2012 and March 2013. However, 3,884 children are still waiting to be adopted across the 139 LAs and there are 1,400 potential adopters. The LAs predicted that they would be working with at least 4,600 adopters a year by the end of March 2014, an increase of 53%.
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| Source: Community Care 24 April 2013 |
| Further information:
Adoption data analysis: full report with executive summary (PDF) |
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| | The Department for Education has announced measures to reform children's homes to tackle child sexual exploitation. The measures are based on the recommendations of the final report of an expert group set up in response to the Children's Commissioner's report on sexual exploitation and a parliamentary inquiry in to children going missing from care. Measures include: children's homes carrying out a risk assessment of the local area to make sure children are safe from gangs and other threats; the decision to place children in care far from home should only be made by a senior official.
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| Source: Children & Young People Now 25 April 2013 |
| Further information:
Expert group on the quality of children's homes - final report |
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| | An article in the Guardian by Ruth Fitzgerald, manager of WWiSH adoption service, describes how Wigan, Warrington and St Helens merged their adoption services which resulted in a more efficient service and better outcomes for children and families.
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| Source: Guardian 25 April 2013 |
| Further information:
WWiSH adoption |
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| | Ofsted has published a report on the views of 187 young people in care and in secure training centres on what they felt they needed in order to stay out of trouble. Opinions, gathered by the Children's Rights Director, include: 46 young people thought there should be more local activities and places to go; 13 young people believed there should be more jobs for them; and 12 young people thought there was nothing that could be done to prevent youth crime.
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| Source: Ofsted Press Release 25 April 2013 |
| Further information:
Keeping out of trouble: children's views reported by the Children's Rights Director for England (PDF) |
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