The government published a report on the progress made in implementing the Children's Plan, two years after its launch.
Source: Children's Plan: Two Years On – A progress report, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Report | Hansard | DCSF press release | PSLA press release
Date: 2009-Dec
A study examined what worked in increasing the number of care leavers in 'settled, safe accommodation', on the basis of a systematic review of the research literature and analysis of key data.
Source: Mike Stein with Marian Morris, Increasing the Number of Care Leavers in 'Settled, Safe Accommodation', Research Review 9, Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children and Young People's Services (C4EO)
Links: Report | Summary | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Dec
The government announced that it accepted the recommendations of an independent review of the proposed Vetting and Barring Scheme, which would have required about 11 million people working with children to undergo criminal record checks. The review recommended a series of modifications to the scheme designed to reduce the burden of compliance, exempting around 2 million people from its coverage.
Source: Roger Singleton (Chair of the Independent Safeguarding Authority), 'Drawing the Line': A report on the government's Vetting and Barring Scheme, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Report | Hansard | DCSF press release | NASUWT press release | ATL press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Telegraph report | Children & Young People Now report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Dec
An annual report summarized the views and experiences of children in care in England. Over 9 out of 10 children (92 per cent) felt safe in the home they lived in, and 90 per cent thought their care was good. However, over three-quarters of children in care (76 per cent) had been separated from brothers and sisters who lived in different care placements, and 1 in 5 (20 per cent) continued to be bullied for being in care.
Source: Roger Morgan (Children's Rights Director for England), Children's Care Monitor 2009: Children on the state of social care in England, HMI 080280, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Dec
A set of four linked reports examined the challenges facing residential child care in Scotland and made recommendations for change. Residential care had made a positive and lasting difference to the lives of many young people: but many professionals, agencies, and the general public held a negative view of the service and perceived it as a last resort.
Source: Kelly Bayes, Higher Aspirations, Brighter Futures: National Residential Child Care Initiative – Overview report, Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care/University of Strathclyde | Malcolm Hill, Higher Aspirations, Brighter Futures: NRCCI Matching Resources to Needs Report, Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care | Ian Milligan, Higher Aspirations, Brighter Futures: NRCCI Commissioning Report, Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care | Jennifer Davidson, Carole Wilkinson, Bernadette Docherty and Maureen Anderson, Higher Aspirations, Brighter Futures: NRCCI Workforce Report, Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | Report (3) | Report (4) | SIRC press release | Scottish Government press release | SG response paper
Date: 2009-Dec
The inspectorate for children's services examined the views of children in care about keeping in touch – and losing contact – with their families and friends while in care. Once children had been in care for over two years, they had much less contact with their birth family; and for those who had been in care for over six years all contact was most likely to be lost.
Source: Keeping in Touch, HMI 080275, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Dec
The children's rights watchdog in Wales expressed 'frustration' at the lack of consistent implementation of Welsh Assembly Government policies, and the failings of local authorities to put the best interests of children at the heart of decisions.
Source: Annual Review 08-09, Children's Commissioner for Wales (01792 765600)
Links: Report | CCW press release | WLGA press release | BBC report
Date: 2009-Nov
The inspectorate for education and children's services published its annual report for 2008-09. It highlighted a 'picture of overall improvement' in care, education, and skills in England. But it said that the number of 'failing' children's services departments had doubled since the previous year, and that England's schools were being held back by a 'stubborn core' of bad teachers.
Source: The Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills 2008/09, HC 11, Office for Standards in Education, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | NASUWT press release | ATL press release | AOC press release | UCU press release | Conservative Party press release | Community Care report | Guardian report | BBC report | Telegraph report | Local Government Chronicle report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2009-Nov
A report examined the lives of children and young people living alone and at risk on the streets, and highlighted the extent to which too many of them were not getting the right support at the right time.
Source: Emilie Smeaton, Off the Radar: Children and young people on the streets in the UK, Railway Children
Links: Summary | Railway Children press release | New Start report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2009-Nov
Leaders of children's services departments called for a 'radically different' inspection regime. They said that the regulator (Ofsted) should clarify how judgements were reached in a range of inspection frameworks (child protection, schools, children's homes) and in the evaluation of serious case reviews; and that it should identify problems facing service delivery nationally, and use this knowledge to inform the development of national policy – rather than criticizing local authorities for problems outside their control.
Source: ADCS Position Paper on Inspection, Association of Directors of Children's Services (020 8741 8147)
Links: Paper | ADSS press release | Community Care report | Guardian report | Local Government Chronicle report
Date: 2009-Nov
Researchers evaluated the outcome of pilots in England designed to allow lead professionals working with children and young people with additional needs to hold budgets and commission services tailored to each child's needs.
Source: Janet Walker et al., Budget Holding Lead Professional Pilots in Multi-Agency Children's Services in England: National Evaluation, Research Report RR143, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Nov
A report said that children and young people trafficked into the United Kingdom, or exploited after their arrival, were struggling to get help from authorities responsible for their welfare.
Source: Laura Wirtz with Myfanwy Franks, Fran Johnson and Lisa Nandy, Hidden Children: Separated children at risk, Children's Society (020 7841 4415)
Links: Report | Summary | Children's Society press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Nov
The inspectorate for education and children's services published a report giving first-hand accounts by children and young people in care. It was designed to contribute to the government's 'stocktake' of how well services were supporting children in care and care leavers, and to help to develop future government policy. One of the main concerns raised by children was that on first coming into care many were being separated from their brothers and sisters.
Source: Children's Messages to the Minister: A report of children's contributions to the 2009 ministerial stocktake of care, HMI 090117, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (07002 637833)
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Nov
Researchers examined solutions that would meet the emergency accommodation needs of young runaways (based on a series of interviews and consultation exercises with professionals and young people). The study also reviewed previous research and other literature on the issue of running away.
Source: Gwyther Rees, Myfanwy Franks, Ros Medforth and Jim Wade, Commissioning, Delivery and Perceptions of Emergency Accommodation for Young Runaways, Research Report RR181, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | Childrens Society press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2009-Nov
A report said that care leavers with mental health problems were missing out on vital support due to a shortage of specialist transition services.
Source: Emily Lamont, Jennie Harland, Mary Atkinson and Richard White, Provision of Mental Health Services for Care Leavers: Transition to adult services, National Foundation for Educational Research (01753 747281)
Links: Report | Summary | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2009-Nov
The education and children's services inspectorate in Scotland highlighted a number of 'key strengths' in child protection services across Scotland. Although around one-quarter of the initial inspections identified serious weaknesses, inspection was generally followed by prompt action to reduce the level of risk.
Source: How Well Do We Protect Scotland's Children? A report on the findings of the joint inspections of services to protect children 2005-2009, HM Inspectorate of Education in Scotland (01506 600200)
Links: Report | HMIE press release | Scottish Government press release | BBC report
Date: 2009-Nov
Researchers examined how eight local authorities were implementing special guardianship, and the experiences of those seeking special guardianship. (A special guardianship order provides legal permanence for those children for whom adoption is not appropriate, and gives a special guardian clear responsibility for all aspects of caring for the child and for taking decisions to do with their upbringing.)
Source: Jim Wade, Jo Dixon and Andrew Richards, Implementing Special Guardianship, Research Brief RBX-09-17, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Brief | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Nov
A government taskforce report said that services for care leavers needed to strive for greater consistency, better local integration, and higher quality.
Source: Realising Young Potential: Supporting care leavers into education, employment and training, Social Exclusion Task Force/Cabinet Office (020 7276 1234)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Nov
Local authorities said that the children's services regulator (Ofsted) had became 'too concerned about protecting its own reputation', and placed a disproportionate emphasis on publicly highlighting weaknesses in child protection without adequately reflecting the 'huge amount of good work' being done by councils.
Source: Press release 24 November 2009, Local Government Association (020 7664 3000)
Links: LGA press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Local Government Chronicle report
Date: 2009-Nov
An article examined what types of knowledge regarding the early years had gained political currency; why and how this was the case; and what the implications were for the role and practices of social workers.
Source: Karen Winter, 'Recent policy initiatives in early childhood and the challenges for the social work profession', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 39 Number 7
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Oct
An article examined the recent history of early years provision and critically explored the extent to which the government had been effective in unifying services, raising the status of early years practitioners, addressing underfunding, and challenging disadvantage and social exclusion.
Source: John Wadsworth and Rosalyn George, 'Choosing the right approach: New Labour and the care and education of young children', FORUM: for promoting 3-19 comprehensive education, Volume 51 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Oct
The social care standards inspectorate and the healthcare inspectorate in Wales both published reports on arrangements to help safeguard and protect children. In relation to local authority social services, much attention had been given to strengthening the response to initial concerns about child harm and abuse since the first national review in 2004: but there were variations and inconsistencies in practice, and an imbalance in how organizations and professionals discharged their responsibilities. There had been some improvement in relation to child protection/safeguarding arrangements across healthcare organizations since the previous full review in 2007: but some staff working in adult services still appeared not to accept that they also had a role in child protection.
Source: Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Wales: The Review of Local Authority Social Services and Local Safeguarding Children Boards, Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (01443 848450) | Improving Practice to Protect Children in Wales: An Examination of the Role of Serious Case Reviews, Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales | Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Wales: A Review of the Arrangements in Place Across the Welsh National Health Service, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (029 2092 8850)
Links: CSSIW Report (1) | CSSIW Report (2) | CSSIW press release | HIW Report | NHS Wales press release | WLGA press release | WalesOnline report
Date: 2009-Oct
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that it had judged 23 per cent of recent serious case reviews as 'good', and 43 per cent 'adequate'. However, weaknesses still existed, with over one-third of reviews (34 per cent) judged as 'inadequate'. Even more needed to be done to ensure that the review process improved the way children were protected from harm.
Source: Learning Lessons from Serious Case Reviews: Year 2, HMI 090101, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (07002 637833)
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | LGA press release | BBC report | Local Government Chronicle report
Date: 2009-Oct
A study examined how best to meet the needs of children who could not safely be reunited with their parents. It considered how successful adoption and long-term foster care were in providing security and permanence, and in promoting positive outcomes for children. Even if permanent adoptive or foster homes were found in which children experienced loving and stable care, many children (and their carers or adoptive parents) were likely to need substantial ongoing support if they were to have a chance of realizing their full potential.
Source: Nina Biehal, Sarah Ellison, Claire Baker and Ian Sinclair, Characteristics, Outcomes and Meanings of Three Types of Permanent Placement – Adoption by Strangers, Adoption by Carers and Long-Term Foster Care, Research Brief RBX-09-11, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Brief
Date: 2009-Sep
A report said that the United Kingdom had the poorest record in Europe for almost every preventable social problem, due to a failure to invest in preventive services. Investing in early intervention and universal services for children and families could save the economy £486 billion over a 20-year period, as well as improving child well-being, by reducing problems such as crime, mental illness, family breakdown, and drug abuse.
Source: Jody Aked, Nicola Steuer, Eilis Lawlor and Stephen Spratt, Backing the Future: Why investing in children is good for us all, Action for Children (020 7704 7000) and New Economics Foundation
Links: Report | Action for Children press release | Drug Education Forum press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Sep
A report said that greater priority needed to be given to working with parents of children in long-term foster care. Parents of children in care played an important role in their lives, but did not always get the information and support they needed from social workers, foster carers, and other professionals.
Source: Gillian Schofield, Emma Ward and Julie Young, Parenting While Apart: The experience of parents of children growing up in foster care, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Sep
A report said that children's social workers needed to value the role of foster carers and recognize them as equal members of the child care team, in order to ensure children were properly looked after.
Source: Helen Clarke, Getting the Support They Need: Findings of a survey of foster carers in the UK, Fostering Network (020 7620 6400)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Sep
The government began consultation on proposed revisions to the national minimum standards in England for adoption, children's homes, and fostering. Local councils would face enhanced requirements to supply information to foster carers on placements.
Source: Revising the National Minimum Standards (NMS) for Adoption, Children's Homes and Fostering, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Consultation document | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Sep
A report examined the official notification process in respect of children's exposure to domestic violence, and the subsequent service pathways followed by families brought to the attention of children's social services in this way. It also explored which other agencies contributed to services for families experiencing domestic violence; and captured the views of young people, survivors, and perpetrators in respect of services.
Source: Nicky Stanley, Pam Miller, Helen Foster and Gill Thomson, Children and Families Experiencing Domestic Violence: Police and children's social services' responses, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (0207 825 2775)
Links: Summary | NSPCC press release
Date: 2009-Sep
A new book examined how interventions for looked-after children could be reshaped to provide children with the support they needed to rebuild their lives.
Source: Sean Cameron and Colin Maginn, Achieving Positive Outcomes for Children in Care, SAGE Publications Ltd (020 7324 8500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Sep
A report examined children's services interventions in five local authorities. The success of interventions in bringing about positive outcomes was not determined, necessarily, by the specific model in place. Instead, 'softer' factors around engagement, leadership, confidence building, communication, and capacity building were of critical importance.
Source: OPM, Children's Services Interventions Evaluation, Research Report RR160, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Sep
An article examined media reporting of the case of 'baby P' (who died in 2007 as a result of child abuse). Despite the largely 'pernicious' newspaper accounts of the tragedy, there might be room, following the publication of the joint area review of children's services in Haringey council, to prompt more informed debates about 'reform' within the sector.
Source: Paul Michael Garrett, 'The case of "baby P": opening up spaces for debate on the "transformation" of children's services?', Critical Social Policy, Volume 29 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Aug
A survey for the inspectorate for education and children's services said that almost 50 per cent of children in care in England worried about other people knowing their background, mainly because they feared being judged, bullied, or treated differently.
Source: Care and Prejudice: A report of children's experience, Children's Rights Director for England/Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (07002 637833)
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | Community Care report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Aug
Researchers examined the impact of the role of the 'virtual school head' in 11 pilot local authorities in improving the educational achievement of looked-after children. Over the period of the pilots, the authorities performed well compared with the national average and most showed improvement in exam results. (The virtual school head acts as a local authority co-ordinator and champion to bring about improvements in the education of looked-after children.)
Source: David Berridge, Lorna Henry, Sonia Jackson and Danielle Turney, Looked After and Learning: Evaluation of the virtual school head pilot, Research Report RR144, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | Brief | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Aug
Researchers examined the early implementation of the 'Public Law Outline' – a tool for the judicial case management of children's care proceedings.
Source: Patricia Jessiman, Peter Keogh and Julia Brophy, An Early Process Evaluation of the Public Law Outline in Family Courts, Research Report 10/09, Ministry of Justice (020 7210 8500)
Links: Report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Aug
A report summarized research into the factors involved in inter-professional working in multi-purpose children's settings (in particular as these applied to extended schools and children's centres), based on a comparative study of England and Sweden. The structure of services in early childhood education and care and schools in England was more complex and diverse, with a more hierarchical workforce, than in Sweden. Swedish social and educational policy favoured 'working together': in England, in spite of goodwill on the part of staff and explicit government policy, this was more difficult because the 'facilitative underpinnings' for working together were not in place.
Source: Claire Cameron et al., Working Together in Extended Schools and Children's Centres: A study of inter-professional activity in England and Sweden, Research Brief RBX-09-10, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Brief
Date: 2009-Aug
An article examined the kinds of research and research infrastructure needed to support high-quality social care services for children.
Source: Madeleine Stevens, Kristin Liabo, Sharon Witherspoon and Helen Roberts, 'What do practitioners want from research, what do funders fund and what needs to be done to know more about what works in the new world of children's services?', Evidence & Policy, Volume 5 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Aug
The inspectorate for education and children's services examined how effective strategies and services could help to improve the quality of life for care leavers, and assist them to make successful transitions into adulthood and independence. It identifies how barriers to positive outcomes for care leavers had been overcome, based on a small-scale survey.
Source: Support for Care Leavers, HMI 080259, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (07002 637833)
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | Action for Children press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Jul
The government published statutory guidance on the relative responsibilities of directors of, and lead members for, children's services.
Source: The Roles and Responsibilities of the Lead Member for Children's Services and the Director of Children's Services, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Guidance | ADCS press release | Community Care report | Local Government Chronicle report
Date: 2009-Jul
An article examined the specific impact of institutional care on children. Children entering care tended to have serious problems: but in general their welfare improved over time. This suggested that attempts to reduce the use of public care were misguided, and might place more children at risk of serious harm. Instead, England and Wales should move toward a Scandinavian system of public care, in which care was seen as a form of family support and was provided for more rather than fewer children and families.
Source: Donald Forrester, Keith Goodman, Christine Cocker, Charlotte Binnie and Graham Jensch, 'What is the impact of public care on children's welfare? A review of research findings from England and Wales and their policy implications', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 38 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Jul
The government published new statutory guidance requiring local authorities to do more to protect and support young people who ran away from home. Local authorities were told to provide a named person responsible for runaways, and set up out-of-hours services and effective emergency accommodation. Services should be co-ordinated with agencies such as the police and voluntary sector organizations across local authority boundaries.
Source: Statutory Guidance on Children Who Run Away and Go Missing from Home or Care, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Guidance | DCSF press release | Childrens Society press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Jul
The inspectorate for education and children's services examined the impact of integrated services on children, parents, and families in 20 children's centres in deprived areas. The effective integration of services was having a positive impact in terms of support for children and parents in over half of the centres visited. Three centres were judged as making an outstanding difference. Challenges remained, however, in relation to onward links with primary schools, reaching the most vulnerable families, and developing data on outcomes for parents and children. The least effective partnership working seen was between the children's centres and Jobcentre Plus.
Source: The Impact of Integrated Services on Children and their Families in Sure Start Children's Centres, HMI 080253, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (07002 637833)
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | New Start report
Date: 2009-Jul
A report highlighted a shortage of therapy services for sexually abused children.
Source: Debra Allnock et al., Sexual Abuse and Therapeutic Services for Children and Young People: The gap between provision and need, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (0207 825 2775)
Links: Summary | NSPCC press release | Action for Children press release | BBC report | Local Government Chronicle report
Date: 2009-Jul
A report examined the dynamics that surrounded commissioning of services for children, young people, and families – especially in relation to questions of leadership, partnership, and locality working. Although there was widespread support among practitioners for the principles behind commissioning and the focus on outcomes for children and families, the contexts in which commissioners were operating were hugely varied, often constrained, and 'riddled with challenges'.
Source: SHM, Commissioning Services for Children, Young People and Families: A study of the dynamics in six local authority areas, Research Report RR133, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jul
An article examined recent policy developments relating to children and families experiencing multiple adversities. There was a tendency to focus on shorter-term outcomes for the child, such as immediate safety, that primarily reflected the outputs of the child protection system. The authors called for earlier identification of, and intervention with, children who were experiencing multiple adversity, such as those living with parents misusing substances and exposed to intimate partner violence.
Source: John Devaney and Trevor Spratta, 'Child abuse as a complex and wicked problem: reflecting on policy developments in the United Kingdom in working with children and families with multiple problems', Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 31 Issue 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Jun
Researchers examined serious case reviews (local enquiries into the death or serious injury of a child where abuse or neglect was known or suspected) during the period April 2005 to March 2007. Most serious case reviews were of 'limited benefit' because they failed to provide enough information. The chaotic behaviour in families was often mirrored in professionals' thinking and actions: many families and professionals were overwhelmed by having too many problems to face and too much to achieve.
Source: Marian Brandon et al., Understanding Serious Case Reviews and their Impact: A biennial analysis of serious case reviews 2005-07, Research Report RR129, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | Brief | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Jun
Researchers examined the effectiveness of Local Safeguarding Children Boards in England (established in 2004 to co-ordinate partner bodies in safeguarding child welfare). Difficulties had been encountered in establishing effective links with the private health sector, family doctors, faith groups, and private schools.
Source: Alan France, Emily Munro, Jo Meredith, Esmeranda Manful and Jacqueline Beckhelling, Effectiveness of the New Local Safeguarding Children Boards in England: Interim Report, Research Report RR126, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jun
A report examined the ways in which outreach was being delivered by children's centres and schools offering access to extended services. It said that children's centres and schools were successfully engaging 'hard-to-reach' families – including those affected by poverty, poor living environments, health problems, and other features of social exclusion.
Source: Capacity, Outreach to Children and Families: A Scoping Study, Research Report RR116, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2009-Jun
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on services for looked-after children. It rejected a proposal to introduce national fee levels for foster carers.
Source: Looked-After Children: Government Response to the Committee's Third Report, Fourth Special Report (Session 2008-09), HC 787, House of Commons Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Jun
An article reported the results of an evaluation of four pilot sites in England and Wales of the Integrated Children's System. There were 'substantial problems' in accomplishing government policy aspirations for the new system. The authors recommended a review of the ICS on the grounds that the difficulties were inherent rather than transitory, and had arisen at least in part from uncertainty as to whether the ICS was 'fit for purpose'.
Source: Ian Shaw et al., 'An exemplary scheme? An evaluation of the Integrated Children's System', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 39 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Jun
A report examined differences between ethnic groups in their contact with child welfare services in England, and the possible reasons for these. Children of mixed ethnic background were over-represented in all three categories of vulnerable children, whereas Asian children were under-represented in each category.
Source: Charlie Owen and June Statham, Disproportionality in Child Welfare: The prevalence of black and minority ethnic children within the 'looked after' and 'children in need' populations and on child protection registers in England, Research Report RR124, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2009-Jun
Three linked reports said that inequalities in children's well-being – between vulnerable children and their peers – could only be overcome through strong and flexible leadership in children's services. It called for stronger partnerships between agencies, and better use of data to identify gaps. There was an important role for children's trusts, local safeguarding children boards, and directors of children's services.
Source: Pippa Lord, Ruth Hart, Kerry Martin and Mary Atkinson,Narrowing the Gap in Outcomes: Governance, National Foundation for Educational Research (01753 747281) | Kerry Martin, Pippa Lord, Richard White and Mary Atkinson, Narrowing the Gap in Outcomes: Leadership, National Foundation for Educational Research | Pippa Lord, Kerry Martin, Mary Atkinson and Holly Mitchell, Narrowing the Gap in Outcomes: What Is the Relationship Between Leadership and Governance?, National Foundation for Educational Research
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | Report (3) | Speech | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Jun
A report examined whether a benchmarking system would support the achievement of best value for money from Sure Start children's centres, and whether it would support delivery of their key objectives. It was concluded that the wide variety of management/financial arrangements and structures would make a benchmarking system difficult to implement.
Source: HEDRA, Sure Start Children's Centres: Financial Benchmarking to Ensure Value for Money, Research Report RR123, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2009-Jun
The government published a strategy for improving the education of looked-after children. It said that in every local authority, a senior official – 'virtual school head' (VSH) – should rigorously track the schooling of every child in care; that the VSH should ensure continuity of schooling for every child in care, even where stability of placement could not be achieved; and that there should be additional, personalized, one-to-one support for every child in care.
Source: Improving the Educational Attainment of Children in Care (Looked After Children), Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Strategy | Community Care report
Date: 2009-May
A report said that two-thirds of the foster care workforce was approaching potential retirement age, raising the prospect of a 'crisis' in foster care.
Source: Helen Clarke, The Age of Foster Care, Fostering Network (020 7620 6400)
Links: Report | Guardian report | Telegraph report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-May
The government announced a package of measures designed to improve the child protection system, in response to a progress report by Lord Laming. The action plan provided for greater openness and public scrutiny of local child protection arrangements, as well as more investment in training and support for frontline social workers. The government also outlined a £58 million plan to transform the social work profession, by raising its status and encouraging recruitment.
Source: The Protection of Children in England: Action Plan – The government's response to Lord Laming, Cm 7589, Department for Children, Schools and Families, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Action plan | Hansard | DCSF press release | Laming progress report | Ofsted response | CWDC press release | GSCC press release | LGA press release | ADCS press release | Action for Children press release | UNISON press release | Community Care report (1) | Community Care report (2) | Personnel Today report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2009-May
A new book examined key issues for policy and practice in the development of services for children, including: identifying and sustaining quality through involving stakeholders; integrated working and quality services; the development of policies, procedures, and organisational processes; and carrying out quality assessments, training, and workforce reform.
Source: Mike Stein, Quality Matters in Children's Services: Messages from research, Jessica Kingsley Publishers (020 7833 2307)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-May
A literature review examined the evidence base on recognition, effective intervention, and inter-agency working in child abuse – focusing on recognition of neglect. Despite increased awareness of the effects of neglect, recognition of neglect was inconsistent and referrals to services were often triggered by other events or concerns about vulnerable children.
Source: Brigid Daniel, Julie Taylor and Jane Scott, Noticing and Helping the Neglected Child: Literature review, Research Brief RBX-09-03, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Brief
Date: 2009-Apr
The inspectorate for education and children's services published four reports that examined children's and young people's views and experiences of life in various residential settings. A key finding in all reports was the positive difference that good staff made to the quality of life of children and young people in their care.
Source: Life in Secure Care, HMI 080241, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (07002 637833) | Life in Children's Homes, HMI 080244, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills | Life in Residential Special Schools, HMI 080250, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills | Life in Residential Further Education, HMI 080251, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Secure care | Childrens homes | Residential special schools | Residential FE | OFSTED press release
Date: 2009-Apr
A literature review examined the concept of 'neglect' as it applied to adolescents. It highlighted important differences in the way neglect might be conceptualized at different stages of childhood, and a relative lack of attention to this within the literature on definitions.
Source: Mike Stein, Gwyther Rees, Leslie Hicks and Sarah Gorin, Neglected Adolescents: Literature review, Research Brief RBX-09-04, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Brief
Date: 2009-Apr
A report by a committee of MPs said that the government's ambitions to improve outcomes for children in care in England would not succeed without significant improvements in the workforce, and in the supply and quality of placements. The care system was 'catastrophic' for the prospects of abused or neglected children, and needed a 'radical overhaul'.
Source: Looked-after Children, Third Report (Session 2008-09), HC 111, House of Commons Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | GSCC press release | Childrens Society press release | Action for Children press release | Conservative Party press release | Community Care report | BBC report | Telegraph report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Apr
A new book examined children's social care in England. It considered the key issues surrounding child care policy, politics, and legislation, and the implications they had for practice.
Source: Nigel Parton and Nick Frost, Understanding Children's Social Care: Politics, policy and practice, SAGE Publications Ltd (020 7324 8500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Apr
A report said that fostered children would lose out on the best possible care if fostering services failed to engage with male foster carers.
Source: Learning Together: Learning from Each Other, Fostering Network (020 7620 6400)
Links: Report |Fostering Network press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Apr
The Scottish Government published its response to an independent review of the secure care estate for children and young people. It said that all the review recommendations had been accepted in full, and were to be implemented as an integrated package. Local authorities and their partners would develop and deploy an effective range of interventions to ensure secure care was used only when necessary, and the long-term aim was that no child should be held in secure care.
Source: Securing Our Future: A Way Forward for Scotland's Secure Care Estate – A Response from the Scottish Government and COSLA, Scottish Government (web publication only)
Links: Report | SG press release
Date: 2009-Apr
Researchers examined the complexity of relationships between family doctors, parents, and children in cases where children (about whom there were welfare concerns) and their parents were both patients.
Source: Hilary Tompsett et al., The Child, the Family and the GP: Tensions and conflicts of interest in safeguarding children, Research Report RBX-09-05-ES, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2009-Apr
A High Court judge called for national guidelines on eligibility criteria in children's services after finding a local council had used them unlawfully to reduce the care offered to a disabled child.
Source: The Queen on the Application of JL a child, by his mother and Litigation Friend v London Borough of Islington and Others, High Court 12 March 2009
Links: Text of judgement | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Mar
A survey examined the extent of progress made by child protection agencies in England towards fulfilling their statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children under section 11 of the Children Act 2004. It was found that, in order for all organizations to be functioning as they should be, there was still 'considerable way to go' – in particular in ensuring that the views of parents, children. and young people were actively taken into account in policy-making, and in having information technology systems in place to record information for management and planning purposes.
Source: Ipsos MORI, Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of Children: Perceptions of senior stakeholders on how public organisations have responded to Section 11 of the Children Act 2004, Research Report RR085, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2009-Mar
A Member of Parliament introduced a Bill designed to set minimum standards of accommodation for young people leaving the care system.
Source: Young People Leaving Care (Accommodation) Bill, Helen Southworth MP, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Mar
A report called on the government to introduce regulations to safeguard young people leaving foster care and ensure that local authorities across England provided them with a minimum level of support.
Source: From 'Leaving Foster Care' to 'Transition to Adulthood', Fostering Network (020 7620 6400) and Catch 22 Links: Report | Fostering Network press release
Date: 2009-Mar
The watchdog in Scotland for the rights of children and young people said that vulnerable children leaving the care system in Scotland experienced inadequate support, despite new procedures put in place by local authorities.
Source: Sweet 16? One Year On – Is life any sweeter?, Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People (0131 558 3733) Links: Report | SCCYP press release
Date: 2009-Mar
An official review of children's services in England concluded that child protection issues in England had not been given the priority that they deserved, and that many of the reforms brought in after the death of Victoria Climbie in 2000 had not been properly implemented. There had been an 'over-emphasis on process and targets', resulting in a loss of confidence among social workers, who were overstretched and undertrained; progress was being hampered by the lack of a centralized computer system and an over-complicated assessment and recording system; there was a lack of communication and joined-up working between agencies; and there was a lack of funding for social and child protection work. The government said that it accepted all the new recommendations in the report.
Source: Lord Laming, The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report, Cm 330, Department for Children, Schools and Families, TSO (0870 600 5522) Links: Report | Hansard | DCSF press release | CWDC press release | GSCC press release | LGA press release | ADCS press release | SOLACE press release | London Councils press release | NSCL press release | Action for Children press release | Childrens Society press release | 4Children press release | NUT press release | NAHT press release | Voice press release | ISC press release | LGIU press release | Bar Council press release | UNISON press release | Conservative Party press release | Community Care report | People Management report | Personnel Today report | BBC report (1) | BBC report (2) | Telegraph report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Mar
A report summarized the outcome of a conference at which young people in care and care leavers gave their views on a range of subjects relating to regulations that would affect their future. Over two-thirds of young people with direct experience of the system thought that children in care and those living for more than three months at a time in a school, clinic, hospital, or care home for adults, should be visited by someone from the local authority every month.
Source: Future Rules: Children's advice on the regulations to be made under the Children and Young Persons Act 2008, Children's Rights Director for England/Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (07002 637833)
Links: Report | OFSTED press release
Date: 2009-Feb
Researchers examined a pathfinder designed to establish whether boarding-school placements might be used to a greater extent by local authority children's services to provide support and educational opportunities for vulnerable children and young people. Most local authority lead officers for the pathfinder reported that considerable progress had been made in integrating the possibility of boarding-school placement into local practice, and thought it provided a valuable addition to the range of options they could offer to children and families.
Source: Claire Maxwell, Elaine Chase, June Statham and Sonia Jackson, Boarding School Provision For Vulnerable Children: Pathfinder Evaluation, Research Report RR070, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | Brief | DCSF press release | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Feb
A new book brought together a selection of English-language refereed journal articles on children in out-of-home care, their birth relatives, and their carers.
Source: Mark Courtney and June Thoburn (eds.), Children in State Care, Ashgate Publications (01235 827730)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Feb
A new book examined policy and practice in residential child care. It said that the sector needed to move beyond the 'dominant discourses' of protection, rights, and outcomes to embrace those of care and upbringing.
Source: Mark Smith, Rethinking Residential Child Care: Positive perspectives, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Feb
An article set out the case for concentrating resources on improving the amount and quality of contact that social care professionals had with children and their parents.
Source: Ruth Gardner and Marian Brandon, 'Child protection: crisis management or learning curve?', Public Policy Research, Volume 15 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Feb
A new book examined how children's needs should be defined and measured, and how the results should influence the design of children's services.
Source: Nick Axford (ed.), Defining and Classifying Children in Need, Ashgate Publications (01235 827730)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Feb
A survey found that 9 out of 10 parents who used Sure Start children's centres were happy with the service they received. The most popular services were childcare and nursery education.
Source: TNS Social, Sure Start Children's Centres: Survey of Parents, Research Report RR083, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | Brief | DCSF press release | Conservative Party press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Feb
An article examined how funds were pooled or otherwise jointly managed by National Health Service primary care trusts and local authorities in England; and compared expenditure on local children's services by health, education, and social services. Sharing money for local children's services required shared objectives, trust, and legal and accounting expertise. Several different mechanisms were permitted and many were feasible: but programme budgeting for children's services could make them more effective.
Source: Paula Lorgelly et al., 'Is it feasible to pool funds for local children's services in England? Evidence from the national evaluation of children's trust pathfinders', Journal of Health Services Research and Policy, Volume 14 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Jan
An article examined the coping strategies of families who were unsuccessful applicants for children's services, and which strategies were most effective in securing positive outcomes. The direct actions of the mother, and avoidance strategies such as denial or acceptance had little effect. However, seeking social support was associated with more positive outcomes in child development and parenting, and denial and disengagement, with an increase in depression symptoms.
Source: Michael Sheppard, 'High thresholds and prevention in children's services: the impact of mothers' coping strategies on outcome of child and parenting problems – six month follow-up', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 39 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Jan
An article examined the value of a classification trees approach in the study of resilience, illustrated using adult educational outcomes for children in the British Cohort Study of 1970 who had experienced foster care. The insights gained from the classification tree approach were contrasted with those obtained from standard regression approaches. (Classification trees are a person-centred approach to data analysis, which successively splits the sample into pairs of increasingly homogeneous groups of individuals.)
Source: John Hobcraft and Wendy Sigle-Rushton, 'Identifying patterns of resilience using classification trees', Social Policy and Society, Volume 8 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Jan
An article examined the engagement of users in service delivery, service planning, and monitoring/evaluation activities for children's centres in Greater Merseyside (in north west England). Research indicated that a lack of time to implement (and develop trust in) the new arrangements, a lack of awareness by users about participation, and a broader remit for children's centres were all hampering the involvement of users. Without such participation there was a real risk that the existing needs of the most disadvantaged groups would not be adequately addressed.
Source: Simon Pemberton and Jennifer Mason, 'Co-production and Sure Start children's centres: reflecting upon users', perspectives and implications for service delivery, planning and evaluation', Social Policy and Society, Volume 8 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Jan
An article examined the characteristics of children who remained on the child protection register for significant periods of time, experienced more than one period of registration, or suffered a further incident of significant harm although subject to a child protection plan.
Source: John Devaney, 'Chronic child abuse: the characteristics and careers of children caught in the child protection system', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 39 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Jan
An article examined why the concept of 'resilience' was particular, and what value was added if such a perspective were adopted. The historical context and evolution of research on resilience were briefly reviewed. The article discussed the definition of resilience and its main elements, addressed the main criticisms of the resilience concept, and identified areas for further research.
Source: Sarah Mohaupt, 'Resilience and social exclusion', Social Policy and Society, Volume 8 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Jan