An article examined how risk had proliferated across a wide range of youth-related fields in England – becoming a social, political, and moral entity in itself rather than a tool for primarily criminological prediction and intervention. This proliferation demanded further empirical study and theoretical scrutiny beyond the criminal justice sphere in which it was often contained.
Source: Gavin Turnbull and Jean Spence, 'What's at risk? The proliferation of risk across child and youth policy in England', Journal of Youth Studies, Volume 14 Number 8
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined commonly held perceptions by young people as to why they were sometimes not believed by practitioners when reporting potential or actual instances of abuse or neglect.
Source: Stanley Tucker, 'Listening and believing: an examination of young people?s perceptions of why they are not believed by professionals when they report abuse and neglect', Children & Society, Volume 25 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
A report (based on interviews with young people in prison) said that care was a stepping stone to custody for a disproportionate number of looked-after children. Although fewer than 1 per cent of children in England were in care, more than one-quarter of boys and one-half of girls in young offender institutions had been in care.
Source: Rachel Blades, Di Hart, Joanna Lea, and Natasha Willmott, Care – A Stepping Stone to Custody? The views of children in care on the links between care, offending and custody, Prison Reform Trust/National Children?s Bureau
Links: Report | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Dec
Two linked articles examined social defences against anxiety used within child protection practice. The anxieties experienced by child protection social workers derived from a variety of sources, ranging from daily exposure to powerful emotions within the families and other professionals that they worked with to an awareness of a history of public inquiries and media coverage that had influenced public perceptions of their profession.
Source: Andrew Whittaker, 'Social defences and organisational culture in a local authority child protection setting: challenges for the Munro Review?', Journal of Social Work Practice, Volume 25 Issue 4 | Gillian Ruch and Cathy Murray, 'Anxiety, defences and the primary task in integrated children's services: enhancing inter-professional practice', Journal of Social Work Practice, Volume 25 Issue 4
Links: Abstract (1) | Abstract (2)
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined the mistakes made in the development of recent information technology projects in children's social services.
Source: Darrel Ince and Aled Griffiths, 'A chronicling system for children's social work: learning from the ICS failure', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 41 Number 8
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
A paper outlined the case for retaining a local authority-funded education welfare service with a clear remit for providing support to children and young people who were at risk of poor educational outcomes due to their poor attendance and behaviour.
Source: Practical Early Intervention: The Case for Retaining a Local Authority Funded Education Welfare Service, National Association for Social Workers in Education/Association of Education Welfare Managers
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Dec
A report examined child protection arrangements in Northern Ireland, and made a series of recommendations for improvement.
Source: A Review of Child Protection Arrangements in Northern Ireland: Overview Report, Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Dec
A new book examined how child protection systems differed across the four countries of the United Kingdom.
Source: Anne Stafford, Nigel Parton, Sharon Vincent, and Connie Smith, Child Protection Systems in the United Kingdom: A comparative analysis, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined the reorganization of children's social care provision in England. Reorganizations had been driven in part by tensions between the desire of social work professionals to maintain their autonomous modes of working, and the increasingly managerialist outlook of recent government initiatives. The acceptance and incorporation of managerialist ideals into working practices might be driven by a climate of greater risk aversion, leading to creeping risk management.
Source: Carl Purcell and Danny Chow, 'The reorganization of children's social services in England', Public Money and Management, Volume 31 Issue 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Nov
A new book brought together the latest evidence on safeguarding children from abuse and neglect. Providing an overview of 15 research projects, it addressed the key policy and practice issues across health, social care, and education services, and the family justice system.
Source: Carolyn Davies and Harriet Ward (eds.), Safeguarding Children Across Services: Messages from research, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Nov
A new book examined the history of the rights movement of young people in care in England.
Source: Mike Stein, Care Less Lives: The story of the rights movement of young people in care, National Care Advisory Service
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Nov
A study found that sexual exploitation was an issue of concern for almost two-thirds of girls in residential care homes in Northern Ireland.
Source: Helen Beckett, Not a World Away : The sexual exploitation of children and young people in Northern Ireland, Barnardo's Northern Ireland
Links: Report | Summary | Barnardos press release | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Nov
Research for the consumer rights watchdog examined what happened when young people leaving care in England accessed public services (such as healthcare, housing, or employment support) for the first time. Many young care leavers lacked awareness of how to access services, and the confidence to ask for help. Common customer service failures also presented major obstacles.
Source: Rachel Lopata, Care Leavers and Public Services Peer Research, Consumer Focus
Links: Report | Summary | Consumer Focus press release | Catch22 press release
Date: 2011-Nov
A report examined what constituted a good business case for early interventions, and how it should be assessed. It was based on: a review of the evidence base; a description of the measures and indicators used in assessing the long-term benefits of early interventions; and an audit of the approaches and models used to measure the economic value of early interventions.
Source: Ben Durbin, Shona Macleod, Helen Aston, and George Bramley, Developing a Business Case for Early Interventions and Evaluating their Value for Money, National Foundation for Educational Research
Date: 2011-Nov
A report said that two-thirds of children who ran away from home or care were 'invisible' to professionals. More than one-quarter had experienced harm or danger while on the run.
Source: Gwyther Rees, Still Running 3, Children s Society
Links: Report | Childrens Society press release | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Nov
A report said that children's social care spending in England was expected to be cut by an average of 24 per cent in 2011-12 – this was significantly more than the overall real-terms reduction in local government spending of around 10 per cent, and more than the budget reductions for most other local authority services. The cuts were most apparent in English urban areas and those authorities that had a high proportion of looked-after children. Services focused on prevention, such as Sure Start, were particularly vulnerable to cuts.
Source: Smart Cuts? Public spending on children s social care, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Nov
A new book examined a radical new system for delivering child and family social work, based on working directly with families to create positive and sustainable change.
Source: Steve Goodman and Isabelle Trowler (eds.), Social Work Reclaimed: Innovative frameworks for child and family social work practice, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Links: Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Nov
The inspectorate for education and children's services published its annual report for 2010-11. Almost 800 schools in England were 'mediocre' and needed to improve as a matter of urgency.
Source: The Annual Report of Her Majesty s Chief Inspector of Education, Children s Services and Skills 2010/11, HC 1633, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills, TSO
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | DE press release | ADCS press release | ASCL press release | Labour Party press release | NAHT press release | NUT press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Public Finance report | Telegraph report
Date: 2011-Nov
An article examined whether the Scottish children's hearings tribunal system could promote greater responsiveness to the needs of parents with learning disabilities, and support fuller direct participation in decisions about the welfare of their child.
Source: Janice McGhee and Susan Hunter, 'The Scottish children's hearings tribunals system: a better forum for parents with learning disabilities?', Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law, Volume 33 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Nov
A report said that nearly 200,000 babies in families with domestic violence, mental health, or addiction problems were at high risk of abuse. It called for 'early and effective' support for babies living in homes with these problems.
Source: Chris Cuthbert, Gwynne Rayns, and Kate Stanley, All Babies Count: Prevention and protection for vulnerable babies, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
Links: Report | NSPCC press release | MHF press release | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Nov
A report provided details of how local councils' safeguarding practices for children had been improved in a number of priority areas. It gave localized accounts of practice implementation and, where possible, evidence of outcomes.
Source: Kerry Martin, Mary Atkinson, and Richard White, Safeguarding: Council Developments, National Foundation for Educational Research
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Nov
A joint inspectorate report said that local safeguarding children boards were not demonstrating effectively how they were improving outcomes for children and young people in Wales. The boards lacked focus on improving outcomes for children, and were not fulfilling their statutory responsibilities.
Source: Joint Inspection of Local Safeguarding Children Boards 2011: Overview, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (with four other inspectorates)
Links: Report | Inspectorate press release | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Oct
A briefing paper examined the educational attainment of looked-after children in Scotland. It set out the legislative context for looked-after children, summarized policy developments since devolution, and pulled together common themes from the various policy reviews and guidance issued over that period.
Source: Camilla Kidner, Educational Attainment of Looked After Children, Briefing 11/79, Scottish Parliament
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Oct
The inspectorate for education and children's services published two reports highlighting the vulnerability of teenagers in the child protection system. The first described the success that some local authorities had had in improving outcomes for young people, by supporting them to remain living successfully at home rather than bringing them into care. The second highlighted key practice issues in the protection of young people.
Source: Ages of Concern: Learning lessons from serious case reviews, HMI 110080, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills | Edging Away from Care: How services successfully prevent young people entering care, HMI 110082, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | OFSTED press release | Action for Children press release | Community Care report | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Oct
A report examined the social and financial costs of spending decisions in 2010-11 in relation to children's and family services. Rising unemployment, together with growing substance misuse, neglect, and mental health problems were leaving already vulnerable families at 'breaking point', and frontline support services struggling to pick up the pieces.
Source: Kate Mulley and Emma Scowcroft, The Red Book: Impact of UK government spending decisions on children, young people and families 2010/11, Action for Children
Links: Report | Action for Children press release | BBC report | Community Care report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2011-Oct
An interim report summarized data from serious case reviews notified to the Department for Education during 2009-10.
Source: Peter Sidebotham, Marian Brandon, Sue Bailey, Pippa Belderson, and Carol Hawley, Serious and Fatal Child Maltreatment: Setting serious case review data in context with other data on violent and maltreatment-related deaths in 2009-10, Research Report RR167, Department for Education
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Oct
A new book examined Sure Start, a flagship programme of the former Labour governments (1997-2010). It looked at how Sure Start was set up, the numerous changes it went through, and how it had changed the landscape of services for young children in England.
Source: Naomi Eisenstadt, Providing a Sure Start: How government discovered early childhood, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Sep
A report examined the availability and comparability of safeguarding and child protection data.
Source: Emily Munro, Rebecca Brown, and Esmeranda Manful, Safeguarding Children Statistics: The Availability and Comparability of Data in the UK, Research Brief RB153, Department for Education
Links: Brief
Date: 2011-Sep
A report analyzed recommendations from 33 of the serious case reviews (cases of child death or serious injury through abuse or neglect) completed in 2009-10. The central aim of the study was to consider what part the recommendations could play in improving the way in which agencies safeguarded and promoted the welfare of children.
Source: Marian Brandon, Peter Sidebotham, Sue Bailey, and Pippa Belderson, A Study of Recommendations Arising from Serious Case Reviews 2009-2010, Research Report RR157, Department for Education
Links: Report | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Sep
A new book examined the legacy of the former (1997-2010) Labour governments' 'Every Child Matters' strategy. Separate chapters dealt with social care; education; child healthcare and well-being; disadvantage, diversity, and marginalization; the family; the third sector; and safeguarding children.
Source: Mary Kellett, Children's Perspectives on Integrated Services: Every Child Matters in policy and practice, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Sep
An article examined the issue of joined-up governance by considering child protection failures. There was a need to consider the normal, daily, and informal routines of professional workers – rather than focusing exclusively on formal structures or decision-making processes.
Source: Michael Marinetto, 'A Lipskian analysis of child protection failures from Victoria Climbie to "Baby P": a street-level re-evaluation of joined-up governance', Public Administration, Volume 89 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Sep
A study examined a 3-year pilot designed to allow local authorities to explore different social work practices in relation to children and families. There had been varying levels of progress from the pilots in a range of areas, including: success related to a team approach to cases; the importance of providing opportunities to learn from colleagues; and the factors that facilitated multi-agency work and early intervention.
Source: Mary Baginsky, Claire Teague, Lucy Emsley, Christopher Price, Kelly Sames, and Yen Truong, A Summative Report on the Qualitative Evaluation on the Eleven Remodelling Social Work Pilots 2008-11, Children's Workforce Development Council
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Sep
An article examined the place of child- and family-oriented social work in post-devolution Scotland. A policy 'effect' was being produced that appeared to lock social work out of early intervention and prevention.
Source: Janice McGhee and Lorraine Waterhouse, 'Locked out of prevention? The identity of child and family-oriented social work in Scottish post-devolution policy', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 41 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Sep
Children living in children?s homes, residential special schools, and boarding schools gave their views and experiences in relation to the official inspection of their services. 26 per cent said that they had been asked to prepare for the inspectors coming.
Source: Social Care Inspection: The Children's Audit – A report of children?s views, Children?s Rights Director for England/Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release
Date: 2011-Sep
A report summarized the views of child protection professionals on the value of including a set of 'lead indicators' within local performance management arrangements.
Source: Mike Pinnock, Canary in the Cage? Lead Indicators and their potential use by Local Safeguarding Children Boards and partner agencies, Department for Education
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Sep
A report examined how examples of effective practice in local authority children's services had been, or could be, replicated and sustained.
Source: Clare Southcott and Tami McCrone, How to Sustain and Replicate Effective Practice, National Foundation for Educational Research
Date: 2011-Aug
A new book examined children's participation in social care services. It considered the variety of definitions of participation, and highlighted creative initiatives for children's involvement that had proved successful.
Source: Margaret Bell, Promoting Children's Rights in Social Work and Social Care: A guide to participatory practice, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Aug
A report summarized the views of children on the recommendations of an official review of the family justice system.
Source: Family Justice Review: The Children's Verdict, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report
Notes: Review report (March 2011)
Date: 2011-Aug
An article used qualitative data from three urban authorities to investigate how far children's centres differed from Sure Start local programmes, and how far they were more recognizably similar to one another than were Sure Start local programmes. Although children's centres differed from Sure Start local programmes in significant respects, they also differed from one another.
Source: Jane Lewis, Jonathan Roberts, and Cathy Finnegan, 'Making the transition from Sure Start local programmes to children's centres, 2003-2008', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 40 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Notes: Sure Start local programmes were an area-based early intervention scheme for children under 5 in England, set up in 1998: they were replaced in 2003 by children's centres – a universal, mainstream service under the control of local authorities.
Date: 2011-Jul
A new book examined different types and dimensions of child and elder care in Europe, highlighting new tensions between them in the context of recent welfare state reforms.
Source: Birgit Pfau-Effinger and Tine Rostgaard (eds.), Care Between Work and Welfare in European Societies, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Jul
The coalition government published its response to the Munro review of child protection. It said that it agreed with the review's conclusion that the existing system was overly focused on complying with procedures and targets as a measure of success. It proposed a new approach that was based on developing professional expertise and providing a range of help and services to children and families that met all their needs.
Source: A Child-Centred System: The government s response to the Munro review of child protection, Department for Education
Links: Response | Hansard | DE press release | Barnardos press release | CWDC press release | GSCC press release
Notes: Munro report (May 2011)
Date: 2011-Jul
An article outlined a framework for approaching ethical dilemmas arising from the development, evaluation, and implementation of child welfare policies.
Source: Stan Houston, Trevor Spratt, and John Devaney, 'Mandated prevention in child welfare: considerations from a framework shaping ethical inquiry', Journal of Social Work, Volume 11 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jul
The government began consultation on a new statement of the 'core purpose' of Sure Start children's centres. It defined their core purpose as:
• Child development and school readiness – supporting emotional, physical, and social development so that children started school confident and able to learn.
• Parenting aspirations and parenting skills – helping parents to maximize their skills and give their children the best start.
• Child and family health and life-chances – promoting good physical and mental health for children and their parents, including addressing risk factors early on.
Source: The 'Core Purpose' of Sure Start Children's Centres, Department for Education
Links: Consultation document | DE press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Daycare Trust press release | 4Children press release
Date: 2011-Jul
An article examined the 'governance of identity' in the context of children's social care, and challenged the assumption that information could be integrated across organizations and sectors.
Source: Rob Wilson, Mike Martin, Sarah Walsh, and Paul Richter, 'Re-mixing digital economies in the voluntary community sector? Governing identity information and information sharing in the mixed economy of care for children and young people', Social Policy and Society, Volume 10 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jul
A report examined economic issues arising out of the evaluation of the impact of Sure Start local programmes in England. On average, the programmes cost around £1,300 per eligible child per year at 2009-10 prices. By the time children reached the age of 5, the programmes had already delivered economic benefits of between £279 and £557 per eligible child. The economic benefits of early childhood interventions could be high (and much higher than for interventions with similar levels of expenditure on adults): but they typically did not emerge until at least 15 years after the intervention began.
Source: National Evaluation of Sure Start Team (led by Pam Meadows), National Evaluation of Sure Start Local Programmes: An Economic Perspective, Research Report RR073, Department for Education
Date: 2011-Jul
The inspectorate for education and children's services began consultation on new arrangements for local authority children s services inspections (with effect from May 2012). Local authorities should be subject to two-week, on-site, no-notice inspections.
Source: Arrangements for the Inspection of Local Authority Children's Services: Consultation Document, HMI 110059, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Consultation document | OFSTED press release | Barnardos press release | Community Care report | Guardian report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Jul
The children's rights watchdog in Wales highlighted the 'inconsistent support' and lack of accurate information available to vulnerable young people in care as they started planning for their move into independent living.
Source: Lost After Care, Children's Commissioner for Wales
Links: Report | CCW press release | BBC report
Date: 2011-Jul
Researchers examined the outcome of a pilot programme designed to assess the impact of, and best method for, introducing a 'social pedagogic' approach in residential children s homes. There were mixed results, with 'spectacular changes' in some cases and high levels of resistance in others.
Source: Claire Cameron, Pat Petrie, Valerie Wigfall, Stefan Kleipoedszus, and Alexandra Jasper, Final Report of the Social Pedagogy Pilot Programme: Development and Implementation, Thomas Coram Research Unit (University of London)
Links: Report | Community Care report
Notes: Social pedagogues are professionals working in children's homes whose role is to be concerned for a child's overall well-being as well as engaging children in decisions about their own lives and as members of society.
Date: 2011-Jun
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on the role and performance of the inspectorate for schools and children's services. It rejected a proposal to split the organization into two separate parts.
Source: The Role and Performance of Ofsted: Responses from the Government and Ofsted to the Second Report of the Committee, Session 2010-12, Seventh Special Report (Session 2010-12), HC 1317, House of Commons Education Select Committee, TSO
Links: Response | NDNA press release | Community Care report
Notes: MPs report
Date: 2011-Jun
A report examined the pathways and decision-making processes through the care and court systems in Scotland for 100 looked-after children, from the point they were first identified as at risk to the point of adoption or permanence.
Source: Gillian Henderson, Lucy Hanson, and Indiya Whitehead, Care and Permanence Planning for Looked After Children in Scotland, Scottish Children s Reporter Administration
Links: Report | SCRA press release | Scottish Government response
Date: 2011-Jun
An article examined an innovative systems methodology for evaluating child protection social work practice and improving organizational learning.
Source: Eileen Munro and Alison Hubbard, 'A systems approach to evaluating organisational change in children's social care', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 41 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jun
A report gave the views of children in care, and care leavers, on the child protection system. 15 per cent of children/young people said that their social worker or caseworker never talked to them on their own.
Source: Messages for Munro, Children's Rights Director/Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Jun
A new book examined the social policies and professional practices that framed societal responses to the problems of child maltreatment in 10 developed countries (including England and 7 other European countries).
Source: Neil Gilbert, Nigel Parton, and Marit Skivenes, Child Protection Systems: International trends and orientations , Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Jun
An article examined the impact of multi-agency working on children and their families. It explored the ways in which young people experienced multi-agency working, and whether young people perceived any benefits from a co-ordinated approach to frontline service delivery. Where multi-agency working was effectively integrated there was evidence of a positive impact on young people and their families.
Source: Alma Harris and Tracey Allen, 'Young people's views of multi-agency working', British Educational Research Journal, Volume 37 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-May
The final report was published of an official review of the child protection system in England. It said that 'bureaucratic' aspects had become too dominant in child protection work, and that the system had become characterized by individuals 'doing things right' rather than 'doing the right thing'. Front-line social workers should regain the freedom to decide what was best for children. A 'chief social worker' – similar to a chief medical officer – should be appointed to report directly to government and liaise with the social work profession.
Source: Eileen Munro, The Munro Review of Child Protection: Final Report – A Child-Centred System, Cm 8062, Department for Education, TSO
Links: Report | Hansard | DE press release | Action for Children press release | ADCS press release | BAAF press release | Barnardos press release | BASW press release | Childrens Society press release | 4Children press release | GSCC press release | HPC press release | NCB press release | OCC press release | SCIE press release | UK Human Rights blog | UNISON press release | BBC report | Community Care report | Guardian report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-May
Researchers examined how the knowledge that practitioners – especially social workers – had in respect of child development might have affected serious case reviews and the outcomes for the children concerned.
Source: Marian Brandon, Peter Sidebotham, Catherine Ellis, Sue Bailey, and Pippa Belderson, Child and Family Practitioners Understanding of Child Development: Lessons learnt from a small sample of serious case reviews, Research Report RR110, Department for Education
Links: Report
Date: 2011-May
A report reviewed key messages from 15 studies designed to strengthen the evidence base for the development of policies and practice aimed at improving child protection in England.
Source: Carolyn Davies and Harriet Ward, Safeguarding Children Across Services: Messages from research on identifying and responding to child maltreatment, Research Report RBX-10-09, Department for Education
Links: Report
Date: 2011-May
Researchers evaluated a pilot based on the principles that: young people should not be expected to leave care until they reached the age of 18; they should have a greater say in the decision-making process preceding their exit from care; and they should be properly prepared for living independently. A higher proportion of those in the pilot authorities were looked after until they reached legal adulthood compared with those from comparator authorities.
Source: Emily Munro, Clare Lushey, Harriet Ward, and National Care Advisory Service with others, Evaluation of the Right2BCared4 Pilots: Final Report, Research Report RR106, Department for Education
Links: Report | Brief | Peer Research Summary
Date: 2011-May
A report examined the experiences and views of children in England in relation to coming into care and returning home. Nearly one-half (43 per cent) of the children in care consulted believed that they would not have needed to come into the system had they received more support.
Source: Children on the Edge of Care: A report of children s views by the Children s Rights Director for England, HMI 100210, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2011-May
A longitudinal study examined the opinions and experiences of a group of foster children and of those who looked after them. Foster carers identified a continuing improvement in the health and well-being of the young people in their care: but the rate of improvement slowed down after the initial period.
Source: Bob Broad, Aspirations Three Years On: The views of young people who are fostered and their carers, The Adolescent and Children's Trust
Links: Report | TACT press release | Community Care report
Date: 2011-May
The report was published of a conference dealing with child protection issues in relation to black and minority-ethnic communities.
Source: Child Protection and BME Communities, brap
Links: Report
Date: 2011-May
Researchers drew out key messages from the safeguarding children peer review programme. The peer review process could be highly valuable to local authorities, supporting their efforts to improve safeguarding practice.
Source: Kerry Martin and Jennifer Jeffes, Safeguarding Children Peer Review Programme: Learning and recommendations, National Foundation for Educational Research
Date: 2011-May
The Court of Appeal ruled that local councils had a legal obligation to provide homeless teenagers with ongoing care and support (such as help with benefits and job applications) beyond simple housing support.
Source: TG, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Lambeth, Court of Appeal 6 May 2011
Links: Judgement | Shelter press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2011-May
A report said that anti-social behaviour services for under-18s should be managed by children's services departments. This would ensure that vulnerable young people subject to anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos) – which might include looked-after children and children with learning disabilities or mental health problems – were identified and given more help to comply with the terms of their orders.
Source: Di Hart, Into the Breach: The enforcement of statutory orders in the youth justice system, Prison Reform Trust
Links: Report | PRT press release | Out of Trouble press release | Community Care report
Date: 2011-May
A new book examined how children's services could work together more effectively.
Source: John Davis, Integrated Children's Services, SAGE Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Apr
A report evaluated the child development grant (CDG) pilot – aimed at encouraging economically deprived and disengaged parents through (cash) incentives to utilize the services offered by their local Sure Start children's centres (in particular those services that had a positive impact on the child's development and family).
Source: Philip Wilson, Louise O Neill, Andrew Cleary, and Toby Cotton, Evaluation of the Child Development Grant Pilot, Research Report RR099, Department for Education
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Apr
The inspectorate for education and children's services published an evaluation of serious case reviews carried out between 1 April and 30 September 2010. It was 'shocking' to find that the voices of children in vulnerable situations were often not heard by those who should be looking after their interests.
Source: The Voice of the Child: Learning lessons from serious case reviews, HMI 100224, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | BBC report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Apr
Researchers examined the extent to which the common assessment framework process was cost-effective, by enabling better early intervention by children's services and therefore a consequent reduction in the demand for more costly specialist services.
Source: Claire Easton, Geoff Gee, Ben Durbin, and David Teeman, Early Intervention, Using the CAF Process, and Its Cost Effectiveness: Findings from LARC3, National Foundation for Educational Research
Links: Report | Summary | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2011-Apr
An article examined how policy directives from central government had affected the practice of local authorities and private fostering agencies in respect of the commissioning and provision of long-term and permanent fostering placements and related services.
Source: Clive Sellick, 'Commissioning permanent fostering placements from external providers: an exploration of current policy and practice', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 41 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Apr
A new book examined the public inquiry that followed the death of Maria Colwell in the early 1970s, and its implications for the developing profession and practice of social work.
Source: Ian Butler and Mark Drakeford, Social Work on Trial: The Colwell Inquiry and the state of welfare, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Notes: Maria Colwell was killed by her stepfather in 1973, at the age of 7.
Date: 2011-Apr
A report examined the relationship between the quality of assessments and outcomes for children in contact with children's social care services. It identified the increasing range of knowledge and skills needed when undertaking assessments. It also highlighted factors that contributed to, or inhibited, effective practice and the production of high-quality assessments.
Source: Danielle Turney, Dendy Platt, Julie Selwyn, and Elaine Farmer, Social Work Assessment of Children in Need: What Do We Know? Messages from research, Research Report RBX-10-08, Department for Education
Date: 2011-Mar
An article examined the social work response to families notified by the police (following domestic violence incidents) to children's services in two English authorities. Structures for assessment and intervention contributed to a 'stop-start' pattern of social work – one that seemed ill-suited to building the trust and engagement needed to deal with the issue of domestic violence.
Source: Nicky Stanley, Pam Miller, Helen Richardson Foster, and Gill Thomson, 'A stop start response: social services' interventions with children and families notified following domestic violence incidents', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 41 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Mar
An article examined progress in research into planning/reviewing for children in care in England and Wales since the publication of two major studies in the late 1990s. Research had failed to keep pace with changes in policy and practice, and a more systematic approach was needed.
Source: Nigel Thomas, 'Care planning and review for looked after children: fifteen years of slow progress?', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 41 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Mar
A report set out a proposal for an asset-based savings account for looked-after children.
Source: On Our Own Two Feet: The case for a savings account scheme for looked after children, Barnardo's/Action for Children
Links: Report | Barnardos press release | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Mar
An article examined the relationship between research, policy, and practice in child welfare since the passing of the Children Act 1989. Initially, the implementation of the Act was closely associated with social services, but provision had become more integrated and multidisciplinary. This had led to a far-reaching debate about the roles and tasks of social work, and its efficacy in safeguarding and promoting children's welfare.
Source: James Blewett, 'Reflections on the impact of the Children Act 1989: child care policy, the knowledge base and the evolving role of social work', Journal of Children's Services, Volume 6 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Mar
The consumer rights watchdog in Wales examined the extent and nature of financial exclusion experienced by young people leaving care in Wales. It highlighted the 'challenging' experiences many young people faced as a consequence of living on a low income, being ill-equipped to deal with their financial situation, and being denied access to basic financial products.
Source: From Care to Where? How young people cope financially after care, Consumer Focus Wales
Links: Report | Consumer Focus press release
Date: 2011-Mar
The consumer rights watchdog in Wales examined the extent and nature of financial exclusion experienced by young people leaving care in Wales. It highlighted the 'challenging' experiences many young people faced as a consequence of living on a low income, being ill-equipped to deal with their financial situation, and being denied access to basic financial products.
Source: From Care to Where? How young people cope financially after care, Consumer Focus Wales
Links: Report | Consumer Focus press release
Date: 2011-Mar
An article examined what lessons could be learned from the process in Northern Ireland of conducting reviews following the death of a child.
Source: John Devaney, Anne Lazenbatt, and Lisa Bunting, 'Inquiring into non-accidental child deaths: reviewing the review process', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 41 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Mar
A report for the children's watchdog for England examined children's and young people's views of the child protection system. Children developed their own ways of dealing with their worries and these needed to be understood. Their relationship with their social worker was fundamental, and assisted them to participate in the child protection process. Social workers needed to be aware of the impact of the child protection system itself on children, as well as the risk of harm from the abuse that had brought them into the system.
Source: Jeanette Cossar, Marian Brandon, and Peter Jordan, Don t Make Assumptions : Children s and young people s views of the child protection system and messages for change, Office of the Children's Commissioner
Links: Report | OCC press release | East Anglia University press release
Date: 2011-Mar
An independent review made a series of recommendations for improving children's early years in Scotland. It called for a new generation of children and family centres to be established, through collaborative ventures drawing in resources from private, public, and not-for-profit organizations.
Source: Susan Deacon, Joining the Dots: A better start for Scotland's children, Scottish Government
Links: Report | Review press release | Scottish Government press release | BBC report
Date: 2011-Mar
An annual report gave children's assessment of social care in England in 2010. Only just over half (53 per cent) of children who were in care or lived away from home had a say in what happened to them: and when they were able to voice their views, only 51 per cent said that it made a difference to decisions made about their lives, with 15 per cent of children saying that their opinions did not make a difference.
Source: Children's Care Monitor 2010: Children on the state of social care in England, HMI 090160, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Mar
The High Court ruled that a local council was entitled to prevent a Christian couple from fostering on the grounds that their anti-gay beliefs made them unsuitable for that role.
Source: R (Eunice Johns and Owen Johns) v Derby City Council, High Court 28 February 2011
Links: Judgement | BHA press release | Christian Institute press release | NSS press release | Stonewall press release | PinkNews report | Telegraph report
Date: 2011-Feb
An article examined the tensions faced by social workers in managing their advocacy role in relation to children and young people, in the light of the emergence of of independent advocacy services. If the principles of social justice were to be upheld, practitioners needed to actively consider ways to reclaim a culture of advocacy.
Source: Jane Boylan and Jane Dalrymple, 'Advocacy, social justice and children's rights', Practice: Social Work in Action, Volume 23 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Feb
The interim report was published of a government-commissioned review of the child protection system. It said that the amount of 'prescription and bureaucracy' in the system had meant that social workers were not able to do their jobs properly. It highlighted the importance of having multi-agency services based in the community to help keep children safe and support their well-being, identify the children and families most in need, and give them help as early as possible. Management and inspection processes should not be a 'tick-box exercise'. Ofsted (the inspectorate for children's services) should no longer evaluate serious case reviews. There should be a move to unannounced inspections.
Source: Eileen Munro, The Munro Review of Child Protection: Interim Report – The Child's Journey, Department for Education
Links: Report | Review press release | DE press release | ADCS press release | BASW press release | LGA press release | OCC press release | Ofsted press release | SCIE press release | UNISON press release | Guardian report | Public Finance report | BBC report | Children & Young People Now report | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Feb
A report highlighted the concerns that children in care had about the family court system. Only one-half of the children surveyed trusted the courts to make the right decisions about their lives.
Source: Children on Family Justice, Children's Rights Director for England/Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Feb
An article examined the nature of the 'core offer' that children's centres were expected to provide, and the way in which they had pursued the goal of integrating staff and services. It highlighted the problems of balancing a focus on the child and on the parent; of reconciling childcare provision as part of the employability agenda and as a means to educational achievement for the child; of permitting local variation while achieving consistency; of the role of monitoring in relation to developing good practice; and of achieving integration in a mixed economy of care. Despite the greater specification of the core offer for children's centres compared with that for Sure Start, there were substantial differences between children's centres in terms of services, while the mixed economy of provision posed considerable challenges to the goal of integration.
Source: Jane Lewis, Rebecca Cuthbert, and Sophie Sarre, 'What are children's centres? The development of CC services, 2004-2008', Social Policy and Administration, Volume 45 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Feb
A report examined the elements of successful leadership by directors of children's services.
Source: Keith Leslie (ed.), Resourceful Leadership: How directors of children's services improve outcomes for children, National College for Leadership of Schools and Children's Services
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Feb
The report was published of a conference (in November 2010) on personalization and individual budgets in children's services.
Source: The Personal Response: Developments in personalisation for children, young people and families, Office of Public Management/Local Government Improvement and Development/ In Control/Action for Children
Links: Report | OPM press release
Date: 2011-Feb
A report examined how social workers worked with fathers who had committed domestic abuse. Fathers (especially non-resident fathers) were too often not assessed as a risk – or resource – to the child. They were often in contact with their children: but assessments or programmes were rarely offered that forced them to face up to their abusive behaviour.
Source: Cathy Ashley (ed.), Working with Risky Fathers, Family Rights Group
Links: FRG website | Guardian report | Community Care report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2011-Feb
A report said that local authorities could help to tackle cross-generational issues by making more use of shared sites and shared care services – for example, by opening children's centre buildings for use by other age groups.
Source: United or Divided? Towards a 'cradle to grave' contract between generations, United for All Ages
Links: Report | UFAL press release
Date: 2011-Jan
An article highlighted the 'considerable change' involved in the transition from the Sure Start programme (targeted at deprived areas) to the universal provision of children's centres. It explored the reasons for the policy shift in terms of changes in the government's goals (on the one hand), and in relation to evidence of programme failure (on the other). It considered why the shift to children's centres was claimed by the government as continuity rather than change, and what this revealed about the nature of policy change.
Source: Jane Lewis, 'From Sure Start to children's centres: an analysis of policy change in English early years programmes', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 40 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jan
A survey of Sure Start children's centre managers across England found that, over the next 12 months: 250 (7 per cent) would close or were expected to close, affecting an estimated 60,000 families; 2,000 (56 per cent) would provide a reduced service; 3,100 (86 per cent) would have a decreased budget; and staff at 1,000 centres (28 per cent) had been issued with 'at risk of redundancy' notices.
Source: Press release 28 January 2011, 4Children
Links: 4Children press release | Labour Party press release | BBC report | Telegraph report | Children & Young People Now report | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Jan
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on Sure Start children's centres. It said that it recognized the importance of children's centres, and believed that they had 'huge potential' as they brought together services in new and innovative ways. The network of children's centres was critical to its wider programme for children and families across government.
Source: Sure Start Children's Centres: Government Response to the Fifth Report from the Children, Schools and Families Committee, Session 2009 10, Fourth Special Report (Session 2010-11), HC 768, House of Commons Education Select Committee, TSO
Links: Response | NCT press release | Children & Young People Now report
Notes: The MPs' report (March 2010) had called on the government to resist short-term financial pressure to reduce the number of Sure Start centres or the range of services that they offered.
Date: 2011-Jan
An article reported an ethnographic study into the experiences of parents and professionals involved with the implementation of a Sure Start multi-agency health and education early years programme. The policy shift to children's centres appeared to have entailed an erosion of social capital – contrary to the original purpose of empowering local communities.
Source: Carl Bagley, 'From Sure Start to children's centres: capturing the erosion of social capital', Journal of Education Policy, Volume 26 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jan
A report examined the evolution of the Sure Start programme. It said that there was strong evidence to support early intervention, given the nature and extent of the disadvantage and discrimination that many families faced. It highlighted the ways in which initiatives such as children's centres could provide support for vulnerable families, and provide the basis for 'community hubs' within a 'Big Society'.
Source: The Right Start: Sure Start, early intervention and the needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged children and families, Pre-school Learning Alliance
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Jan
A study examined the maltreatment of young people aged 11-17. The child protection system was not always seen by social care services as the most effective way to meet the needs of young people; and as young people got older they were less likely to receive a child protection response. There was a general lack of services to meet the needs of young people (especially those aged 14-17) who had been maltreated.
Source: Gwyther Rees et al., Safeguarding Young People: Responding to young people aged 11 to 17 who are maltreated, Children's Society
Links: Report | Summary | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Jan