Children
Call for national service for children in care
Responsibilities for children in care should be removed from local authorities, a charity has said.
Starfish Talent 20 – People
In the second installment of the Starfish Talent 20, we put a spotlight on 20 leaders of the future, this time focusing on children’s and adult social care, education, communities and public health.
Three priorities for the new education secretary
Donna Molloy of the Early Intervention Foundation outlines three priorities for the new secretary of state for education Nadhim Zahawi and says there’s a ‘window of opportunity’ for positive change.
Put education at the heart of levelling up, say CPP and NRG
Education should be at the heart of the levelling up agenda, according to the influential Northern Research Group (NRG) and think tank the Centre for Progressive Policy (CPP).
HMJ: Disabled children’s conditions have worsened during COVID
Many services for disabled children and their families have been ‘slow to return’ since lockdown restrictions were lifted, according to the results of a new report.
Making the leap
Patrick Melia explains Sunderland City Council’s drive and determination in taking its children’s services from inadequate to outstanding.
Voyage for improvement
Blackpool Council’s new model of practice is shifting service culture away from a focus on process to one that works with families to achieve optimum impact and outcomes for their children, writes Victoria Gent.
Helping care leavers thrive
Jon Rouse highlights Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s progress in supporting care leavers. Getting things right ‘starts with the basics’, he says.
Avoiding another Lambeth
Richard Scorer says the obvious question hanging over the report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse on the experiences of children in Lambeth’s care is are children safe in local authority care today?
Integrated early years services – the benefits are clear
The Institute for Fiscal Studies’ report on the long-term benefits of Sure Start offers a rare opportunity to build on a strong evidence base to design the new Family Hubs programme, say Sarah Cattan and Christine Farquharson.
Children outside cities being overlooked
Young people in rural areas are at risk of being left behind, a new report has warned.
Third of most deprived areas will not benefit from Levelling Up Fund, research finds
More than a third of England’s most deprived areas will not benefit from the Government’s £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund, according to new Salvation Army research released today.
Let’s bring a bold policy moment to life
It’s time to seize the opportunity of the Spending Review to level up support for children and families, says chief executive of the Early Intervention Foundation, Dr Jo Casebourne.
Calls for more funding as child abuse increases
Incidents involving death or serious harm to a child have risen in the past year, leading to calls for further funding.
Campaigners head to court over care placements
Five local authorities are facing legal action over out-of-area accommodation for children in care.
Peers call for joined up funding for children and families
Peers have urged Cabinet ministers to produce a cross-Whitehall bid for funding for vulnerable children and their families in the next Spending Review.
Facing down a perfect storm of violence
This summer will be one of the most challenging local councils have faced when it comes to bearing down on violent crime and its devastating consequences says Cllr Jas Athwal. He looks at how London boroughs are tackling the issue.
‘Off-grid’ children at risk from county lines
Former children’s commissioner Anne Longfield has warned exclusions are likely to rise next month when schools reopen, which could lead to more children being exploited by county lines gangs.
The Lambeth report is a warning to us all
The historic abuse of looked-after children in Lambeth LBC is about the worst example of what happens when a toxic political culture poisons the entire authority, says Michael Burton.
We’re in this for the long haul
Six years on from the Jay report into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, council leader Cllr Chris Read says Government must support local authorities in the fight against abuse. But his organisation is ‘not waiting for national improvements’.
