Children
UK to take in Ukrainian child refugees
The UK is to take in unaccompanied child refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine with hundreds already on their way to the UK.
Our future depends on supporting children and the young
Debates on integrated care often default to older people and hospital flow, but Rob Webster and Jenny Lingrell argue that children and young people should be seen as of parallel importance.
Hearing survivors’ voices loud and clear
With the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse due to be published later this year, we must ensure the voices of victims and survivors are heard, says John O’Brien.
Getting on with integrated care
Greater Manchester believes the formal governance of the new integrated care system and the voice of place within it will be fundamental to its future success in narrowing health inequalities, says Tom Stannard.
Children ‘bounced around’ care system
Research by the charity Barnardo’s has found young people are facing frequent changes of home, school and social workers.
Taking Integrated Care Systems to the next level
Phil Hope of the Health Devolution Commission looks at emerging best practice approaches for Integrated Care Systems, including five key financial design principles that reflect collaboration rather than competition.
No child should be at the mercy of a postcode lottery
We need a national conversation about the way our mental health system fails too many children and a review of CAMHS is required, says the new president of the ADCS, Steve Crocker.
Putting purpose before profit for our children
Dominic Campbell says it’s time to build ventures that can put purpose ahead of profiteering – and fostering is just one of the areas being tackled by a new not-for-profit co-conceived with local authority partners.
Children’s services: leaving crisis management behind
With the National Audit Office’s investigation into the state of children’s services due later this year, it recently held a round table with The MJ, bringing together sector senior leadership figures. Martin Ford reports.
Councils should be funded to co-design child mental health hubs - report
Councils across the country should be funded to co-design open-access hubs to support young people’s mental health, a new report by think-tank Reform has suggested.
It is imperative to get the SEND reforms right
Proposals to address the future demand pressures in education, health and care plans through a set of national standards are welcome, but can the Green Paper adequately address the substantial deficits of many CCN members, asks Simon Edwards.
Kinship carers need access to legal aid provision
It’s time to provide publicly-funded legal aid for relatives in situations where kinship carers are assessed as being appropriate, argue Helen McGrath and Sarah Whitworth.
Call for national review of children's mental health services
The new president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) has called for a post-pandemic national review of children’s mental health services.
The appliance of science
Nesta’s behavioural insights team have developed a toolkit to help councils run projects to increase engagement with childcare services. Fionnuala O’Reilly and Dave Wilson explain the approach.
Gloucestershire improvement notice lifted
An improvement notice issued to Gloucestershire CC’s children’s services has been lifted.
Putting young people on the right path
How can councils help divert teenagers away from crime and exploitation? Anne Longfield CBE looks at a once-in-a-generation opportunity to tackle this problem and help vulnerable children.
Young refugees to provide fresh challenge for councils
The local government sector is braced for the challenge of protecting a wave of children fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The frenzy of policy must not lead to fragmented reforms
The MJ's first in-person Future Forum North since the pandemic focused attention on the endless list of issues facing local government that is starting to make a mockery of the word 'priority', says Heather Jameson.
Government vows to end 'postcode lottery' on SEND
Schools, councils and health providers will need to work together to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) with more targetted funding, a Government Green Paper said today.
'Concern' over aslyum transfer scheme
Kent CC has said it is taking too long for asylum-seeking children to be transferred to other authorities.
