Safeguarding
Making progress in Powys
An inspection revealing child protection processes at Powys CC were not good enough came as a ‘hard knock’, says leader Rosemarie Harris. She talks to Dan Peters about the council’s continuing improvement journey.
Don’t let children’s services become ‘black box’ of council
Chief executive Merran McRae has warned her colleagues not to let 'insular' children’s services become the 'black box' of their council.
Children ‘not being protected’ by Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Children’s social care services are ‘inadequate’ at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, according to the findings of a new Ofsted inspection.
Rebuilding lives lost to slavery
Local authorities must do more than meet the ‘bare minimum of the Modern Slavery Act’, writes Paul Gerrard. With councils spending more than £40bn a year, there is leverage that can and should be used for social good
A charter to tackle County Lines
Islington LBC’s first report on the local implementaton of the Charter Against Modern Slavery shows it has led to progress in earlier identification of children at risk of exploitation through County Lines. Ann McGauran reports
Norfolk has the systems in place to combat domestic abuse
Dr Louise Smith is confident that with strong direction, a multi-agency strategic board, and excellent collaborative working within Norfolk, the council and its partners can make a 'substantial, long-term impact on domestic abuse'.
Local areas must face up to the scale of child criminal exploitation
Children's commissioner for England Anne Longfield says her recent report on improving the safeguarding response to gang violence and criminal exploitation shows many local areas are not facing up to the scale of the issue.
Lessons from Croydon's review into the causes of youth violence and exploitation are also relevant to other areas
The learning points from Croydon's independent in-depth review into the root causes of serious youth violence and exploitation are relevant to communities everywhere, says Di Smith.
Councils ‘failing’ children exploited by gangs, report reveals
The same mistakes that led to child sexual exploitation failings are being repeated with gangs, the children’s commissioner has warned.
Council denies ‘litany of failures’ in Shamima Begum case
Tower Hamlets LBC has denied claims it was responsible for a ‘litany of failures’ leading up to teenager Shamima Begum's decision to join Daesh.
Meeting the needs of looked after children in Oxfordshire
The use of iMPOWER’s Valuing Care needs measurement approach in Oxfordshire has led to a better appreciation of the needs of looked-after children, says Lara Patel.
The secret of success
Dave Hill outlines Surrey CC’s transformation plans, including a restructure of 2,500 staff from April and a new model based on relationship-based practice and family resilience.
Tackling unauthorised encampments
Jan Britton describes how Sandwell MBC is leading the way in tackling unauthorised encampments. Working with West Midlands Police, the council has established a fast-track approach to dealing with groups with caravans as soon as they arrive.
FoI and the hidden side of safeguarding
FOI responses show more than half of the councils approached had reported incidents in the last three years of staff not following safeguarding guidance. But context is crucial to understanding what the data may be saying
‘We can’t go on as we are’
Investing in strategies that reduce childhood poverty is an efficient economic policy as well as the right thing to do, says president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services Stuart Gallimore
Aiken: Country facing biggest ever exploitation of children
London must take action to avoid losing an entire generation of young people, the leader of Westminster City Council has warned.
Troubled Families funding could be extended beyond 2020
Funding for the Troubled Families programme could continue beyond 2020 after it was found three-quarters of councils are poised to make early intervention cuts.
Kid’s care on a cliff edge
Following a report by ADCS that initial contacts made to children’s social care have increased by 78% over 10 years, Martin Ford finds out how council specialists are addressing the pressures to keep delivering as budgets dwindle
Hope for lessons from serious case review
A serious case review is underway after a child died while in the care of Swindon Council.
High staff turnover at 'inadequate' Gloucestershire
Too many Gloucestershire children are experiencing frequent changes of social worker more than a year after the county council was judged inadequate by Ofsted.