Childrens services
Pulling together to help those in need
Jacqui Gedman tells Dan Peters that Kirkless MBC is up to the challenge of COVID-19, but it is ‘much bigger than the council – it’s a real community effort’.
Critical decisions loom in the children’s care homes sector
Monica Macheng examines the key challenges facing local authorities looking for suitable places for children with increasingly complex needs.
Keeping children and families safe
Lou Williams outlines why she believes the introduction of the Family Safeguarding model in Cambridgeshire will ‘make a real difference to the lives of our most vulnerable children’.
Aspire towards achievement
Rachel Dickinson argues the review of children’s care in England must challenge the stereotype that care is a bad place to end up and be more ambitious about what children can achieve.
Frustration grows over SEND deficits funding crackdown
Councils are unhappy about the Government’s message that they cannot rely on schools block funding to address rocketing special needs and disabilities (SEND) deficits. Dan Peters reports.
Demand led, resource constrained: SEND is broken
Outraged at the Government's call for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities financial recovery plans, Ian Thomas explains why it is the funding that is flawed, not the execution.
The sound of silence
Local agencies are often ‘woefully ill-equipped’ to stop child sexual abuse in the family environment, says a new joint report from four inspectorates including Ofsted. Why is multi-agency performance still so poor – and what needs to happen next? Chris Mahony reports.
Local agencies 'woefully ill-equipped' to stop child abuse
Children are being left at risk because local agencies – including social care – are often ‘woefully ill-equipped’ to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse in families, four inspectorates have warned.
Examining the boarding school effect
Councils appear to be reluctant to explore the option of placing the children they support at boarding schools, but Paul Marinko finds that the evidence points to improvements in outcomes.
Securing our future, today
Rachel Dickinson warns of the dangers of not making significant long-term investment in children’s services, and says there needs to be a step change in the process of Government funding for essential services.
Keeping youngsters away from the edge
The Edge of Care programme is breaking the cycle of children and young people becoming looked-after. Anne Stoker describes the key aspects of the approach.
‘There can be and will be no complacency’
Joanne Roney says that while addressing past failures is ‘very necessary’, we must not lose sight of ‘how radically our approach to tackling child sexual exploitation has been strengthened’ since Operation Augusta.
An efficient collaboration
Victoria Gould of Warwickshire CC’s award-winning Young People Legal Service team (YPLS) explains how it is working collaboratively with other local authorities to minimise legal costs in times of increasing demand.
A landmark year for Waltham Forest
In 2019 Waltham Forest LBC became the first Mayor of London Borough of Culture - and won The MJ’s Local Authority of the Year category in the annual awards. Cllr Clare Coghill and Martin Esom talk to Michael Burton about the council's achievement.
ONS data will help councils tackle child abuse
The ONS has undertaken the mammoth task of attempting to map child abuse nationally, says Heather Jameson - 'and collating the data will help the sector gain an understanding of where the major problems are and where resources are needed most'.
Government: Commissioner no longer needs to oversee Wakefield children's services
The Government has agreed that a commissioner no longer needs to oversee Wakefield Council’s children’s services.
LGA calls for seat at table in children's care review
The Local Government Association (LGA) is pressing for close involvement in the Government’s pledged children’s social care review.
Ofsted finds children ’still at risk’ in North East Lincolnshire
The council has been warned by the watchdog it is not doing enough to improve children’s services.
Signs of improvement in inadequate children’s services
Two councils subjected to Government intervention due to poor children’s services have received praise from inspectors.
Northamptonshire heading for budget overspend
Officers have forecast a £1.9m budget gap at the end of the financial year due to a failure to realise savings in its children’s services.