Referrals to children’s services rise following first lockdown
More than 600 vulnerable children a day were referred to local authorities’ children’s services in the months following the first lockdown, it has emerged.
The County Councils Network reported that 630 young people a day were referred to children’s services in the months after the first lockdown, which began in March 2020, as local authorities reported [...]
Standardising Remote Working in challenging times
If at any point last year, we would have been presented with the idea that during 2020 we would be operating social work teams on skeletal staff with many social workers self-isolating, legislation changes reducing the pressures on local authorities’ requirements to visit children in care as frequently and everyone wearing face-masks and hand sanitizing [...]
Why social work can’t become too remote
Chief Executive of WillisPalmer Mark Willis on remote working within social work
‘Remote working’ has become the go-to phrase in many industries throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Whole office blocks in London and other major cities remain deserted since March. The three big London investment banks HSBC, Citi and Goldman, having previously instructed staff [...]
More court days for family cases this year despite restrictions
There have been more court sitting days taking place on family cases this year than in any previous year, despite the lockdown, the president of the family courts division has said.
In his ‘View from the Chambers,’ Andrew McFarlane said this level of activity is necessary as it is not possible to conduct as many cases [...]
Half of Youth Offending Services require improvement
Improvements are required in more than half of the Youth Offending Services inspected this year, according to the HM Inspectorate of Probation.
Of the 16 Youth Offending Services inspected, eight required improvement while one, Cardiff, was rated inadequate.
Chief Inspector Justin Russell said: “It is disappointing that the overall quality of the youth offending services we have [...]
Highest number of children’s homes registered could be in response to COVID
The highest number of children’s homes were registered by Ofsted between April and August, potentially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ofsted registered 176 new children’s homes between 1 April and 31 August, the highest number recorded in that period. This follows a continued increase in registrations year on year since at least 2015 and a [...]
