All schools should be funded to provide counselling
The Local Government Association is urging funding for all schools to provide mental health counselling for pupils.
Every secondary school in the country should be provided with funding to enable them to provide independent mental health counselling to all pupils, says the LGA, raising fears that children and young people are being forced to wait up [...]
Special report: Fostering stocktake calls for register of foster carers
Special report: Fostering stocktake calls for register of foster carers
A national fostering stocktake has urged a national register of foster carers to be established.
The independent review, carried out by Sir Martin Narey and Mark Owers, said there is ‘merit’ in developing a national register of foster carers to better match parents and [...]
Ofsted reports published in January
A summary of the Ofsted inspections, re-inspections and monitoring visit reports published during January. This includes a success story for Rotherham children's services which has turned things around.
Progress made in care leavers services in Wandsworth
Wandsworth council has been praised for making progress in its services for care leavers by Ofsted.
A monitoring visit of the [...]
Councils rated inadequate by Ofsted face intervention
Three councils rated as inadequate by Ofsted inspections are to receive support and intervention.
A statutory direction to Kirklees Council, which was rated inadequate in November 2016, sets out that the authority will be taken over by Leeds City Council.
After Ofsted reported in December 2017 following a monitoring visit of 8 and 9 October 2017, [...]
50,000 missing from education
Almost 50,000 children were reported as missing from education in 2016-17, a report by the National Children’s Bureau has found.
Results of a Freedom of Information request published by the National Children’s Bureau suggests that 49,187 children were missing education at some point in 2016-17, raising fresh concerns over the welfare of this group of children. [...]
Somerset moves out of inadequate rating
A culture of openness and willingness to learn at Somerset children’s services has resulted in the authority moving from inadequate to ‘requires improvement to be good’.
Somerset children’s services has made “steady improvement” since the last inspection in 2015 when the authority was rated inadequate, Ofsted said.
“Services for children in need of help and protection, children [...]
