Government launches £20m programme for children’s services
A £20 million initiative has been launched by the government to fund a new programme to help all councils improve children’s services.
Minister for Children and Families Robert Goodwill launched the new programme to help all councils improve their services – with a sharp focus on making sure those at risk of failure can make vital [...]
Care applications fall but Cafcass urges investment in system
Care applications made to Cafcass have decreased both month on month and year on year, according to monthly statistics.
In September 2017, Cafcass received a total of 1,109 care applications, representing a 10% decrease compared with the 12,235 applications received in September 2016.
The figures show a similar decrease from both July and August 2017 when there were 1,239 [...]
Shockingly poor mental health services for children highlighted
Only one in five children with mental health problems received support last year, the children’s commissioner for England has warned.
Anne Longfield’s report suggests that just over 200,000 children received CAMHS treatment last year, which equates to 2.6% of the age 5-17 population.
“Comparing this to recent research on the number of children with a mental health [...]
Safety of children in custody needs to be prioritised, says LGA
The Local Government Association is urging the government to prioritise the safety of children in custody.
A damning report from the HM Inspector of Prisons earlier this year found that not a single establishment inspected in England and Wales was safe to hold young people.
The chief inspector slammed the speed of decline as “staggering” and issued [...]
Independent review of mental health legislation launched
An independent review of mental health legislation has been launched by the government.
Prime minister Theresa May has announced the independent review following concerns that detention rates under the Mental Health Act are too high.
Former President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Sir Simon Wessely will chair the review which will seek to address concerns about [...]
Number of children in care rises
The number of children in care has grown at a faster rate over the past year, official statistics reveal.
Department for Education figures show that after small rises of 1% each year between 2014 and 2016, in 2017 the rise was greater at 3%.
At 31 March 2017 there were 72,670 looked after children in England, an [...]
