Rise in child protection cases
DfE statistics reveal increase in children becoming the subject of a child protection plan
More children became the subject of a child protection plan in 2014-15, according to figures published by the Department for Education.
There were 49,700 children who were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March 2015, compared with 39,100 six years [...]
Mark Willis: Why the government’s latest adoption changes could be bad news for families
Managing director of WillisPalmer Mark Willis on the government’s recent announcement on adoption
Last week the government announced it was planning to change the law to ‘speed up’ the adoption of children in care and make it ‘easier’ for foster carers to adopt those who are living with them.
These changes, announced by the education secretary [...]
Government announces four-year adoption strategy
Government plans to reduce red-tape to ensure councils ‘always pursue adoption when it is in the child’s best interests’
Education secretary Nicky Morgan has unveiled a new strategy to transform the life chances of those children who spend up to 18 months in care waiting to be adopted.
The four year strategy sets out for the first [...]
Special report: Care applications reach record high
Cafcass received the highest ever number of care applications in February as figures reached a record high of 1,225 applications.
Local authorities made 1,040 care applications in January and the figure rose by a huge 27 per cent to 1,225 in February, the statistics recorded by the Children and Family Court Advisory Service show.
Prior to February, [...]
Why training in attachment theory is key for social workers
Expert in attachment theory, Terence Simmons, explains why social workers need specific training
Attachment theory is a theory that suggests a psychological bond between individuals that has consequences across the life-span for the way relationships develop and how people behave towards other people.
Attachment can be characterised as an invisible bond formed in relationships. [...]
Parental conflict damaging to children’s mental health
Study finds conflict between parents is harmful to children’s mental health
Conflict between parents can affect their children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing, according to a new study.
A review carried out by the Early Intervention Foundation and Professor Gordon Harold, of the University of Sussex, for the Department for Work and Pensions found that children’s exposure [...]
