John Lewis Christmas advert highlights important messages regarding foster care and looked after children
Every year people are excited to see what the theme of the John Lewis & Partners Christmas advert will be. This year's advert reminded our Head of Practice, Lucy Hopkins, of all the times she arrived at the homes of foster carers with children or young people who were anxious, scared, worried and hungry, having just [...]
Kinship families plunged into poverty
Kinship families are being plunged into poverty as the cost of living continues to soar, the charity Kinship has revealed.
Urgent action is needed to prevent many more families from struggling financially as they alleviate pressure on the care system by caring for children who are not able to live with their parents for a [...]
Campaigners concerned over Safeguarding Panel’s refusal to publish details of 48 serious incidents involving children in care
Campaigners have expressed their dismay at the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s decision not to publish a report which analysed 48 separate incidents where children in care died or were seriously harmed.
Annie Hudson, Panel chairA coalition of organisations led by Article 39 requested the report to be made public in order to “collectively learn [...]
Care review urges teachers to foster children
There should be clearer routes for adults who already know a child, such as teachers, to be approved as that child’s specific foster carer, the independent review into children’s social care has stated.
In the review, chair Josh MacAlister said that the culture of care means that it is often considered inappropriate to ask whether [...]
Josh MacAlister defends recommendation to scrap IROs and ‘reset’ advocacy
The chair of the independent care review has defended his plans to ‘reset’ children’s advocacy following the publication of the review.
The independent review published last week recommends removing the requirement to appoint an Independent Reviewing Officer alongside the introduction of Independent Advocacy on an opt-out basis, something Josh MacAlister recognises has been “a [...]
What are people saying about the independent care review?
Find out how the children’s social care sector has responded to the recommendations in the independent review of children’s social care final report.
Josh MacAlister, chair of independent review of children's social careBASW
“The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) welcomes the report’s stated aims: to develop and advance the children’s social care system; to [...]
