‘Life-changing’ initiative available to just one in five care leavers
There is only sufficient government funding to provide a ‘life-changing initiative’ to one in five care leavers, the Local Government Association has warned.
From 1 April, councils will have a new duty to provide eligible care leavers aged 21 to 25 with a personal adviser to ensure that they are provided with the practical and emotional [...]
LGA calls for investment in domestic violence services
The government has been urged to increase the number of Independent Domestic Violence Advisors in hospital settings to support victims of domestic violence to get the help they need.
The Local Government Association says more practitioners are needed in hospital settings to identify victims of domestic violence and get them the help and support they need. [...]
Government urged to address shortfall in funding for children’s services
The Local Government Association has urged the government to address the £2 billion funding gap facing children’s services in the upcoming final Local Government Finance Settlement.
The LGA warns that a child was referred to children’s services every 49 seconds last year and councils are struggling to cope with the rising demand for support.
Cllr Richard Watts, [...]
Ninety children a day go into care
Ninety children a day are entering care, figures from the Local Government Association states.
The total number of looked after children reached a new high of 72,670 in 2016/17 - up from 70,440 the year before, representing the biggest annual rise of children in care in seven years.
The figures highlight the urgent need for the [...]
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 [...]
Special report: The state of children’s services
Recent reports into the state of children’s services have highlighted the loss of early help and preventive services, and how this is contributing to more children in need falling through our supposed safety net, BASW has warned.
In July, the Children’s Commissioner for England published for the first time a report into the scale of vulnerability [...]
