Health services lag behind education

Despite improvements in services for looked-after children as a
result of the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000, health services are
still lagging behind, new research reveals.

The two-year study by De Montfort University, based on findings
from leaving care teams, finds that only 10 of the 25 teams who
responded on health matters were positive about improvements.

By contrast, education and employment services for care leavers had
improved, with 31 per cent of care leavers in post-16 education, 14
per cent in full-time employment, 8 per cent in training, and 4 per
cent employed part-time. The study also reveals improvements in
accommodation for care leavers, partly as a result of the increased
ratio of workers to young people and Quality Protects funding.