September 2011 Archives

by Richard Servian, commissioning manager for Dudley Council Children's Services.

I read with interest a recent article in Community Care (18 September) about the use of boarding schools as residential placements for children in care.

Dudley was one of the ten authorities who were part of the 2006/8 pathfinder scheme in this area. Although we were disappointed by the numbers placed we did build up good links with the boarding school sector and learnt some important lessons. I believe that it is a good option for certain children.

I noted in the article that Professor Sonia Jackson, from the Thomas Coram Research Unit, described social worker prejudice as a barrier to such schemes commenting 'social workers take the view that boarding schools are for the privileged few'.

I have to say we did not find that in our experience. Rather than social workers not cooperating it was often the case that it was too late for many children. By the time they had been taken into care their lives were already very chaotic.

What really needs to happen is an earlier planned appraoch for those children at the edge of care. This means building relationships with primary schools and other professionals involved with vulnerable children and it means getting better at predicting those children who may come into care. It also means approaching boarding schools before children are actually entering the care system.

Of course if the aim is to save money on residential care we can never definitively show that a successful entry to boarding school, under these circumstances,  has enabled this and this is problematic in a budget saving scenario.

It is very easy to present the issue in terms of education professionals getting it right and social work professionals getting it wrong but the lesson we learned was how important it was for both sets of professionals to work together. As a social worker myself I was often heartened by how often the education professionals in the boarding school sector tried so very hard to get this right.

Related articles

Can boarding schools help prevent children being taken into care?

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Reference Manual: Children living away from home

 There's nothing like a good adoption statistic to really get the national media interested in children's social care...even if it is only a fleeting interest and a largely uninformed one.

Don't get me wrong- I think there are lots of stories in adoption and a lot of issues. Why for example are we setting adoptive parents up to fail by not providing enough support for them? Most of them think love will be enough to heal the children they are matched with and it's devastating for all concerned when they find out it's not.

Why are we not even trying to collect statistics on adoption breakdowns? And are we doing enough digging on the impact of the increased use of special guardianship orders?

Following the breaking news of the recent adoption statistics there were a lot of different angles ignored, for the most part, by other media.

I had an email from Steve Miley, assistant director of children's social care for the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, saying it was unhelpful to focus on adoption above other permanency options, such as special guardianship orders and residence orders.

"The DfE statistics for all permanency orders show an excellent improvement over the last 5 years - a 27% increase in the number of permanency orders; and in the last year a 9% increase. This is a positive picture. The debate about adoption needs to cover all aspects of permanency"

Natasha Finlayson from the Who Cares Trust also put out a statement pointing out that adoption is not always the answer for all children in care and the real problem was the postcode lottery between councils- why did some have adoption rates of over 20% and others only 2%?

Both of these are valid points. Personally, though I was most surprised, while listening to Jeremy Vine on BBC2, at his surprise that so few babies are given up for adoption these days. As a result there is usually a fierce court battle over whether a child should be adopted which can take up to two years, by which time of course babies have already formed most of their primary attachments.

Perhaps that is what bothers me the most about the current media debate on the adoption figures, it seems to be uninformed about the reality of the types of children who are in the care system these days. It's no longer Victorian orphanages and mother's terrified of how they will cope as a stigmatised, single mother. These are usually very damaged children- even the babies, many of which will suffer some kind of foetal alcohol syndrome or impact of a mother's drug-taking while pregnant. This is the sad reality but nobody seems to want to talk about it. Perhaps because the obvious follow-on conversation is how much it will cost to give them the therapy they need and deserve for the rest of their life?

The deadline for responses to the consultation on the Public Bodies Bill - which proposes the abolition of a large number of quangos, including (controversially) the Youth Justice Board - is fast approaching. (Next Tuesday, 11 October.) 

But if you were organised enough to submit your response before 20 September, you probably won't be too impressed to learn that you may need to submit it again...

Community Care understands that, due to a "technical issue", responses emailed to PBB.Consultation@justice.gsi.gov.uk before this date may have been lost in cyberspace and never received.

The Ministry of Justice has advised that any responses sent to this email address be re-submitted via the on-line questionaire to ensure they are received by the right team. And you can call them to check whether your response was received on 020-3334 6298.

Picture credit: Cara Photography

Just as we were starting to worry that the government had forgotten all about looked-after children and young people, Boris Johnson has given us some hope.

The London mayor has today thrown open the doors of City Hall to host 150 looked-after teenagers and care leavers for 'Wise Up', a day-long event designed to help prepare them for future careers and higher education.

This year's 'Wise Up', which has been running for the last three years, features talks from inspirational figures, including entrepreneur and former BBC Apprentice winner Tim Campbell and broadcaster and care leaver David Akinsanya, as well as hands-on career, volunteering and higher education workshops.

Boris Johnson said: "Young people in care or about to leave care are part of our city's future and it is very important that we nurture their aspirations and ensure they have the maximum possible understanding of their own potential."

David Akinsanya said: "When I was in care, and until recently, the system really only contained children. No-one thought about our futures after care. We didn't have people encouraging us to think about careers nor did we have the contacts of our parents to help us. 

"I am delighted that the Mayor's office is putting on Wise Up for London's looked after teens. It is important to have dreams and ideas for the future and this event will certainly make young people think and those caring for them."

Wise Up is organised annually by the Mayor of London in partnership with Action for Children, The Prince's Trust and the Fostering Network.

Picture credit: Rex Features

By independent social work agency director Phil King

Exactly what does it say about the current value placed on social work when a process server is paid more per hour for their time in court than an expert social worker?

The Legal Services Commission (LSC) has just released details of the payments allowable to court experts providing evidence which will apply from next month. However, it excludes independent social workers whose fees have already been capped by the LSC at £30 [outside London] and £33 [London].

A comparison of these rates reflects an appalling situation. Expert social workers- who are usually the most experienced social workers in the country- are expected to provide opinion on some of the most complex cases before the family courts. Their opinions are expected to encompass a wider degree of factors than other experts whose opinion is more narrowly focused, such as psychiatrists for example, and often their opinion will have a greater impact upon a case.

Comparisons with other professionals
Yet they will be paid the least. Here are a few comparisons - expert social workers will be paid around 75% less per hour than a psychologist (£117); 70% less than a GP (£99); 63% less than a nurse (£81). Even a process server is paid £32 outside of London whilst a social worker gets £30.

This position is as perverse as it is illogical given the increasing numbers of complex family cases coming before family courts. The danger is that with reduced fees, the expertise and quality of opinion will decline as will the quality assurance processes that support it.  This could result in tragedies where children will be further harmed or it could see children placed for adoption when they should be returned to their family.

Ministers' failure
To date, ministers have failed to explain why social work has been thus penalised. They have also continued to misunderstand the difference between an independent social worker, commissioned to provide an assessment the local authority has failed to provide, and a recognised expert social worker who provides a specialist risk assessment.

The inconsistencies in fee levels devalues the status of the whole social work profession and sends out the wrong message to both the general public and the children and families undergoing assessments.

Phil King is the director of ISWA, an independent social work agency

Court fees 'insult' to independent social workers

Fees cap deters independent social workers as expert witnesses

Guide to what to expect from the court process - A guide for professionals

A rather disturbing story in today's Metro reporting that boys as young as five have been taking part in cage fights. Martial arts experts have condemned it as "child abuse" and the NSPCC describes the report as "disturbing".

Lancashire police say the event was legal but raised "child safety" issues.

I'd be interested to know whether the local safeguarding children board is looking into this. Plus, how common is this type of event?

I'm not convinced by the reports of parents who say it's "sport", looks more like child exploitation to me.

Young offenders are being released from prison without a National Insurance number, making it impossible for them to find work or claim benefits, campaigners have warned.

In a letter to Nick Hardwick, the chief inspector of prisons, Frances Crook, director of the Howard League for Penal Reform, described the problem as a "terrific, and avoidable waste", warning that it could lead to a "period of destitution" for many young people leaving custody.

Crook said the charity's lawyers had raised concerns about a number of recent instances where young people had left prison without a National Insurance (NI) number after being sentenced as children and released as adults.

"Without a NI number [young people leaving custody] cannot get a job nor can they claim benefits or crisis loans while they are seeking work or arranging education or training," Crook wrote. "Unless they are fortunate enough to have the support of their parents then a period of destitution is virtually inevitable."

Crook urged the inspectorate to remedy the problem immediately. "By the simple expedient of ensuring that young people do not leave custody without a NI number, the welfare of young people and the imperative of protecting the public will be much better served.

"I would be very grateful if you would ensure that this defect in current Prison Service practice is remedied as a matter of urgency," she wrote.

Click here to read Crook's full letter, which includes several illustrative case studies.

Picture credit: davco9200

By Roy Williamson

The annual political party conferences put important issues on the radar. The formal sessions are dominated by well known leaders, but thousands of ordinary delegates and visitors get more of a chance to hear new views and contribute themselves at hundreds of fringe meetings. Organised by a myriad of party groups and external organisations the topics chosen often reflect rank and file concerns.

Given that, the near total absence of discussion on the plight of looked after children on the fringe of this year's main political party conferences sadly illustrates its low priority in politics, especially as fringe meetings are organised up to a year in advance. The exception is a breakfast event on adoption at the Conservative conference.

We will get good policy when policy-makers have an improved understanding of the position of looked after children. It must be of concern that at this year's conferences they are seemingly out of sight and out of mind.

In every generation, a lost cohort of looked after children is neglected whilst providers, care leavers and others alert decision-makers to measures that could improve outcomes and save public money in the long term.

It is unfair simply to criticise the political parties. We need a concerted drive by all organisations with an interest in the fate of looked after children to engage in a major educational effort at party conferences and more widely.


Such work, and that of others, would be significantly enhanced if party activists and other organisations were better able to engage with us and looked after children at their annual conferences.

We have a 'good-enough' evidence base regarding looked after children. We know what we need to do to meet their needs. We need an intelligent, sufficient, diverse and sustainable commissioning strategy. Understanding this is everyone's responsibility. It is time for the position of looked after children to be taken more seriously.
 


Roy Williamson is executive officer at the Independent Children's Homes Association 

Whenever I speak to child protection teams about the impact of cuts most are aware that they themselves are in a privileged position. For most councils the memory of the Baby P case is still too recent and too raw for them to even consider making cuts to child protection.

But their fear is that everything will be cut around them until they are cut off from land and sinking under the sheer number of referrals ie children-in-need services, early intervention, domestic violence support services, youth services.

The other major fear is what impact the cuts on the police will have, alongside the reorganisation of education and health, on partnership working.

As councils chop back to their statutory duties, the police do the same. So unless there is evidence that a crime has been committed the police will not want to know. Partnership working, early intervention and sharing budgets become luxuries that can no longer be afforded.

Here it seems is confirmation that this will in fact become the case. In his first interview since getting the job of London Met Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe has told The Independent that it is time for the police to focus on their core purpose which is catching criminals.
"I think in the past the police service has got trapped into some partnership working which is not always about fighting crime."

"I don't think we are here to be social workers, to run schools," he also said.

Maybe the lessons of Baby P are shorter-lived than we might think?

So we all know that Peterborough's been in the news lately -- a damning Ofsted report led to the resignation of DCS John Richards, who has been replaced by interim director Adrian Loades, who plans to reform children's services while keeping his day job as DCS of Cambridgeshire.

Now, there is reportedly "more shock at child services report findings" in Peterborough, wtih councillors asking to see more evidence about the work carried out to safeguard children following the damning inspection.

Councillors on the Creating Opportunities and Tackling Inequalities Scrutiny Committee this week said they were shocked they did not know the state of the children's services before an Ofsted report revealed the extent of the problem.

Adrian Loades was told he must present an action plan to tackle the problems at the next committee meeting in November.

X Factor contestant Lascel Woods wowed judges at the X Factor auditions on Saturday with his rendition of Use Somebody by Kings of Leon.

Lascel, 20, was in foster care from the age of 4. Before singing he said being in care, "made me feel a bit lost. It's not my mum's fault. She has this disorder called bipolar. She couldn't help it."

His mum was at the X Factor auditions and had never seen him sing before.

Lascel's performance brought the audience to their feet. Judges said his performance was "outstanding" and "stunning", adding "you've got raw talent in bucket loads".

His mum said she was "proud".

Last month, a cross-party group of more than sixty members of the Houses of Parliament announced the formation of a Parliamentary inquiry into online child protection. Over the next few months the inquiry will take evidence from parents, child protection experts, internet experts and chief executives of many of Britain's largest internet service providers. The group is scheduled to report to ministers in November.

The first public evidence session is set to take place on Thursday 8 September. Witnesses include The Sun's agony aunt, Deidre Sanders, who has campaigned in this area; Jacqui Smith, former Home Secretary and producer of BBC investigation into pornography; and Jerry Barnett, managing director of  the UK's largest on-demand online pornography website, Strictly Broadband.

Inquiry chair Claire Perry MP said: "Parents are understandably worried about the ease with which their children can view pornographic content on the internet and this inquiry will provide the ideal platform for all interested parties to discuss how best we can protect our children online."

photo credit: kodomut

Peterborough city council DCS John Richards has stepped down following the publication of a damning Ofsted report this morning, according to reports.

Ofsted found the city to be inadequate in seven of the nine safeguarding categories.

Local reports have said that council bosses accepted Richards's resignation and have blamed his leadership for the poor report.

Four obese children could be taken from their parents and put up for adoption or taken into care, according to reports.The family has objected, saying they're being "picked on" because of their size.

Social workers warned the parents, who have not been named, three years ago that the children must shed some weight, but the young people have failed to slim down since.

The couples' 15 year old said: "The social workers hsould hang their heads in shame. A person'a weight is their own business and only we can do anything about it, not them."

The number of people convicted of sex offences on under 16s in England and Wales has risen by nearly 60% in six years, according to figures obtained by the BBC.

A Freedom of Information request sent to the Ministry of Justice by the broadcaster found that 1,363 people were convicted in 2005, compared with 2,135 in 2010.

Child protection experts have said the increase is likely to be due to raised awareness and better detecting of the crime. But they also warned that the number of convictions is still relatively low, considering the scale of child abuse.

Lisa Harker, head of strategy and development at the NSPCC, told the BBC that police were notified of over 23,000 sexual offences against children in England and Wales last year, while recent research suggested one in 20 secondary school children had been sexually abused.

Poor old Birmingham. There always seems to be something going wrong in their children's services.
There was, of course, the tragic case of Khyra Ishaq. There's been an improvement notice they just can't seem to shake. Then Community Care uncovered the fact that a large proportion of children-in-need did not have allocated social workers. Earlier this summer, an abuse scandal was uncovered at a city nursery.

Is there any hope?
Well, Birmingham is hoping there's hope and is currently seeking a permanent replacement to Eleanor Brazil, who the government appointed last year to improve the department. Reports say the council hopes to replace Brazil by Christmas.

Anyone up to the challenge...?

A guest blog by Jonathan Stanley, principal founding partner of NCERCC

Leading residential child care practitioners are proposing a subscription-funded independent National Centre for English Residential Child Care, carrying on the name and work of NCERCC. 

During its years of government-funded work the previous National Centre for Excellence in Residential Child Care (NCERCC) impacted significantly on the life chances of vulnerable children and young people living away from home in children's homes and residential special schools.

It was founded following many years of advocacy from the residential sector and not the least from several government reports that had called for just such a centre. It fulfilled its aim to become a principal reference point for all matters relating to residential child care successfully collaborating with providers, practitioners, children and young people (and their families), regulators, policy makers, commissioners and researchers.

The centre would provide the unique services of NCERCC, high-quality information on evidence-based practice and developments openly shared across the whole sector - local authority, private and voluntary: care, education and health - including information and news bulletins, website, practice library, work groups, a national and regional network re-founding the Children's Residential Network enquiry service.

The centre would be completely free standing and part of no other organisation. With around 2,000 residential settings a subscription of £150 per year, less than £3 per week per setting, would provide sufficient income to fund the centre. Any government funding received would reduce the amount from individual settings.

At the time of closing after government funding ceased a group of registered managers wrote:

"NCERCC has proved invaluable to the development of our service through support, guidance and information/best practice ....informed and supported our practice to a point where all of our homes are rated good or above from Ofsted... We feel without the resources of NCERCC our journey would have been much harder and more isolated....helped  us to feel recognised, respected and listened to as a profession, and consequently the outcomes and opportunities for the young people in our care have been raised significantly."

Soundings have already been taken been taken across the sector with one person
responding:

"...very excited by the proposal...NCERCC continues to carry a great deal of good will in the sector. Certainly I have missed the things it offered me...delighted to support such a venture".

Another said "...there is a real need for an independent organization to share information or good practice."

People attending the recent Department for Education seminars regarding the
government programme for children's homes pointed to the work of NCERCC
consistently providing good resource/research information.

It is clear that the work of NCERCC is still respected as effecting improvements and would provide a trusted focus and leadership for policy and practice development making real the wish of the coalition government for 'sector-led development'.

The past experience of NCERCC shows what can be done by a centre that is
linked organically to the sector by task and experiences. It provides a hub in which policy makers, practitioners and service users can both feed into and extract information from, ensuring that the entire sector is informed and involved. The government funding received showed what can be done and sustained given funding.

Bringing together a group of committed professionals to remember, reclaim, review,
renew, redo, reshape and review the residential child care task would be a significant
statement that the sector sees itself as possessing the resilient ability to encourage,
enable and empower itself communicating good practice and common purpose.

• If you are interested in subscribing to an independent National Centre for English Residential Child Care, email Jonathan Stanley on ncercc@gmail.com
• To show your support for a new NCERCC you can sign the e-petition on the No 10 website.

A group of teenagers from Lambeth youth offending service have produced this short film about life after the riots in Brixton. They interviewed residents about the impact of the riots for the topical film project, which was funded by the charity Unitas and produced as part of the Lambeth Summer Arts College Scheme.

Some new appointments have been approved for Ofsted's board and it's difficult not to notice a slight bias towards the education side of things.

Paul Snell CBE, a trustee and council member at Action for Children, appears a bit of a token gesture among a number education experts appointed. Snell is the former chief inspector of the commission for social care inspection, and has also served as the interim chief executive of the General Social Care Council.

Andy Palmer, director of education and skills at BT, was also appointed. Ofsted said Palmer's "extensive knowledge and experience of work-based learning and industry engagement in the education system" supported his appointment.

John Roberts CBE is another education expert to be appointed. He was the non-executive director of BECTA (British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) until its closure in March 2011.

Sir Alan Steer, also appointed, is full of education credentials. He was initially appointed as a co-opted member of the Ofsted Board in September 2008 as an education expert. Prior to this, he was headteacher at Seven Kings School. He has also served as an education adviser to the government, specifically advising on behaviour and discipline in schools, and as pro-director of the Institute of Education. He is currently a director at the Teaching Awards and chair of the judging panel for the Ambition AXA Awards.

Another highlight is Professor Geoff Whitty CBE, the former director of the Institute of Education, University of London, and currently an advisor to the House of Commons Education Committee (though to be fair, the committee deals with social care issues as well).

Still though-- at a time when social workers are concerned that the government is too focused on education at the expense of social services, Ofsted's selection (approved by MIchael Gove, by the way) seems potentially poorly judged.