Welsh seek probe into Children First

Senior Welsh politicians want a review of the Children First programme because of concerns about how much it is helping looked-after children and care leavers.

Jenny Randerson, a member of the Welsh assembly’s health and social care committee, called on business minister Jane Hutt to commission an independent evaluation of the programme, which was set up in 1999 to improve the life chances of vulnerable children.

Randerson was joined by other members in accusing the assembly government of failing to provide enough support for looked-after children and care leavers.

But Hutt said it was spending 150m on schemes for looked-after children and that it would be “unrealistic” to expect rapid improvements in outcomes because “many have life-limiting problems that will impair their capacity to develop, learn and thrive”.