Family justice findings will accompany Munro report

An interim report on the family justice review will accompany the Munro review when it is published in April, children’s minister Tim Loughton (pictured) revealed today.

“There was some clear overlaps in the work of both reviews and the two chairs have been talking together and making representations to each other’s work.

“Although David Norgrove’s review of the family justice system is far more complex he will reveal an interim report in April to go alongside the Munro findings.”

Loughton, speaking at the National Children and Adult Services Conference in Manchester, said he anticipated Norgrove’s review to come up with “some quite radical solutions”.

In a session on child poverty at the conference Sarah Teather, children and families minister, was questioned over the impact of the housing benefit on families in urban areas. She said that it was ultimately the government’s intention to drive down market rents to improve child poverty.

“It can’t be right that such huge amounts of public funds go into the pockets of private landlords. But obviously how we get there is not easy. We are looking at the affected areas to find different solutions and I know the DWP are looking very closely at some of the issues in London.”

She also said she understood the pressures on councils relating to disabled children who had high levels of need, and thus costs. “That’s why in the green paper I want to look at the idea of councils coming together to pool their risk in this area and I’d like to know your views on how councils could be incentivised to do so.”

Full coverage of the NCAS conference

What do you think? Join the debate on CareSpace

Keep up to date with the latest developments in social care. Sign up to our daily and weekly emails