About Alice Blackwell

Author Archive | Alice Blackwell

Children

Councils withholding advocacy from parents with learning disabilities in child protection process

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Yvette Stanley

Children, Social work leaders

Ofsted head praises quality of direct work under Covid but warns of pressures to come as referrals rise

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Croydon Skyline

Children, Workforce

Council proposes to increase social worker caseloads to help address financial crisis

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Anne Longfield

Children

Children’s commissioner moots national care system to deliver same standard of support to all

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Asylum-seeking child

Children, Social work leaders

Second council no longer taking asylum-seeking children as IRO caseloads soar

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Image of Covid-19 coronavirus test (credit: jarun011 / Adobe Stock)

Children, Social work leaders

More councils reporting high numbers of social workers off work due to Covid

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Anne Longfield

Children

Government showing ‘deep-rooted ambivalence to vulnerable children’s needs’, says commissioner

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Yvette Stanley

Children, Social work leaders

Fostering capacity still ‘nowhere near enough to meet demand’, despite small rise, warns Ofsted

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Amanda Spielman, Ofsted chief inspector

Children, Coronavirus

‘Covid pressure cooker’ behind 20% rise in reports of serious harm to babies, says inspectorate head

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Cityscape image of Northampton, home of Northamptonshire council (credit: Jevanto Productions / Adobe Stock)

Children, Social work leaders

Independent trust takes over children’s services from council

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Image of book marked 'family court' and judge's gavel (credit: Vitalii Vodolazskyi / Adobe Stock)

Children

Most families facing virtual family court hearings concerned about handling of their case, study finds

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Croydon Skyline

Adults, Children, Social work leaders

Government launches review into council after auditors find repeated failure to control social care costs

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Kent intake unit room for unaccompanied children

Children

Unaccompanied children held for ‘far too long’ at intake unit and some sent to adult centres, say inspectors

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Image of accounts sheet with pen and calculator (credit: Wrangler / Adobe Stock)

Adults, Children, Social work leaders

Quarter of council heads predict not enough resource for spending needs by 2022

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money

Children, Coronavirus

80% of councils have seen rise in children’s placement costs during Covid-19

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Gavin Williamson

Children, Social work leaders

Education secretary calls for overhaul of ‘lifestyle-judging’ adoption system

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