1. families, children and young people
  2. children
  3. looked after children

looked after children

Children in care (Radio 4 series: Woman's Hour)

This episode of Radio 4's Woman's Hour series asks if children who get taken into care should be looked after by strangers or by members of their own family. The Children's Act says children should be looked after by family members - if they want to take on the responsibility and are deemed suitable. But on Woman's Hour, the Family Rights Group says family and friends are too often ignored or rebuffed by social services. If the family does get approved they don't always get the financial support they need.

Sweet 16?: one year on - is life any sweeter?

On 25 March 2008, the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland laid before the Scottish Parliament a report called Sweet 16? The Age of Leaving Care in Scotland. It was debated on 25 June 2008. The Scottish Government has responded positively to most of the report’s recommendations, which are attached as an appendix to this paper, together with a short summary of the full report. In January 2009, a feedback survey was circulated to local authorities to help identify progress on the issues raised in Sweet 16? and also what more needed to be done.

Disproportionality in child welfare: the prevalence of black and minority ethnic children within the 'looked after' and 'children in need' populations and on child protection registers in England

This study aimed to investigate the differences between ethnic groups in their contact with child welfare services in England. Analyses were conducted on three national datasets (the Children in Need Census, children on the child protection register and children looked after), and looked after children’s care histories were examined to see if over- or under-representation could be explained by factors such as differing rates of entering or leaving care. These analyses were supplemented by a review of relevant research literature.

Ensuring all disabled children and young people and their families receive services which are sufficiently differentiated to meet their diverse needs

This review sets out to investigate the evidence base for the provision of differentiated services to meet the diverse needs of disabled children and young people and their families. It focuses on children from BME (black and minority ethnic) communities, children with complex needs, children living away from home, and children from refugee and asylum-seeking families as instances of those who face the most challenges to adequate service delivery.

Looked-after children: third report of session 2008-09: volume II: oral and written evidence

Provides the detailed oral and written evidence presented to the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee session on looked after children. The session aimed to investigate the performance of the care system in England, consider whether the Governments proposals for reform were soundly based, and to find out whether the Care Matters programme would be effective in helping looked after children. A summary of the findings are provided in Volume I.

Good practice guidance for children in care councils

The Government's decision to provide all children and young people with the opportunity to participate fully in decisions that affect them is to be welcomed. It should give Local Authorities the opportunity to develop the appropriate methods of communication that participants need to engage fully in the Children in Care Councils. Children in Care Councils have the potential to contribute to transforming the lives of those involved, providing that children and young people are given the correct platform to share and discuss their views.