We’ve gathered up some interesting documents on child welfare, which have been published this week.
The House of Commons Library put out two briefings on February 18, which offer information on child protection laws and unregistered accommodation for looked after children, both current topics in the news.
An overview of child protection legislation in England
The briefing summarises the key pieces of legislation in child protection, what each one does and also includes statutory guidance for the sector.
A full review, which is 13 pages long, is also added in downloadable PDF format at the bottom of the page.
Looked after children: out of area, unregulated and unregistered accommodation (England)
This briefing paper explains out of area placements for looked after children in England, and the developments around placements for looked after children in unregulated and unregistered accommodation.
The paper sets out the current position in relation to what local authorities can and can’t do when it comes to organising accommodation for children in care, and highlights the recent concerns over children being placed outside of their local area.
The document also offers information on a review of children’s residential care which took place in 2016. The two paragraphs in this section are an important read for anyone concerned about the government’s focus on profits rather than people inside the sector.
The paper also outlines the ongoing government consultation into unregulated care homes for children, which sets out proposals for change. This review is open until April 8, and wants to hear from children, young people and families with experience of care.
The proposals as set out, are:
- Banning the use of independent and semi-independent placements for children under the age of 16.
- Introducing a new requirement on local authorities to consult with local police forces when they place a child out of area in unregulated provision.
- Amending legislation to define ‘care’ in order to provide clarity on the distinction between unregulated and unregistered provision.
- Introducing new national standards for providers of unregulated provision. The consultation seeks views on how the standards should be introduced and enforced.
- Legislate to increase Ofsted’s enforcement powers “so that robust action can be taken quickly where providers are found to be acting illegally.”
Researching Reform 
so 100000 orphans.Perhaps birth families are all dead
LikeLike
“Legislate to increase Ofsted’s enforcement powers “so that robust action can be taken quickly where providers are found to be acting illegally.”
I would hope that have a significant impact on dishonest staff as at the moment no action is ever taken against these people. all they do is rate the LA inadequate which is not good enough.Lies and Corruption has dogged Child protection for far too long without consequences.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Surely when “providers” sexually abuse the children in their charge those children should be allowed to complain to parents and police?
At present making any such complaint is strictly forbidden ………….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Unregulated and unregistered placements. That alone should tell everyone how messed up this system is. Why does it need to be investigated, the very fact these words are used points to a climate of corruption by LA’s.
If a parent was the leave their child on a regular basis with an unregistered childminder they would be liable for at least censure or possible prosecution but the LA’s appear to be immune from the rule of law.
All I see here will be another increase in the sale of white emulsion paint. How often have we read the results of these investigation being “Lessons will be learned”. I was always under the impression that the SS, Cafcass and the likes were staffed by educated individuals, however, with the number of lessons to be learned it appears their level of education has been insufficient for the task at hand. As such surely the answer is get rid of all those presently employed in those organisations and replace them with penguins who appear to have more experience than social workers in the rearing of their offspring.
LikeLiked by 1 person
As an addition to my post above, I found this, a statement made by a mother in court regarding the abuse she sufferedat home as a child from the age of 3.
“I don’t want it stop it, I said please not every night its hurting me.
It was every night before bed. . I guess it stopped him bashing my mother”
This statement was dismissed by the judge, the SS, Cafcass and the expert witness as irrelevant and actually used against her in the expert witness report. This is the state of vile and evil people who run the Family Courts. In essence they were blaming the child, now the mother, for her own abuse as a child of 3 until she was 12. Those people are sick but all those politicians listed are guilty of doing nothing to stop this rampant corruption.
LikeLiked by 1 person