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Stable Homes, Built on Love?

4 mins read Social Care
I was reflecting recently on the huge challenge we continue to face in finding loving homes that can fully meet the needs of children living in the care system.
John Pearce is director of children’s services at Durham County Council
John Pearce is director of children’s services at Durham County Council - ADCS

We are now over two years on from the publication in May 2022 of Josh MacAlister’s Independent Care Review and more than 18 months on from the government response, Stable Homes, built on love published in February 2023.  So where are those stable homes built on love and are we rebalancing the system towards family help as MacAlister recommended?

The profile and understanding of the problem, both in the sector and wider, has undoubtedly grown as a result of the Care Review, subsequent reporting and national policy discussions.  However, the reality across the country is that we continue to see an upward trajectory of families reaching crisis point due to a lack of investment in universal and early help services underpinned by the worsening crisis of child poverty. There is some amazing work going on across the sector to mitigate these impacts but the blueprint for a better future set out in the Care Review and genuine system change appears as far away now as it did in 2022.  This lack of progress is as predictable as it is disappointing, so how do we change that?

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