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Children’s commissioner lays out proposals for children's homes improvements

2 mins read Social Care
Children’s homes are “not meeting the standards we should expect” and need to be reformed, according to children's commissioner for England Rachel de Souza.
Rachel de Souza has laid out a series of recommendations to improve children's residential care. Picture: Office of the children's commissioner for England
Rachel de Souza has laid out a series of recommendations to improve children's residential care. Picture: Office of the children's commissioner for England

She said there is “overwhelming evidence” that the residential care sector is failing children.

Out of area placements, lack of educational opportunities and moves among homes at short notice are among her complaints. She said that “everyday my team is intervening” in such cases.

In publishing her report Reforming children’s homes: a policy plan of action, she said: “We need to have far higher standards about the homes in which we place our children.”

“There are too many homes which are perfunctory, rather than striving for excellence,” she added.

“There are too many children in homes which are too far from home, or not aligned with what they need from education or mental health. There are some children’s homes in England which are simply not good enough to ever house a child,” the report states.

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