CYP Now - Increase in children in care cases meeting time limit, Family Court figures show

The proportion of care proceeding cases being handled within the statutory 26-week timeframe has increased, but two in three are still taking longer, according to official Family Court figures.

Councils warn that 'an acute rise in the costs of placing children in care mean in-year spending on children’s services is spiralling out of control'. Picture: Adobe Stock

The number of adoption orders submitted to the Family Court has also increased, figures show - ADOBE STOCK

From April to June this year 32% of cases were completed within the time frame, up three percentage points on the same period last year.

The average time for a case to be disposed of by the courts has dropped to 41 weeks. At the same time last year, the average was 44 weeks, according to the latest figures.

Under the 2014 Children and Families Act care and supervision proceedings should not exceed 26 weeks.

The increase in cases meeting this limit shows that councils and the courts “have made some good progress in improving the timeliness of care proceedings”, said Association of Directors of Children’s Services chair Helen Lincoln.

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