CYP Now Children in Care Supplement 2014

Foreword

The numbers of children entering the care system has begun to stabilise after several years of considerable growth. Indeed, the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) reports that 90 out of 152 councils in England reported a decline in care applications per 10,000 children in 2013/14 compared with the previous year. Twenty-six councils have experienced a fall for two consecutive years.

Nevertheless, the care population remains high while resources continue to shrink, putting pressure on commissioners and providers alike to get the best outcomes for vulnerable children.

Government reforms in recent months have added new responsibilities. Local authorities now have a legal duty to provide financial support for young people who want to stay in foster care up to the age of 21, with attempts under way to apply the change also to residential care. The introduction of the Pupil Premium Plus sets out to narrow the gap in education, with additional funding targeted at children in the care system. And the cross-departmental Care Leaver Strategy aims to ease the transition to independent living for the many thousands of young people who leave the care system each year. These policy changes present great opportunities as well as challenges for professionals in improving the quality of provision.

Other familiar challenges remain: concerns over safeguarding looked-after children at risk of going missing from care and falling prey to sexual exploitation; and addressing a shortage of foster carers, are chief among these. Further reforms are expected in the coming year, including a shake-up to qualifications and workforce development for staff in residential care.

Children and young people in the care system will have experienced an unfortunate start to their lives. And when the care system makes the headlines, it is usually for the wrong reasons. Matters are not always negative, however. Throughout the country, there is plenty of pioneering, effective practice in helping looked-after children to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

This year's Children in Care supplement sets out to bring you some of this good, innovative thinking and practice to help support you in the important work that you do.

Ravi Chandiramani
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher, Children & Young People Now