The government is considering whether to create a new offence of emotional cruelty to children. The BBC reports that the Ministry of Justice is looking at how the law can protect children from emotional cruelty. It follows a campaign for a "Cinderella Law" from charity Action for Children.
Children’s minister Edward Timpson has called for parliament to be more family-friendly. The Guardian reports that the MP for Crewe and Nantwich, who lives in London, away from his family, during the week, wants further changes to working patterns in parliament introduced. "A lot of us now have young families and we could do much more to recognise that life has moved on,” he said.
Independent Reviewing Officers are not able to work to their full potential for children in care due to the challenges associated with the role, a study has found. A report by the National Children’s Bureau found that high case loads, an inability to assert independence and confront poor practice, time constraints, a lack of resources and an expectation to conduct other duties outside the IRO remit, all contributed towards an inconsistent application of IRO core duties set out in statutory guidance.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
