The Magistrates' Association last week criticised the tendency of care home staff to call the police in situations where, in a "traditional" family, a parent would normally deal with the problem (see p5). This is no doubt one reason why more than one in three young people in custody has been in local authority care, according to a Youth Justice Board and HM Inspectorate of Prisons report (YPN, 22-28 June, p4).
Music journalist and writer Paulo Hewitt wrote an excellent book about his time growing up in care in the 1960s and 70s, called The Looked-After Kid. Hewitt makes the point that, particularly in foster care, the emphasis used to be on the comfort and point of view of the carers - not the young people in care.
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
