How we are improving ... Placement stability in Hackney

Council London Borough of Hackney

Performance

The percentage of children with three or more placements during the year to 31 March

2004 Hackney 15.9% England average 13.7%

2005 Hackney 14% England average 13.6%

2006 Hackney 11.7% England average 13.1%

2007 Hackney 13.4% England average 12.2%

2008 Hackney 7.3% England average 11.4%

The London Borough of Hackney has taken concerted steps to improve stability for its looked-after children.

In 2004, nearly 16 per cent of children in care were experiencing more than three placement moves in a year. But this number has steadily decreased, dropping to a low of 7.3 per cent by March 2008.

Alan Wood, the council's director of children's services, puts the improvement down to a new approach taken by the department. Under Hackney's Reclaim Social Work programme, the council has introduced a new structure, which includes more therapeutic support and greater attention to multi-disciplinary working. Wood says: "Our assessments of both children and placements are now far more systematic. We have a far more clinical insight into children's needs and are able to match prospective carers much more closely."