Educationalist Chris Waterman last week branded the idea "naive anddisingenuous" in his damning report (CYP Now, 9-15 January) while LordAdonis has bemoaned the apparent fuss it has attracted, given the pilotsare yet to begin (see p11).
But the initiative is recognition that improvements are urgently neededto a system which is failing both clients and professionals.Looked-after children are eight times likelier to be excluded fromschool and nearly half suffer mental health problems. Social workers inlocal authorities meanwhile are increasingly demotivated anddisempowered by risk-averse managers and mountains of written reports,eroding their ability to make decisions and care for children. Theresult is high staff turnover and instability for children whodesperately need that continuous relationship with an adult.
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