David Hawker, vice-chair of the Association of Directors of Education and Children's Services, said "good progress" had been made since before Christmas when Channel 4's Dispatches programme, Profiting from Kids in Care, revealed serious failings in private children's homes (Children Now, 1-7 December). Following this, social services directors urged councils to tighten up their commissioning processes.
Speaking at the launch of a manifesto for children last week, Lord Filkin said he was looking at staff training in children's homes. The minister, whose brief includes looked-after children, told the audience of charities, children and politicians that they could "read between the lines" why this was.
Janet Rich, a director at the Bryn Melyn Group, a private provider of care homes, said people in the sector felt "very buoyed" by Filkin's stance.
"He's one of the first senior politicians to say that residential care has a very special, albeit small, role to play in caring for looked-after children. It's really important that politicians understand and listen to children," she said.
Rich stressed that private children's homes had a "very high commitment" to training.
"One of the difficulties is how do you fit all that in-depth, high-quality, specialised training in when you are also trying to chase National Vocational Qualification targets, such as manual handling and food hygiene. It can make it hard to focus," she added.
Opposition politicians at the manifesto's launch called for the Government to publish a strategy on residential children's homes.
However, Rich warned that this should not focus solely on private children's homes.
The debate on training coincides with Commission for Social Care Inspection guidance on qualification targets to improve services in children's homes. Its revised policy on the required National Vocational Qualifications for managers and care staff working in children's homes came into force on 31 January.
Dr Roger Morgan, children's rights director at the commission, said: "Children have told me through our consultations that staff training is vital to their quality of care."
- www.csci.org.uk.
