MPs launch call for care leavers to share experience of services
Fiona Simpson
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Cross-party MPs are encouraging people to share their experiences of children’s social care as part of their investigation into how the government could improve services.
The Education Committee has launched a survey that asks care leavers of all ages about the help they received whilst in care and the types of placements they experienced, such as foster care, kinship, residential or adoption.
Questions are also designed to help MPs learn about the support that young people receive around their mental wellbeing and any disabilities.
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The availability of services supporting care leavers to manage their finances or access work and education will be looked at by the committee who are asking whether “that support was helpful or how it could be improved”.
The anonymous survey will form part of the committee’s ongoing inquiry into children’s social care.
Committee chair Robin Walker said: “My colleagues and I have been receiving detailed evidence from experts and professionals in children’s social care, but our inquiry wouldn’t be complete without hearing from people who have been through the system themselves.
“Whether their first-hand experiences were good or bad, hearing their reflections and their ideas about how to improve the system will be a huge help to us.”
The responses will help shape a series of recommendations to the government to improve children’s social care, Walker added.
Meanwhile, the Department for Education has named the most recent local authorities to pilot its family support and child protection programmes as part of its response to the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care.
Dorset, Lincolnshire and Wolverhampton councils began piloting the programmes in September with Lewisham, Luton, Redbridge, Walsall, Warrington, Warwickshire and Wirral joining them in the latest roll-out of the families first for children pathfinder programme and family networks pilot.
Currently there are no pathfinder authorities from the North East, South East or from Yorkshire and Humber.
The pilots include the introduction of specialist child protection social workers, an increase in partnership working and data sharing and a greater focus on wider family involvement to support children on the edge of care.
