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The toughest job in the land just got tougher

    Other
  • Monday, July 20, 2015
  • | CYP Now
If you are looking for evidence of just how tough a job it is to be a director of children's services (DCS) at the moment, the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) conference provided it.

Character education can help children succeed

    Other
  • Monday, June 22, 2015
  • | CYP Now
There is a temptation to view character education as part of an agenda by Conservative politicians to take schooling and youth participation back to a bygone era when Victorian values of the British stiff upper lip ruled.

Further austerity is the only election certainty

    Other
  • Monday, April 27, 2015
  • | CYP Now
As the curtain comes down on this Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, it is worth reflecting on what we've learnt from the past five years - as it looks increasingly likely that the future holds more of the same.

'Wilful neglect' laws won't help recruit social workers

    Other
  • Tuesday, March 17, 2015
  • | CYP Now
A number of reports over the past few weeks have highlighted the extent of the problem facing children's services departments in recruiting experienced social workers. Latest Department for Education figures show that over the past year, children's social worker vacancies have risen nearly 20 per cent so that on average, each English authority now has almost 30 full-time posts unfilled.

The fight for the right to stay put is yet to be won

    Other
  • Tuesday, February 17, 2015
  • | CYP Now
When government plans to introduce Staying Put in foster care were unveiled in late 2013, campaigners were quick to question why the right to stay in a placement up to the age of 21 should not be afforded to young people in residential care as well.

Stable workforce is key to future of social care

    Other
  • Monday, October 13, 2014
  • | CYP Now
Many local authorities continue to fill vacancies for children's social workers with temporary agency staff in order to tackle ever-increasing caseload levels. The issue is this month thrown into sharp focus at high-profile councils with the biggest challenges.

Free childcare scheme needs more investment

    Other
  • Monday, June 23, 2014
  • | CYP Now
The government's free childcare offer for disadvantaged two-year-olds is both laudable and much needed. But that alone will not guarantee its success. Concerns about implementation of the initiative - which is meant to provide 15 hours of free childcare per week for the 130,000 most disadvantaged two-year-olds - have been around for some time. In the spring, the government's own figures showed a quarter of the expected number of places had yet to be created.

Outsourcing proposals require time and care

    Other
  • Monday, June 9, 2014
  • | CYP Now
If the submissions to the government's outsourcing consultations gathered by CYP Now is an accurate barometer of the sector overall, then the jury is well and truly out as to whether local authorities should be allowed to contract out children's social care services.

Councils must build on youth housing solutions

    Other
  • Monday, May 26, 2014
  • | CYP Now
The 10 per cent rise in house prices in England reported last week was widely seen as another sign that the economy is recovering from the deepest recession in living memory. Good news for home owners certainly, but soaring property prices are making it harder for young people to not just get on the housing ladder, but branch out into independent living generally.

Editorial: Outsourcing proposals could benefit charities

    Other
  • Tuesday, May 13, 2014
  • | CYP Now
The announcement last month of the consultation into the widescale outsourcing of children's services would have surprised few in the sector. Controversial though it may be, the government has been laying the groundwork for the creation of a children's social care "market" for the past year. But although the direction of travel has been clear for some time, the ramifications of such a move are only now starting to be thought through.

Labour must produce a clear vision for children

    Other
  • Tuesday, March 18, 2014
  • | CYP Now
After a slow start, Labour seems to be finding its feet in opposition. But with a general election a little over a year away, time is running out for the party to produce a coherent policy vision for children, young people and families.

New Ofsted inspections must show consistency

    Other
  • Tuesday, March 4, 2014
  • | CYP Now
Inspection is a tough brief. Just like a football referee, an Ofsted inspector will rarely please everyone: one minute you are being accused by politicians and the public of being too soft and failing to spot bad practice, while the next, those you regulate will be hopping up and down over a perceived injustice in judgment.

Councils need the means to deliver foster care support

    Other
  • Tuesday, December 17, 2013
  • | CYP Now
A little over two months ago, the Fostering Network called on the government to do the right thing - both morally and economically - by extending financial support to foster carers and in doing so enable children they care for to stay in the placement past their 18th birthday and up to 21 if they so wish.

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