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Incentive payments: sector split over ethics and effectiveness

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Leaders say offering payments to attract foster carers will boost councils’ placement options and reduce costs, but some experts doubt that financial inducements will work and instead call for a national recruitment campaign.

Councils turn to inducements to attract scarce fostering families

Analysis

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Research reveals local authorities and providers face a huge shortage of foster carers to meet demand. Some councils are now offering ‘golden hellos’ to potential carers, but this practice has triggered mixed views.

Study highlights damage pandemic caused to welfare of children at risk

Analysis

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Manchester Metropolitan University in partnership with the Alliance for Youth Justice have embarked on a research project, funded by UK Research and Innovation, focusing on the impact of Covid-19 on each stage of the youth justice system.

Debate: School-run chaperones

Analysis

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Youth workers will chaperone pupils to reduce violence, but expert says scheme will create more trauma.

Tackling free childcare decline

Analysis

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Councils are honing ways to reverse fall in the number of two-year-olds using the funded entitlement.

Child deaths link to pressures of pandemic and resources shortage

Analysis

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

The killings of two young children in 2020 by their parents and partners have raised serious questions about safeguarding practice during the pandemic and whether there is sufficient funding and staff to fulfil duties.

Success for tutoring programme

Analysis

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Amid concerns over national tutoring scheme, academy trust initiative improves poorer pupils’ outcomes.

Support hubs campaign gains impetus

Analysis

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Charities and local authorities call for national rollout of easy access drop-in centres to provide early mental health support to young people.

Questions on revamped national child asylum transfer scheme

Analysis

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Amid the recent surge of migrants across the Channel, the government has made compulsory a scheme to disperse unaccompanied asylum-seeking children across the UK after some South East councils were struggling to cope.

Using the law to uphold vulnerable children’s rights and entitlements

Analysis

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

It is 40 years since Coram Children’s Legal Centre published Locked Up in Care, its first major report. It has championed the rights of marginalised groups of children and is still holding policymakers to account.

Provider survey reveals scale of childcare workforce crisis

Analysis

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Few parts of the children and families sector have been hit as hard by the pandemic as early years services. Shortages of staff and government funding have only been exacerbated by Covid-19 as demand for places has failed to return to pre-pandemic levels resulting in settings closing.

Youth custody rethink needed, say critics

Analysis

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Campaigners say failings at Oakhill STC highlight widespread system problems improvement plan won’t fix.

Rise in mental health workers

Analysis

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Policy developments help boost mental health workforce but councils need more funding, say experts.

Family hubs expansion: sector split on their role and potential

Analysis

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Advocates of family hubs say new government funding will help establish a network of family support facilities that complements the early years focus of children’s centres, but some fear it signals the "death knell" for them.