Review to examine rise in care order applications and number of children in care
A sector-led review of the rise in applications for care orders and the number of children in care has been announced.
The Family Rights Group, which will facilitate the review, said applications for care proceedings in England and Wales were at record levels.
“This is one factor contributing to the rise in the number of children looked after in the care system, now at the highest level since 1985,” it added.
The FRG has received funding from the Nuffield Foundation to lead the review, which has received the backing from key stakeholders including President of the Family Division Sir James Munby and Court of Appeal judge Lord Justice McFarlane.
The seven-month review will:
- examine the reasons for the rise in care proceedings and number of children in care;
- at all times retain a focus on achieving the best outcomes for children and families;
- take account of the current national economic, financial, legal and policy context that impacts on families and on local authority and court practice;
- aim to identify specific changes to local authority and court systems and national and local policies and practices that will help safely stem the increase in the number of care cases coming before the family courts and the number of children in the care system.
Information on the review, including on how to get involved, can be found here.
The review will include a call for information and emerging evidence about effective approaches to engaging positively with families at an early stage and enhancing the chances of resolving family difficulties.
It will also involve a survey of legal practitioners, roundtable events and structured consultation events with children, young people, parents and kinship carers.
Nigel Richardson, recently retired Director of Children's Services at Leeds City Council, will chair the review.
The Association of Directors of Children’s Services has welcomed the review. Its President, Alison Michalska, said: “The number of care applications being made to courts in recent years has increased year-on year, as has the number of children coming into our care. This rise, in itself, isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it means that local authorities are keeping more children and young people with the highest level of need safe, but it has placed considerable strain on the system across the board.
“It’s vital that wherever possible local authorities and their partners are doing all they can to support families to stay together and in many places local authorities are remodelling their services, including by refocusing resources into edge of care services, to do this but this is no easy task at a time when demand is rising and budgets have been reduced significantly.
“A review which considers changes that could be made nationally and locally to reduce the number of children coming into care safely is long overdue.”
