Children in care inquiry
Closed
What the inquiry looked at
“Local authorities spent £2.5 billion in 2012-13 supporting children in foster and residential care, a real terms increase of 3% since 2010-11. Local authorities in England looked after 68,110 children (at the end of March 2013), the highest level for 20 years. Most children in care, 75%, are fostered. Nearly two thirds (62%) of children are in care because they have suffered abuse or neglect. Children’s early experiences can have long-term impacts on their emotional and physical health, social development, education and future employment. Children in care do less well in school than their peers. They are also more likely to experience problems in later life, which can have a wider social impact and lead to higher costs to the public purse. There has been no improvement since 2009 in getting children into the right placement first time and close to home. At the end of March 2013, 34% of children in care had more than one placement during the year, the same proportion since 2009 and 14% of foster children and 34% of those in residential care were placed more than 20 miles from home. The overall numbers have not improved in the last four years. Demand for care is increasing and varies significantly across England. The Department for Education has objectives to improve the quality of care and the stability of placements for children in residential or foster care, so that all children have a good start in life. However, the Department cannot demonstrate that it is meeting its objectives and does not fully understand why the cost of care varies across the country. This inquiry will examine how the Department measures its effectiveness in improving the quality of care and meeting children’s needs, and improving the system’s cost-effectiveness. The Committee will also look at how the Department will use its Innovation Programme to better understand what works in commissioning to improve outcomes for children in care. Further information National Audit Office report: Children in care Chair's statement: Children in care”
The committee's words, from the inquiry page on parliament.uk ↗.
What it found
The Department for Education holds policy responsibility for children in care, and has national oversight of the local authorities who provide the services for these children.
Although the Department is clearly best placed to provide the leadership required in many cases, it shows an alarming reluctance to play an active role in securing better services and outcomes for children in care. It chooses to limit its role to passing legislation, publishing guidance and intervening after Ofsted has failed a local authority service. It does far too little to disseminate actively what works and to support authorities to improve before they are failed by Ofsted. It sits on a wealth of information and knowledge which it fails to use in an active way to support better outcomes for this most vulnerable group of children.
There has been little or no improvement in outcomes for children in foster and residential care and how well they are looked after. While 62% of children in care have suffered abuse and neglect, too many still do not get the right placement first time, too many are moved too often, and too few are placed close to their homes. A lack of placement stability can have a long-term impact on the emotional and physical health, social development, education and future employment prospects of these children. In 2012-13, 34% of children in care had more than one placement during the year; and one third of children in residential care and 14% of fostered children were placed more than 20 miles from home.
None of these figures have changed since 2009. The Department collects lots of data about children in care, but it is too passive and leaves responsibility to local authorities, failing to understand that responsibility to act to achieve better for children in care should be shared.
If the Department is serious about its objectives to improve the quality of care, which we support wholeheartedly, then a step change is required in the Department’s attitude and leadership.
What the government said
No government response is linked to this report.
How the inquiry ran
Each dot is a dated item listed on this page, from the inquiry's opening on 12 January 2015 to its close on 26 March 2015.
- Oral evidence 12 Jan 2015
- Report 11 Mar 2015
What it recommended
The committee's recommendations are not listed here yet. Read them in 44th Report - Children in Care ↗ on parliament.uk.
Evidence
Oral evidence sessions 1
- 12 Jan 2015No witnesses recordedparliament.uk ↗