Themes | Child Protection & Education | The Accountability Index

Vulnerable child care

Lack of consistent prescribed care for highly vulnerable children due to insufficient care package reviews and staff training.

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Sep 2022 · West London

The coroner identified that a highly vulnerable ventilator-dependent child did not consistently receive prescribed 2:1 care, and the complex care package lacked appropriate review, quality checks, and escalation of parents' concerns.

Matched on terms: care, child, vulnerable

Committee recommendation

#57 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Children in care and those with care experience are particularly vulnerable to financial instability and legal aid is crucial to allow them access to justice. The Government must urgently act to increase provision in legal aid deserts. Where legal aid should be available in theory, it must be available in practice. Provision shortages must not constitute a barrier...

Matched on terms: care, child, vulnerable

Committee recommendation

#37 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

The review of the National Protocol on Reducing Unnecessary Criminalisation of Looked-After Children and Care Leavers is a welcome step, although its publication is already late. The government should consider placing it on a statutory footing, to ensure that local authorities and key agencies apply it consistently across the country. (Recommendation, Paragraph 180) Ill-treatment and deaths of children

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#35 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Whilst criminal sanctions may be appropriate in some cases, children and young people with care experience are disproportionately at risk of criminalisation. Data we have seen shows that care-experienced young people constitute nearly half of the population in youth custody, and they are ten times more likely to receive an immediate custodial sentence. 103 Challenging behaviour that would...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#56 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Children’s right to independent advocacy must be strengthened. Although there is a statutory entitlement to advocacy services, many individuals are unaware of this or unable to secure advocacy in an appropriate timeframe. We support the recommendation of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care for the implementation of an opt-out legal right to advocacy to all children in...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#53 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) should be part of a system that ensures that children have their human rights respected whilst in care. However, we have heard that IROs sometimes struggle to challenge local authorities with independence. We note with concern evidence we have received suggesting a low number of referrals from IROs. We are also concerned that the...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#38 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

We have seen evidence that children in need, a group that includes children in care and disabled children, are four times more likely to die due to deliberately inflicted injury, abuse or neglect than children without any social care involvement. While we acknowledge that Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services are facing unprecedented strain, this reality is profoundly...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#36 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

The government must work with local authorities, law enforcement professionals and other relevant stakeholders, to address the root causes and drivers of the overrepresentation of children and young people with care experience in the criminal system. These include poor practices, early police contact, and a lack of understanding of how trauma and adversity can impact the lives of...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#30 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

The consequences for children in care of the Supreme Court’s recent changes to the law on deprivation of liberty should be kept carefully under review. It is crucial that children who are held in conditions akin to confinement are not deprived of appropriate safeguards. (Recommendation, Paragraph 156)

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#14 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

We welcome the government’s recent and planned reforms and focused work in the area of kinship care. However, efforts must not end there. Children should be able to stay within family networks wherever possible, having due regard to the child’s best interests and welfare. The experiences and expertise of kinship families must be given proper consideration when decisions...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#41 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

We have heard evidence about the inadequate provision of mental health support and care in social care settings, which can be one of the contributing causes for self-inflicted injuries and deaths. The government must tackle this as a matter of urgency and ensure that all children with social care involvement receive appropriate mental health support. In developing solutions,...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#40 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

This change in the law would be of particular relevance to children in care, because there would be increased protections for children before they enter the care system, potentially allowing for concerns in home environments to be identified and flagged to local authorities at an earlier stage. Further, there would be increased protections for children leaving care or...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#39 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

In line with recommendations made by the Children’s Commissioner for England and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, there should be a change in the law to give children equal protection from physical assault to adults. The defence of reasonable chastisement or punishment to a charge of assault on a child should be removed, bringing...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#33 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

The government should also make clear what specific action is being taken to locate these children, to investigate the causes for them going missing, and to avoid unaccompanied asylum-seeking children going missing in the future. The Home Office should update us every three months with details of efforts to locate the children who remain missing. We understand two...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#31 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

We welcome the fact that the majority of missing children have now been found. However, we continue to be extremely concerned about the fact that some children who went missing from asylum hotels in previous years remain missing. (Conclusion, Paragraph 164)

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#29 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

We appreciate that in certain circumstances, for welfare reasons, children in care may be deprived of their liberty. But every effort should be employed to offer support to children before depriving them of their liberty. Deprivation of liberty must be a measure of last resort, for as short a period as possible, and should follow the strict requirements...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#27 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

We have heard evidence that many children do not feel safe or do not have their needs met whilst in so-called supported accommodation. Many of these children are legally looked after but not receiving day-to-day care. While the new regulatory and inspection regime introduces positive changes to scrutiny and oversight, it does not guarantee that children in supported...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#25 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

We welcome the Government’s renewed focus on expanding fostering. Long- term solutions will involve systematic changes to ensure loving homes for all children in care. However, the accommodation of children in illegal homes is a problem that cannot wait. (Conclusion, Paragraph 132)

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#24 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Unregulated accommodation, including caravans, holiday rentals or AirBnBs, do not allow for formal inspections or scrutiny. Such settings are unlawful, unsafe, and represent a serious failure to protect children. They are also not good value for public money. We are concerned that the situation may create opportunities for potential financial misconduct. The scope for such misconduct must be...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#23 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

While we understand that it can be very difficult for local authorities to arrange suitable accommodation for all children in their care, it is never acceptable to place a child in an illegal home. (Conclusion, Paragraph 130)

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#22 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

We welcome the changes introduced by the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 to require local authorities to allow reasonable contact between children in care and their siblings but note that such a flexible 101 standard could be interpreted narrowly by local authorities with limited resources. The government must work with local authorities to ensure this does not...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#21 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

There must be greater emphasis on the need to maintain and prioritise stable, lifelong relationships. The availability and promotion of contact with family members and friends, where safe and in the best interests of the child, must be the default approach. (Recommendation, Paragraph 117)

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#20 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Children are too often placed in accommodation far from family and friends. Failure to promote contact with siblings and other family members could amount to a breach of children’s rights to private and family life under Article 8 ECHR. (Conclusion, Paragraph 116)

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#15 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

We also welcome the Law Commission’s project on legal reform of kinship care. We particularly welcome the Law Commission’s plans to investigate the benefits and drawbacks of introducing a bespoke order to recognise, support, and regulate kinship care. Such an order could assist in ensuring the availability of better avenues to support carers, and a more comprehensive framework...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#13 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

We have heard evidence about the considerable benefits of keeping children within family networks. We believe that the government must emphasise the importance of loving kinship arrangements and support them whenever possible. (Conclusion, Paragraph 82)

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#9 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Ensuring that disabled children are safe from harm is, of course, extremely important. In some circumstances, such as where there is evidence of risk of harm or abuse to the child, a child protection approach may be appropriate and, indeed, necessary. (Conclusion, Paragraph 62)

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#8 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Assessments of children’s needs must also effectively identify neurodivergence, and must lead to the provision of adequate support to meet the needs of neurodivergent children. (Recommendation, Paragraph 59)

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#7 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

To ensure that disabled children and their families are aware that they are entitled to an assessment of their needs, the duty on local authorities to provide one should be clear and explicit. We agree with the Law Commission’s recommendation to introduce a single duty to assess the social care needs of disabled children, arising where it appears...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#6 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

We agree with the Law Commission: the definition of disability in the Children Act 1989 is outdated. It contains stigmatising language and it does not match modern definitions of disability used in other areas of law. The definition should be modernised and made more inclusive by using the language of the Equality Act 2010, in line with the...

Matched on terms: care, child

Committee recommendation

#5 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

The disabled children’s social care framework is complex and difficult to navigate. In line with the Law Commission’s recommendations, we agree that there should be a single, comprehensive piece of statutory guidance on disabled children’s social care law, clearly setting out rights and responsibilities of disabled children, families, and local authorities. This guidance should be produced in consultation...

Matched on terms: care, child

Law Commission project

Disabled Children's Social Care

The government is considering the recommendations and will provide an interim response within six months of publication and a full response within a year.

Matched on terms: care, child

Inquiry recommendation

67 - Information for the child's carer

The fullest possible information about the background of the child should be made available to the child’s carer together with such administrative detail as the carer will require for the well-being of the child (16.41).

Matched on terms: care, child

HSSIB recommendation

Mental health inpatient settings: Supporting safe care during transition from inpatient children and young people’s mental health services...

Providers of inpatient children and young people’s mental health services can improve patient safety by ensuring there is not a blanket approach to safeguarding mitigation measures based on a person’s age, and that mitigation measures are individualised and based on behaviours and risks.

Matched on terms: care, child

HSSIB recommendation

Keeping children and young people with mental health needs safe: the design of the paediatric ward — HSSIB

It may be beneficial if NHS organisations ensure that systemic risks associated with caring for children and young people with high-risk behaviours on the paediatric ward, including the safety and wellbeing risks to patients and staff, are escalated to integrated care boards for consideration.

Matched on terms: care, child

Aug 2018 · London Inner (West)

The coroner identified that vulnerable young mothers who book maternity care late (after 28 weeks) are often excluded from the Family Nurse Partnership, thereby missing crucial support despite late booking being a risk factor for their child.

Matched on terms: care, child, vulnerable

Committee recommendation

#22 - 1st Report - Courts and Tribunals Bill

Justice Committee

The youth court occupies a distinct position within the magistrates’ court system, dealing with serious cases involving some of the most vulnerable defendants in the criminal justice system. As 90% of children and young people are tried in the youth courts, any reforms to the magistrates’ court appeal process are likely to disproportionately affect them. Care must therefore...

Matched on terms: care, child, vulnerable

Dawn Fiona Byrne McKenzie

1. Staff and carer training needs should be reviewed to ensure that all first time foster carers approved to take children in middle childhood or adolescence should receive Crisis Prevention and Intervention training prior to taking up their first placement. 2. Prospective foster carers when being asked to consider a placement should be given as much information as...

Matched on terms: care, child

Inquiry recommendation

120 - Interviewers involved in care decisions

Interviewers should be involved in decisions relating to the care of the children while they are in places of safety and the extent of their involvement should be defined (17.60).

Matched on terms: care, child

Inquiry recommendation

99 - Agreement terms available to foster carers

Where children are placed with foster carers belonging to another local authority, a copy of the terms of the agreement between the two authorities regarding the placement should be available to the foster carer so that lines of support and communication are clearly understood (17.36).

Matched on terms: care, child

Jul 2017 · West Sussex

The coroner identified a lack of full disclosure of a child's background information to prospective foster carers and insufficient formal documentation of what was shared. This created uncertainty and increased anxiety for the child regarding their placement.

Matched on terms: care, child

Sep 2019 · Black Country

The coroner identified inconsistent medical note sharing and a lack of a joint care plan between the Mental Health Trust and care home. Insufficient staff training and inadequate self-harm risk management, including observation adherence, were also noted.

Matched on terms: care

Inquiry recommendation

98 - Keep foster carers informed

Foster carers should be kept informed of any developments regarding any child in their care and of any course of action being taken with the child (17.35).

Matched on terms: care, child

Inquiry recommendation

97 - Written report for foster carers

Foster carers should be given a written report at the time when the child is placed, or as soon as practicable thereafter, with as much personal information about the child as possible (17.34).

Matched on terms: care, child

Sep 2025 · South Yorkshire (West)

The coroner identified that a shortage of foster placements led to unsuitable child placements. Additionally, there were inadequate documentation, communication of risks, and formal risk assessments regarding foster carers and other children in their care.

Matched on terms: care, child

CQC enforcement action

Warning Notice: Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found improvement is needed in the children and young people’s (CYP) services run by Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, after an inspection in December. Due to concerns found at this inspection, CQC has taken enforcement action and served the trust with a warning notice regarding people’s safety and safeguarding issues. This requires...

Matched on terms: care, child

Family Nurse Partnership & Health Visiting

The provider must ensure that it has robust systems in place to oversee and monitor the quality and safety of care provided to vulnerable children and families and which can be used to underpin improvement work.

Matched on terms: care, child, vulnerable

Inquiry recommendation

138 - Review Children's Hearings in child protection

Consideration should be given to the review and revisal of the work of the Children’s Hearings in the area of child protection (18.1-6), including as is suggested later the transference to the Sheriff of all matters relating to a child in a place of safety (18.7).

Matched on terms: child

Child Sexual Exploitation Follow-Up Review: An assessment of the criminal justice system’s response

Abuse and Exploitation, Children and Young People

Matched on terms: child

Rebecca Hayward

Oct 2022 · Nottinghamshire and Nottingham

Assessments for individuals with severe and multiple disadvantage are undertaken by staff without specialist training, leading to inaccurate plans. Care Act assessments are not consistently extended to consider changed care needs when a person moves to different accommodation.

Matched on terms: care

Locket Williams

Oct 2024 · Surrey

Insufficient psychiatric inpatient beds for children in Surrey, noting a new unit's limited capacity and scope. The new risk assessment system also lacks a clear suicide risk alert on medical records, potentially leading clinicians to miss vital information.

Matched on terms: child

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