Category: Local Authorities

ENGLAND – Thousands of mothers have multiple babies removed

Thousands of mothers over the past seven years have had successive children removed by family courts in England, the BBC has learned.   One case saw two judges remove 15 successive babies from the same mother   Court records for that period show 7,143 mothers were involved in repeat care cases – affecting 22,790 children. …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://operationfatherhood.org/family-law-public/care-proceedings/england-thousands-of-mothers-have-multiple-babies-removed/

ENGLAND – Ofsted launches new single inspection for children’s services

Ofsted’s new single framework for the inspection of local authority services for vulnerable children will come into effect from November 2013. The framework will bring together child protection, services for looked after children and care leavers, and local authority fostering and adoption services.   Inspection gradings have been revised so that anything less than ‘good’ …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://operationfatherhood.org/family-law-public/child-protection/england-ofsted-launches-new-single-inspection-for-childrens-services/

WALES/ENGLAND – Charity wants more specialist support for exploited children

Barnardo’s is calling for more specialist support and care for sexually exploited children in care.     Barnardo’s wants more specialist support for sexually exploited children. Image: Phil Adams   The children’s charity wants local authorities to consider using specialist foster care to provide the best possible support for sexually exploited and trafficked children. It …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://operationfatherhood.org/charities/children-charities/walesengland-charity-wants-more-specialist-support-for-exploited-children/

ENGLAND – Local authority tried to move vulnerable teen from residential school without her consent

Ombudsman finds ‘undue distress’ caused to 13-year old     The Local Government Ombudsman has determined that social workers at Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council caused undue distress to a vulnerable teenager when they tried to force her to move from the residential school she attended. The 13-year-old had settled at a school some way from …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://operationfatherhood.org/family-law-public/local-authorities/england-local-authority-tried-to-move-vulnerable-teen-from-residential-school-without-her-consent/

WALES/ENGLAND – Children’s services expenditure by local authorities planned to fall by £234m

Budgets for looked after children and safeguarding due to rise     The Office for National Statistics has released details of planned expenditure by local authorities on a range of services relating to schools, education, children and young people’s services for the financial year April 2013 – March 2014. The figures in the release include …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://operationfatherhood.org/family-law-public/child-protection/walesengland-childrens-services-expenditure-by-local-authorities-planned-to-fall-by-234m/

ENGLAND – Invest in more support care for families in crisis, local authorities urged

Research suggests that short-term care is a cost-effective solution     Local authorities in the UK should invest in support care schemes as a cost-effective way of supporting families and keeping children out of more expensive full-time care, the Fostering Network is urging. The charity’s call comes with the publication of new research – The …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://operationfatherhood.org/family-law-public/foster-care/england-invest-in-more-support-care-for-families-in-crisis-local-authorities-urged/