Annual care applications to Cafcass hit all-time high

The annual number of local authority care applications has hit an all-time high, breaking the 10,000 mark, according to the latest Cafcass figures.

The family courts body received 10,199 new applications between April 2011 and March 2012, a 10.8% rise on the same period last year. It is the first time the organisation has received more than 10,000 referrals in one year.

Local authorities in England made 886 care applications last month, just 10 short of the highest figure ever recorded for March. January 2012 recorded the highest ever number for a single month, with 912 care applications.

Referrals have risen consistently since November 2008 when news broke of thedeath

Child protection plans up 60% since 2006

The number of children subject to child protection plans in England rose by 60% between 2006 and 2011, according to research by Queen

What to do when an Ofsted inspector asks to shadow a social worker

Big changes are afoot for child protection inspections in England. From 1 May Ofsted will conduct unannounced inspections of local authority child protection arrangements and focus more on examining the work of frontline social workers (see box for more detail about the changes). So how should social workers prepare for the new inspection regime?

Coping during an inspection
Helga Pile, UNISON

Controversial adoption score cards delayed

The government

100,000 mentors to visit former schools

Former students will remain in touch with their old schools to mentor current pupils in how to gain employment as part of a government-backed project

A

Loughton orders circulation of serious case review to all local authorities

A serious case review into the case of a teacher who abused children at a primary school in North Somerset is to be sent to all local authorities in the country.

A decision to circulate the document was taken by children

Less than 10 per cent of child sex offences result in conviction

Around 400 sexual offences against children are reported to police each week but less than one in ten result in a conviction, according to figures obtained by the NSPCC

The children

Young homeless underestimated by Britons, says survey

The level of young homelessness in the UK is underestimated by over two-thirds (68%) of Britons, a survey suggests.

The research among 2,000 adults by the Consortium for Street Children (CSC) found that most people (61%) associated street children with Africa and Asia.

Fewer than one in 10 of those asked said they would feel compelled to help children sleeping rough.

CSC chief executive Sally Shire called on society to recognise that “being a street child is not a crime”.

‘Birth registration’

The survey found that four out of five people asked were not aware that an estimated 100,000 children become runaways in the UK every year

More than one in five (21%) would worry about crime if they saw young people sleeping rough.

Of those surveyed, 13% thought the issue of street children was a problem in western Europe.

The CSC is urging governments around the world to stand up for the rights of young homeless people.

Ms Shire said: “Across the globe there are large numbers of children surviving on the streets.

“Whether they are a runaway from Derby or a street child in Delhi the factors that drive children to the streets are similar.

“Being a street child is not a crime. We want governments and society to recognise this.”

She added: “These children have the same rights as every other child. A recent United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights study into street children made a number of recommendations for how street children’s rights can be strengthened.

“This includes universal birth registration for all, and that rather than treat street children as criminals authorities should understand the reasons for street children’s behaviour and provide support.”

Lack of funding

The survey, conducted by OnePoll, was commissioned by the CSC to coincide with the