Home Office unveils statutory FGM guidance

Home Office unveils statutory FGM guidance

Statutory guidance for how children’s social workers, doctors, police and teachers should deal with suspected cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) has been published by government as part of attempts to protect potential victims.

 

A draft version of the guidance, which has been put out to public consultation, sets out how to identify both victims of FGM and those at risk of the procedure, as well as how to respond appropriately and support victims.

 

Running to 55 pages in length, it features a section on the mandatory reporting duty for FGM that will come into force in October.

 

It also features a section on new FGM protection orders, which became available earlier this month, and how they can be applied for.

 

The Guidance can be downloaded: Download Here

 

 

Isabelle Trowler (Chief Social Worker) unveils new standards for senior social workers:

Isabelle Trowler (Chief Social Worker) unveils new standards for senior social workers

Chief Social Worker announces the knowledge and skills statements for supervisors and leaders of child and family social workers.

 

A brand new set of standards for senior social work supervisors and leaders has been unveiled today by the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families.

 

For the first time ever, the knowledge and skills statements set out in 1 place what practice supervisors and practice leaders need to know and be able to do in order to deliver top quality, front-line social work for vulnerable children and families.

 

Today’s announcement is the next step in the government’s drive to overhaul social work education and training, with the introduction of a new national accreditation system for the specialist and highly demanding area of child and family social work.

 

Accreditation will require successful completion of a rigorous assessment process involving theory exams, extensive observation of practice and feedback from children and families themselves.

 

Source: Gov.uk

 

Children in care should stay until 25 – children’s commissioner

Children in care should stay until 25 – children’s commissioner

Vulnerable young people should be allowed to stay in care until they are aged 25, the government’s children’s commissioner for England has said.

 

A survey of nearly 3,000 children and young adults found nearly a third had felt forced to fend for themselves too early, Anne Longfield said.

 

She said most parents would not “wave goodbye” to children at 18 and “we shouldn’t do so for children in care”.

 

A Department for Education spokesman said reforms had been made since 2010.

 

Ms Longfield – who took up her post as children’s commissioner in March – said there were about 69,000 children in care in the UK.

 

Source BBC NEWs

 

 

Cafcass show a total of 1,104 care applications were received in June 2015

A record number of care applications were made last month, statistics have shown. Figures published by Cafcass show a total of 1,104 care applications were received in June 2015, the highest monthly figure recorded in the last seven years. It represents a 3.6 per cent increase on the previous high of 1,066 recorded in March this year.

In June 2015, Cafcass received a total of 1,104 care applications.  This figure represents a 25% increase compared to those received in June 2014.

 

April 2014 – March 2015

  • Between April 2014 and March 2015 Cafcass received a total of 11,143 applications.
  • This figure is 5% higher when compared to the same period in the previous financial year, when 10,620 applications were received.
  • Demand peaked during a few months. For example, new applications received in the month of April and October 2013 were the highest ever recorded by Cafcass in those individual months.

April 2013 – March 2014

  • During 2013 – 2014, Cafcass received 10,620 new applications.  This figure is 4% higher when compared to the previous financial year.

 

April 2012 – March 2013: During 2012-13, Cafcass received 11,110 new applications. This figure is 8% higher when compared to previous financial year, when Cafcass received 10,255 applications.

 

Source: CAFCASS