Government unveils plan to make children’s homes safer
Children’s homes will be required to notify local councils when children move in from other areas, under new government measures to tackle child sexual exploitation.
The changes will also oblige homes to carry out a risk assessment of their local area alongside police and the local authority to make sure children are safe from sexual exploitation, gangs and other threats.
Children’s homes could be closed down or refused registration if their local area poses too many risks.
The reforms will also require decisions on placing children in care far from their home to be made by a senior official.
The measures are a response to the Office of the Children’s Commissioner’s inquiry into child sexual exploitation in gangs and groups, which followed the sentencing last May of nine men who groomed and abused young girls in Rochdale.
The Department for Education said the measures will help develop “strong, constructive relationships” between children’s homes and the local authority area they are located in.
In addition, the DfE will review the effectiveness of children’s homes provision and test alternative ways of delivering support.
There will also be a comprehensive review of the training, qualifications and career pathways for both new and exisitng staff in children’s homes.
Ellen Broome, policy director at The Children’s Society, said last year’s parliamentary inquiry into children going missing from care identified that thousands of children were being failed by the systems and professionals tasked with keeping them safe.
“Changing these damaging professional attitudes, alongside measures to address the poor quality of care too many children receive, is key to making sure these vulnerable children are kept safe,” she said.
“We look forward to seeing more detail about the plans and working with the government and professionals to make the system better.”
Jonathan Stanley, chief executive of the Independent Children’s Homes Association, said that while his organisation is committed to “comprehensive transformation of children’s homes”, there is a need to reform the entire looked-after children system.
“We hope that these are the start of many more announcements,” he said.
“If these are all that results then it will be too little, too slow.”
The DfE will also release a data pack in the summer that will include detailed information about each children’s home in England by local authority and area.
It hopes the data will make it easier for local authorities to find good quality placements.
Source CYPNow
