Local safeguarding children board chairs' perspectives on responding to recommendations outlined in the Munro Review of Child Protection: findings from a national survey

In February 2012 an online survey was distributed to all 148 local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs) in England to explore the following issues: the potential implications of increasing local autonomy and reducing prescription by central government interagency working relationships to support effective safeguarding practice prevention and early help strengthening accountabilities and creating a learning system This working paper provides an overview of the findings from the survey and offers an insight into the activities that LSCBs, children’s services and partner agencies have been engaged in as they have sought to respond to the ambitions outlined in the Munro Review

Undertaking serious case reviews using the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) learning together systems model: lessons from the pilots

Undertaking serious case reviews using the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) learning together systems model: lessons from the pilot

Peer research methodology: an effective method for obtaining young people’s perspectives on transitions from care to adulthood?

Peer research has the potential to empower young people to participate in research by minimising power imbalances between researchers and participants; this may reduce bias and promote improved understanding to inform policy and practice. However, these benefits are not automatic; the relative inexperience of peer researchers adds layers of complexity to the research process. Moreover, the validity of findings from research adopting less traditional methods may be questioned and policy makers may be cautious about accepting this evidence, thus limiting its contribution and impact. This paper explores the advancement of participatory peer researcher methodology in research with children in and leaving care and ethical, practical and data quality issues that arose in two studies exploring young people’s transitions from care to adulthood. It concludes that the peer research methodology can yield rich data but that adequate resources and effective research management are crucial. The authors also caution against a reductionist approach that privileges peer research methodology above other methods of inquiry in the study of transitions from care to adulthood

The impact of more flexible assessment practices in response to the Munro review of child protection: emerging findings from the trials

The Munro Review of Child Protection recommended reducing statutory guidance on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in order to promote local autonomy and increase the scope for practitioners to exercise their professional judgement. Proposed measures included removing the distinction between initial and core (in-depth) assessments and associated (fixed statutory) timescales for their completion. Between March and September 2011 the Secretary of State for Education issued formal directions to eight local authorities (Westminster, Knowsley, Cumbria, Hackney, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth and Islington) to test more flexible assessment practices. The Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre (CWRC) was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) to undertake a piece of rapid response work between April and July 2012 to independently evaluate the effect that the flexibilities granted to the trial authorities have had on practice and service responses to safeguard children from harm. A mixed methodology was adopted to investigate the effectiveness of conflating the initial and core assessments into one assessment and the possible effect of the local determination of timescales for assessments and when the initial child protection conference should be held following a strategy discussion

Care leavers and homelessness in England: protective factors offered by Right2BCared4 and Staying Put 18+ initiatives

This paper will explore the relationship between leaving care and homelessness in England and set the context for two initiatives currently being piloted; Right2BCared4 and Staying Put 18+ Family Placement Programme. The protective factors that underpin both pilots will be outlined. In addition, a vulnerable group of care leavers will be identified that may fall outside of these initiatives and may be at risk of the poorest outcomes in terms of homelessness and accompanying challenges

Evaluation of the impact of Action for Children short breaks services on outcomes for children: final report

This report examines the findings of a study commissioned by Action for Children to explore the impact that their short break services have on disabled children and their families. The study began in August 2010 and an Interim Report was published in September 2010 (Holmes, McDermid, Soper and Lawson, 2010). Phase two of this study was conducted during a period which could be described as a time of substantive economic and political change within children‟s services. This report aims to explore the impact of Action for Children short breaks services on disabled children and their families within this context and seeks to provide an evidence base for the future provision of Action for Children services to disabled children and their families. The study also seeks to examine how good Action for Children are at communicating with different agencies to inform the setting of outcomes within their short break services, and how this improves outcomes for the children and to provide a brief cost analysis for these services

Evaluation of the Right2BCared4 pilots: final report

This final report presents findings from the national evaluation of Right2BCared4 which was commissioned by the former DCFS

Evaluation of the Right2BCared4 pilots interim report: overview of emerging themes and issues

This interim report presents findings from a mapping exercise and focus groups undertaken between January and June 2009 with social workers, personal advisers, independent reviewing officers (IROs) and other key professionals from each of the pilot sites, to explore: How each of the pilot sites planned to meet the objectives of Right2BCared4 and any changes compared to plans submitted to the former Department for Children, Schools and Families; and Early benefits and challenges since implementation

Missed opportunities: indicators of neglect–what is ignored, why, and what can be done?

This report helps children’s social care practitioners to spot risk factors associated with a likelihood of actual harm or future harm to very young children