Location: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Salary: £22,808 - £25,374 per annum Contract Type: Permanent / Full Time Closing Date: Friday 06 November 2020 Senior Transition Worker – Supporting Young People Leaving Care
In this busy role, no two days will be the same as you support Young People to live independently in the community. As a Senior Transition Worker for Break Charity – Staying Connected Service you will work closely with the Deputy Manager, providing leadership and guidance to a team of support workers. Leading by example, you will perform a key role in supporting the team to embed a trauma-informed approach to practice. In addition to holding keywork responsibility for a number of young people you will be responsible for deputising for the deputy manager in their absence and will have ongoing responsibility for providing support and supervision sessions to an agreed number of support staff. This position will involve regular travel across various locations within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough with flexible bases including temporarily working from home. The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic, creative and motivated with a professional, caring and calm approach. You will have a thorough knowledge of social care practice, particularly in relation to care-experienced young people, staff support and development skills. You will need to be able to demonstrate commitment, flexibility and imagination. You will also need to be creative in problem solving and be able to work well using your own initiative and within a team. If you are interested in enriching the lives of the people we support, especially those who are living within the Cambridgeshire/Peterborough area, please take a look at the Essential Job Information and apply. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive and supportive employer and recognise that working with young people, although incredibly rewarding, is not without its challenges. Therefore, we want you to feel appreciated for the life changing work you are doing. You will receive comprehensive training, company pension scheme, have excellent career progression opportunities, and be working in a warm and welcoming work environment – amongst many other things. Essential Information: Salary: The current salary scale for this post is £22,808 - £25,374 per annum, depending on qualifications. (The maximum job rate potential is £25,910 which is performance related). Hours: 38 hours per week Closing Date: Friday 6th November 2020 Interviews: The first interview which will be a Safe Care/ Warner style interview, will be held on Thursday 12th November. If successful after the first interview, candidates will then be expected to attend a second formal interview also scheduled to take place on Friday 13th November. We anticipate that each interview should last around 60 minutes. To comply with the Immigration Asylum & Nationality Act 2006 and additional amendments, and UK Border Agency (UKBA) requirements, all prospective employees will be asked to supply evidence of eligibility to work in the UK. We will ask to see and take a copy of an appropriate official document as set out in the UKBA guidelines. Do not send anything now, further information will be sent to you should you be invited to interview. We are committed to equality of opportunity. Your current immigration status will not be taken into account when assessing your application against the selection criteria for the post For more information on this job opportunity, please initially email or call the HR Team via the contact details found on our website. To comply with the Immigration Asylum & Nationality Act 2006 and additional amendments, and UK Border Agency (UKBA) requirements, all prospective employees will be asked to supply evidence of eligibility to work in the UK. We will ask to see and take a copy of an appropriate official document as set out in the UKBA guidelines. Do not send anything now, further information will be sent to you should you be invited to interview. We are committed to equality of opportunity. Your current immigration status will not be taken into account when assessing your application against the selection criteria for the post. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. Full details and apply here Location: Home Based Contract type: Permanent Hours: 37 Salary: £26,966 - £37,414 Closing Date: 1 November 2020 Interview Date: 23 November 2020 This is an exciting new opportunity within a pan-regional service (England and Wales) for the provision of Children's Rights and Advocacy services to children detained in custody and impacted upon by the criminal justice system. We refer to this system as the Secure Estate.
This service is delivered to children within a variety of custodial settings including Youth Offending Institutions (YOIs), Secure Training Centres (STCs), and a Secure Children's Home (SCH). The service is accessed by children (aged 10-18) through face to face contact and a referral helpline. Barnardo's is commissioned by the Ministry of Justice (YOIs and STCs) and Salford City Council (SCH); it is independent of the custodial establishments. We provide knowledge on Children's Rights, independent advice, support and advocacy services to children and young people in accordance with the aims and objectives of Barnardo's: Your Rights, Your Voice (Secure Estate), the Children Act (1989, 2004), United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the National Advocacy Standards (DOH, 2002). As the Senior Team Manager for Safeguarding for this service your role will be key to ensuring the service is delivered in adherence to all relevant legislation relating to children with specific regard to children in custody. As post holder you will have senior oversight for all safeguarding cases raised through this service across all establishments, reporting on trends, risks and service improvements. You will be part of the senior management team for the service working alongside other operational senior team managers, the children's service manager and the assistant director to ensure children are at the heart of all decisions. You will hold key relationships with senior leaders in safeguarding teams across the estate and will also be required to provide and present regular and contractual quantative and qualitative reports to stakeholders. An Office at Home Allowance is payable and provision of a Barnardo's car. Working hours normally Monday to Friday, although flexibility is required. When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification, Job Description and Additional Information document. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described. About Barnardo's At Barnardo's we believe in children – no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role. Barnardo's is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce for staff and volunteers. We actively encourage applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and male candidates as they are under-represented within Barnardo's. Our basis and values Full details and apply here Circa: £35,300 Department/Division: Wales Contract Type: Permanent Full Time Closing Date: 1 November 2020 North Wales
Circa £38k per annum + Telephone On Call Allowance Permanent, Full Time working 37 hours per week Monday to Friday with an element of flexibility required to work the out of hours telephone on call service on a rota basis Giving children and young people the foundations they need to thrive. The role Successful therapeutic fostering service based in South Wales is now looking to expand its model and approach in the north Wales area. To bring stability and well-being to children within the Looked After Children's system. The AFC fostering service provides safe, stable foster homes for vulnerable children and young people. As a Fostering Social Worker for our sector leading Fostering Wales service you'll train and support Foster Parents to provide stable family homes to young people who have survived trauma so a therapeutic approach is a vital part of our work. You will play a key role in the establishment of this service in North Wales. We are looking for someone with advanced Social Work practice skills to establish the service in the North Wales area. This is an exciting opportunity that blends development and therapeutic Social Worker practice. You will make a difference by:
You will need:
The way we work We work to make sure every child and young person has the love, support and opportunity they need to reach their potential. If you share the same vision, we want you to join our team. Have a look at our behaviours and values to understand more about the way we work here. Rewards We want our employees to feel valued and rewarded for the vital work they do. When you work with us, we'll recognise your efforts with generous annual leave, a comprehensive employer-matched pension scheme and a range of deals and discounts on our dedicated benefits portal. Find out more about our exclusive Action for Children benefits here. For safe and happy childhoods At Action for Children, we protect and support children and young people, providing practical and emotional care and support, ensuring their voices are heard, and campaigning to bring lasting improvements to their lives. Last year, we helped more than 387,000 children and families across the UK. For more information, please contact Roma Hooper 07595868462. We are committed to safer recruitment practices to protect our service users; therefore, all applicants are expected to have an understanding of and commitment to safeguarding best-practice. Action for Children is passionate about promoting equality, valuing diversity and working inclusively. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons particularly people with Disabilities and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic applicants, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce. Full details and apply here Casnewydd, Cymru Oddeutu £35,300 y flwyddyn + lwfans ar gyfer bod ar gael dros y ffôn Parhaol, Amser llawn, 37 awr yr wythnos rhwng dydd Llun a dydd Gwener gydag elfen o hyblygrwydd i ddarparu gwasanaeth ffôn y tu allan i oriau swyddfa ar sail rota Gosod y sylfeini i blant a phobl ifanc ffynnu. Y rôl Mae gwasanaeth maeth llwyddiannus yn ne Cymru'n ymestyn ei fodel a'i ymagwedd i ogledd Cymru er mwyn sicrhau sefydlogrwydd a llesiant Plant sy'n Derbyn Gofal. Mae gwasanaeth maeth Gweithredu dros Blant yn darparu cartrefi maeth diogel a sefydlog i blant a phobl ifanc sy'n agored i niwed. Yn Weithiwr Cymdeithasol Maethu yn ein gwasanaeth arobryn Maethu Cymru, byddwch yn hyfforddi ac yn cefnogi Rhieni Maeth i ddarparu cartrefi teuluol sefydlog i bobl ifanc sydd wedi goroesi trawma, felly mae ymagwedd therapiwtig yn rhan allweddol o'n gwaith. Byddwch yn chwarae rôl allweddol wrth sefydlu'r gwasanaeth hwn yng ngogledd Cymru. Rydym yn chwilio am unigolyn sydd â sgiliau ymarfer Gwaith Cymdeithasol uwch i sefydlu'r gwasanaeth yng ngogledd Cymru. Mae hwn yn gyfle cyffrous sy'n cyfuno gwaith datblygu ag ymarfer Gwaith Cymdeithasol therapiwtig. Byddwch yn gwneud gwahaniaeth trwy:
Bydd angen arnoch:
Sut yr ydym yn gweithio Rydym yn gweithio i sicrhau bod pob plentyn a pherson ifanc yn derbyn y cariad, cymorth a chyfle sydd eu hangen er mwyn iddo gyrraedd ei botensial. Os ydych yn rhannu'r un weledigaeth, rydym am i chi ymuno â'r tîm. Cewch ddarllen rhagor yma am ein gwerthoedd a'n gweithredoedd i ddeall ein ffordd o weithio. Y Gwobrwyon Rydym am i'n staff deimlo eu bod yn cael eu gwerthfawrogi am y gwaith hanfodol a wnânt. Pan fyddwch yn gweithio gyda ni, byddwn yn cydnabod eich ymdrechion gyda gwyliau blynyddol hael, cynllun pensiwn cynhwysfawr lle mae'r cyflogwr yn cyfrannu'r un faint â chi, ac ystod o fargenion a disgowntiau trwy ein porth buddion. Cewch ragor o wybodaeth am fuddion Gweithredu dros Blant yma. Sicrhau plentyndod diogel a hapus Mae Gweithredu dros Blant yn diogelu a chefnogi plant a phobl ifanc, gan ddarparu gofal emosiynol a chymorth, gan sicrhau gwrando arnynt, a chan ymgyrchu dros welliannau hir-dymor yn eu bywydau. Y llynedd, bu i ni helpu dros 387,000 o blant a theuluoedd ledled y Deyrnas Unedig. Am ragor o wybodaeth, cysylltwch â Fatima Matin drwy ffonio 07918 773592 neu yn recruitmentservice@actionforchildren.org.uk Cynhelir y cyfweliadau ar 2 Medi. Rydym wedi ymrwymo i ymarfer recriwtio diogelach i ddiogelu defnyddwyr ein gwasanaethau. Disgwylir, felly, y bydd pob ymgeisydd yn deall ac yn ymrwymo i arfer gorau o ran diogelu. Mae Gweithredu dros Blant yn angerddol dros hyrwyddo ansawdd, gwerthfawrogi amrywiaeth a gweithio mewn modd cynhwysol. Rydym yn croesawu ceisiadau gan bawb sydd â'r cymwysterau perthnasol, yn arbennig pobl ag anabledd a phobl o gefndir Du, Asiaidd, ac o Gefndiroedd Ethnig Lleiafrifol, gan fod y grwpiau hyn wedi'u tangynrychioli yn ein gweithlu ar hyn o bryd. Full details and apply here A mobile coffee van business, launched by Break in September 2020, is giving our young care leavers the chance to gain real work experience and new skills to improve their job chances. Our new Coffee Break project supports young people who have either recently left or are about to leave the care system and live independently for the first time. And it is helping our young people to learn new skills, boost their confidence and give them the best possible chances of securing jobs after leaving care. Currently based in Norwich two days a week, the coffee van serves hot and cold drinks, sweet and savoury snacks, and is staffed and managed entirely by our young care leavers. All the young people involved are benefitting from some brilliant training and guidance from our project manager, Joe Walden, or ‘the coffee van man’ as we like to call him! One young care leaver who been instrumental in the launch of the Coffee Break initiative is Jack Nicholls.
Jack moved into his own flat in 2017, and since then has received ongoing support from Break. After grasping the chance to get involved in the Coffee Break project, Jack’s gone from feeling hopeless about finding a job to now working on the van part-time and enthusiastically applying for new opportunities. Joe Walden, our Enterprise and Youth Development Lead explains; “The world of work can seem scary and daunting for any 18 year old, but for someone leaving the care system, with no family support around them, it comes with lots of extra challenges. The Coffee Break van means young care leavers can discover what they’re really capable of, by engaging them in ‘real’ work, offering training opportunities and the chance to learn new skills which they can take with them for life, all offered in a safe space. If someone is late for work, or they make a mistake, we address it and we help them learn from it without destroying their confidence. It’s all carried out in a supportive way, without the fear of potentially losing that job.” Jack and a team of five other young people have kickstarted the project. Mentored by Joe, they created a business plan, sourced suppliers, created the branding, designed the layout of the van and considered all the health and safety implications of launching a mobile catering business. They have also completed barista and food hygiene training; skills and qualifications that can help them find work in the future. Joe adds; “The Coffee Break van is not just about serving lattes. Our young people have gained real business skills that will benefit them for life. Last summer, they joined forces with the UEA Business School to devise a business plan, assessing the project’s viability and costing it all up. They drew up a bid for funding and presented their case to the Break board of trustees and corporate supporters. In July, the funding was approved and by the end of August everything was set up and ready to go. These young people have essentially launched a business. Something many of them thought they would never achieve. And it’s all been done during a global pandemic.” The Cofffee Break project is part of our Staying Connected services, offering vital support to care leavers, for as long as they need it. If you’d like to book the coffee van for your office or organisation, please contact coffee@break-charity.org Source: https://break-charity.org I was 12 years old when I went to live with my foster carers Carol and Peter. I remember visiting them a few days before I moved in, and although I felt anxious as everything was new and different, I also felt relieved as I really liked them. It was my fourth foster placement and so it felt like I was starting my life all over again. As soon as I had moved in it felt great to be a part of Carol and Peter’s family, with new sisters which are their birth daughters and cats and dogs to look after. Since then I have had some very special experiences such as being a bridesmaid for their wedding vow renewal ceremony and becoming a god mother to their granddaughter Daisy. Carol and Peter fundraise for charities working with children in Gambia and we went there to visit a school and orphanage. It was amazing and made me realise how lucky I am and how much I have. Six years after I was placed with Carol and Peter, they are no longer just my foster carers, they are my family and I call them mum and dad. That is why, when I recently turned 18, I decided to take their surname as my own. It felt right to do that, and it was a lovely birthday present. Like most young people in the care system, when I became 18 I had the option to move on to independent living, but I am not ready for that, and so I will continue living with my family under the Staying Put Scheme so I can concentrate on my college course. I am in my third year doing hospitality and catering. My ultimate goal is to join the Navy when I am 21. Foster carers are very special people in my personal opinion, and to be a good carer I think you need to be kind, understanding, considerate and listen to what the child is saying and not be just judgmental. Children go into care under lots of different circumstances, which can create situations that may affect both the child and the placement, so please be open minded. Source: www.tactcare.org.uk/chloes-story Children who have had the worst start to life are in danger of getting the worst possible start to their adult lives A new Action for Children report reveals that the policy designed to allow care leavers to remain with their foster families - Staying Put – is being hampered by a lack of funding which means opportunities for young people to stay are being lost. Giving care leavers the chance to stay In 2014, the government introduced Staying Put. It empowered young people in foster care to continue to live with their carers up until the age of 21. It meant they didn't have to move out at the age of 18, when they left care. But six years on, it looks like not all young people who want to stay put can. Research has found that many young people still have to move out of home before they are ready. And funding is the key issue. Our new report shows that there will be a difference of £15.8 million – rising to more than £18.5 million – between what cash-strapped local authorities are likely to be paying their carers and the government funding local authorities receive for this. And that’s only if the government continues to fund Staying Put at current levels. There’s an even greater difference between the present funding levels and what we estimate is needed to comprehensively cover the costs of Staying Put. The government has to provide adequate funding to make sure all young people leaving foster care can benefit from the safety and stability that Staying Put offers – particularly now, with the future looking so grim for youth unemployment. Experiences of young people leaving care We know that care leavers are at higher risk of becoming homeless than other young people. Approximately 39% of care leavers aged 19, 20 and 21 in England are not in education, employment and training. This is in comparison to 11% of all young people in the UK. And youth unemployment is only rising in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Staying Put can help. Young people are able to benefit from a loving and nurturing family environment for longer, giving them time to prepare for independence. This in itself helps hugely when it comes to engaging with education and employment opportunities. The evidence from the pilots is that young people who stayed put were twice as likely to be in full time education at 19 than those who did not. Making sure all young people are able to stay with their foster families The government has been providing local authorities with dedicated funding for Staying Put. Last year, £33 million was set aside for the policy. This was a welcome boost from the almost £22 million in funding granted the year before. But the future of Staying Put funding beyond 2021/22 is still unaccounted for. We spoke to five different local authorities to find out more. We wanted to know how much Staying Put actually costs, and what the money goes towards. The bulk of the funding appears to go on payments for foster carers. This is to make sure that offering Staying Put to the young people who need it is affordable. But local authorities made it clear that the funding available to them wasn't enough. Following these conversations, we were able to model some different funding approaches. To do this, we also used a survey of local authorities by The Fostering Network. This was to find out how much local authorities were currently spending on Staying Put. We projected these approaches forward into 2026. We are urging the government to consider them in order to comprehensively cover the costs of Staying Put. Amount to be paid to Staying Put carers (in thousands) We would welcome a guarantee that the government will continue to support local authorities through the Department for Education implementation grant at its current level (Option 6 in the table). However, we know that carers can still struggle to offer Staying Put arrangements even with the level of funding available right now. Our alternative options, set out in the table above, would cover the costs of Staying Put much more effectively - and make it far more affordable for carers.
Our Option 2 would enable carers to receive both an allowance and a fee payment that recognises their skills and expertise. It offers us the best assurance of affordability for carers, and, by extension, the best assurance that all young people in foster care will be able to benefit from the nurturing family environment that Staying Put offers. And this is crucial. Turning 18 already marks a particularly challenging, uncertain and disruptive time for young people, especially those who are care experienced. But in the middle of a pandemic, some of the effects of which are being most harshly felt by the young, Staying Put is more important now than ever. Read our report , made possible by our partnership with CBRE. Source: www.actionforchildren.org.uk Team Fostering is 100% committed to promoting the professionalism of foster care. All of our foster carers have access to comprehensive training and learning opportunities which help in ensuring they are able to develop the necessary skills and knowledge needed to provide the best possible outcomes for children and young people. The agency provides innovative training for foster parents, starting from the initial training foster parents require in order to become an approved carer, right through to induction and core training delivered by internal and external training providers who are experts in their field. Our training team is led by Training Manager Gill Voase, who has been with Team Fostering for 15 years. Gill has extensive knowledge and understanding of the role of a foster parent and of children and young people in care. As a qualified social worker and trainer with experience of working in residential childcare, fostering and probation services, as well as being a trained nurse, Gill delivers a wide range of training across the agency for foster carers and staff. Gill is supported by Training Officer Jill Mitchell, who has a particular interest in helping foster parents understand children with learning difficulties or disabilities. Jill lectured at colleges across the North East before she joined the agency in 2016, and also delivers a range of courses and workshops for carers at the agency. "Training resources are exceptional and ensure that foster parents are prepared for their roles. The agency focuses on maintaining a highly skilled workforce of staff and foster carers, both of whom are trained in the theoretical model of practice." - Ofsted, November 2018 All foster carers are given their own Personal Development Plan (PDP) which is designed to highlight specific training needs and opportunities. PDP’s are updated annually at foster carers' reviews to reflect current and future training requirements and provide an accurate record of all training and professional development. Over time, foster carer's build their own Training and Learning Portfolio to sit with their PDP. In the portfolio they are expected to collate ongoing evidence of their training and professional development throughout their fostering career. Team Fostering will also tailor a pathway of advanced training opportunities through each Personal Development Plan for foster carers who work within a specialist area of fostering, and for those who wish to progress onto higher level qualifications. For a full overview of the training programmes delivered at Team Fostering, click here. “Team Fostering have brokered training from providers who are competent as well as using staff & carer parents who are eloquent and knowledgeable. It was lovely to have the opportunity to do the level 2 (accredited) training in Counselling earlier this year. This gave me the background to understand the different types of counselling that our young person was about to embark on. It was among the most useful training that I have ever done and as it was delivered or a period of time it enabled you to try out aspects of the work in your own circumstances.” - A Team Fostering foster carer, 2019 If you're interested in learning more about the training Team Fostering provides to new carers, or you're ready to make that first step into fostering, give us a call on 0800 292 2003, leave us an enquiry here, or drop us an email at info@teamfostering.co.uk Source: www.teamfostering.co.uk The 26th October marks the beginning of National Care Leavers week, a time when we highlight and celebrate the successes of care-experienced young people. Here at The Foster Care Co-operative, we are lucky enough to hear some fantastic stories from young people who have left our care to move on with their lives, and forge successful careers. Louis, one of our care leavers, said: “No matter how much of a bad start you have had in life, however many setbacks you have experienced – with the right kind of help you can achieve your goals.” Louis very kindly shared his story with us. You can read it here. Ciara, who recently left university, has been offered a job as a qualified midwife. She sent this wonderful message: “Just want to say a massive thank you. I wouldn’t have met my family and been as successful as I am without your help”. Many of our foster carers keep in touch with young people who have left their care. Maintaining this relationship can be so important, and it truly reflects the bond that has been established between a carer and a young person. Ultimately, it is the resilience, determination and sheer ambition of these amazing young people that has brought about their success. #NCLW2020 Source: www.fostercarecooperative.co.uk As a co-operative, we truly value the input of our foster carers, the children in their households, and our staff. We have a carer forum, a newly-formed children’s forum – and plenty of opportunities for our staff to make suggestions and help shape our agency. One such example of this co-operative approach was when we invited one of our young people to help deliver a presentation to a local authority. What better way is there of representing children, than by inviting a young person to provide their voice, their opinion and their story? The young person accompanied our Director of Child Care, Steve Field, and spoke so confidently to local authority representatives about her experiences. We were so proud of her. As a result, we were successful in being accepted onto a care provider contract, meaning that we can help more children in the North of England. Source: www.fostercarecooperative.co.uk The Chancellor is being urged to ensure that local authority children’s services can give the most vulnerable young people the help they need during these unprecedented times. New analysis from five leading children’s charities (Action for Children, Barnardo’s, the Children’s Society, NCB and the NSPCC), submitted to the Treasury ahead of the anticipated Comprehensive Spending Review, reveals that even before the pandemic hit these services were facing a funding crisis. Local authorities were operating in 2018/19 with £2.2 billion less funding for children than in 2010/11, and their decreasing resource was affecting their ability to support and protect young people. The pandemic has placed these services under further pressure. Local authorities have had to spend an additional £136 million on children’s social care between March and July, even as their income from business rates retention and council tax has plummeted. There are also signs that the pandemic has led to children being at greater risk of harm due to the perfect storm of increased economic and housing insecurity and stress at home; reduced oversight from professionals and other adults; and increased time online leaving some young people vulnerable. Children’s charities say that now is the moment to make an investment in children’s social care that is sustainable; able to level up communities by distributing according to need; and delivered through a mechanism that will encourage early intervention. Coronavirus has placed an already struggling system under unsupportable strain, and is likely to worsen the trend in spending that has seen early intervention services, which aim to prevent situations from reaching a crisis point, lose 46% of their funding over the last decade. Instead, the ever-diminishing pots of funding available to local authorities have been increasingly spent on the services local authorities are statutorily obliged to deliver and fund. Spending on these areas, like safeguarding and children in care, rose by 29% since 2010/11. This is partly due to the cost of individual interventions soaring (spending-per-head for Looked After Children was £10,000 more per child since 2010/11), and partly due to an increase in the number of children in care. 22% more children were subject to child protection plans in 2018/19 than in 2010/11, which some local authorities connect to the lack of early intervention work to prevent problems escalating. However, this increased spending is not leading to improved outcomes for children. Research has highlighted the low educational outcomes for children who have been in contact with the social care system, and they are massively overrepresented in both youth justice and the adult justice system. Analysis also reveals that these pressures have not been felt equally. Since 2010/11, central Government funding for local authorities with areas of high deprivation has fallen at twice the rate of those in the most affluent parts of England. These are also the areas where children are facing the greatest challenges, with high levels of unemployment, free school meal eligibility and domestic abuse. And the need, and poor financial situation, of these authorities is likely to continue to deteriorate: it is the areas with significant levels of deprivation that are most likely to be vulnerable to ongoing disruption from the pandemic. Javed Khan, Barnardo’s Chief Executive, said: “Even before the pandemic, too many vulnerable children were missing out on vital support. COVID-19 and the recession are driving many more families to breaking point, with mental health needs rising, growing numbers of children in poverty, and the prospect of even more children entering the care system. Particular groups of children, including those from Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities are at greatest risk. "This is why Barnardo's is delivering a Government-backed programme called See, Hear, Respond, in partnership with more than 80 other organisations, to respond quickly to the needs of young people and their families during the pandemic. “However, to achieve sustainable, lasting change for children, we need a longer-term funding commitment from the Government to invest in earlier intervention for families in need of help. “But we also need to spend those resources wisely. That’s why Barnardo’s is taking a radical new approach - working with national and local partners and investing our own resource to co-design and deliver services that change children’s lives, and the system around them, for the better.” Peter Wanless, Chief Executive of the NSPCC, said: “A decade of under investment by central Government meant local authorities across the country cut back on preventive and early intervention services while spending more on increasingly expensive care placements. “The crisis will dramatically worsen this unsustainable situation as the risks to children increase while the financial impact undermines local authority’s ability to respond, especially in more deprived areas that have already experienced greatest losses in funding. “The Chancellor must act decisively to rebuild the capacity of local areas to provide the crucial evidence based support services that will be fundamental to helping children recover from this crisis. “Papering over the cracks of an underfunded system is simply not an option if the Government is serious about delivering a recovery that levels up for the children most vulnerable to the long-term impact of the pandemic” Mark Russell, Chief Executive of The Children’s Society, said: “Building back better needs to be more than just a slogan. The Prime Minister needs to put children at the heart of recovery, it is time for urgent investment in children’s services and to make sure the futures of young people from our most deprived communities are the top priority. “These shocking findings tell us that the areas with the highest levels of children who need the support of social services are those where this help is most at risk owing to a decade of cuts.” “This analysis also shows that this need is more urgent than before, particularly as these same are the worst hit by the Covid crisis. “The levelling up agenda needs to be about more than roads and 5G – it needs to deliver sustainable investment in social infrastructure such as children’s centres, youth services and providing top quality support to children in the care system. In turn, these services will strengthen families, support children, and unlock the potential of young people everywhere.” Imran Hussain, Director of Policy and Campaigns at Action for Children, said: “The coronavirus crisis has crashed into the lives of vulnerable families after a decade of decline in funding for early help services designed to help them before they reach crisis point. “Now more than ever we need the Prime Minister to put his ‘levelling up’ agenda into action and he should start by adequately funding councils so they can deal with family problems at an early stage. “It would be irresponsible to have an NHS offering only A&E departments but no primary care or public health services, yet this is the short-sightedness we’re facing in children’s services. A system geared only for crisis guarantees more children will end up in crisis.” Anna Feuchtwang, Chief Executive of the National Children’s Bureau, said: “Children’s services were already on the ropes from a steady succession of cuts, but they now have the extra demands on them brought on by the pandemic to cope with. We fear that this added pressure could push some councils over the edge. “In this context, the notion of intervening early to support children and families is being dropped, as services focus scarce resources on emergency cases. “The government must step in and properly fund local authorities so they can reach out to children, young people and families before their problems escalate.” Source: www.barnardos.org.uk |
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