Last year, in collaboration with The Observer, we conducted an investigation revealing that over 700 children in the UK are living in unregistered accommodation. Alarmingly, 2 in 3 of these children are under 16.

On 18 September, our research was featured on BBC Radio 4 by Andy Smith, president of ADCS.
​
Background
Most children in care are placed with foster carers or in registered children's homes. However, an increasing number are being placed in unregistered homes, which are illegal (Croxton, 2024). Shockingly, the number of such homes has risen by 277% over the past three years.

Click here to read the full article

Mark Lee, Chief Executive of charity Together Trust, announced this month his upcoming retirement in December 2024.

After 11 years at the Together Trust and three decades committed to the social care sector, Mark Lee reflects that, although it was a difficult decision, he now wanted to spend more time with his family. 

“What I’ve enjoyed most about working at the Together Trust is the sense of camaraderie and purpose,” says Mark Lee. 

“At the heart of everything we do are the people we support, their families, carers, and all the staff who put their time and effort, beyond what you would expect someone to do, working together to try and improve lives year on year.”

Click here to read the full article

On 17 July, the new government announced through the King’s Speech their priorities for the United Kingdom over the next five-years.

But what we want to know is – what are yours?

Let us know in this short survey

Click here to read the full article

This week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared 4th July as the date for the next general election.  

Parliament is set to be dissolved on the 30th of May, and the vote will occur 25 working days later.  

In light of this announcement, we want to highlight the key commitments we expect to see from the next government, whichever political party is voted in. 

What are some of the changes we want to see? 

Children's social care  

1. All children in care to receive care where they live  
2. Action to end the practice of children living in unregistered (illegal) homes 
3. At least 2.6bn investment in the children’s social care system, with dedicated early intervention to help families in crisis 
4. Full incorporation of the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child 
5. A commitment to addressing high levels of relative child poverty in the UK  

All children in care to receive care  
We have been members of the Keep Caring to 18 steering group since February 2021.  

In March 2024, our Policy, Public Affairs, and Campaigns Manager, Lucy Croxton, gave evidence to the Education Committee at Parliament as part of a panel on children's social care. 

Our position is clear, we believe that all children in the care system should receive care where they live until they are at least 18.   

Following data we gathered with journalist Tom Wall being published in the Observer and bringing national attention to the issue of children in care living in illegal homes, we’d also like to see a joint national strategy from Ofsted, the Department for Education (DfE) and other relevant government departments to end the use of unregistered accommodation for children once and for all.  

Due to the impact of inflation and the additional costs stemming from delaying reform to the care system, we will need to see more than the original £2.6bn figure requested by the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care. So far, only £200 million has been allocated by our current government. A significant amount of the new funding should go to dedicated early intervention help, so that children can be supported to be cared for in their families wherever safe to do so. 

Alongside this, we want to see the full incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Child (UNCRC) as the most comprehensive declaration of children’s rights. This would create a mechanism to ensure that children’s voices and ambitions are at the heart of policymaking and put children in England on equal footing with those in Scotland, Norway and Sweden.  

We also want to see a commitment from any new government to address drivers of relative child poverty in the UK. Child poverty has been shown to increase the likelihood of children being taken into care (Bennett, 2022). 

Source:
www.togethertrust.org.uk

A new anthology containing the voices of 100 children and adults about their experience in care is now available in bookshops.

Free Loaves on Fridays contains stories, letters and poems from care-experienced people aged 13 to 68.

Published today (18 April), the book, edited by Rebekah Pierre, care-experienced social worker and professional officer at the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), features both seasoned writers like Lemn Sissay, as well as those who have put pen to paper for the very first time.​

It aims to counteract headlines written about care-experienced people which “often entrench negative stereotypes and dominate the narrative, leaving care-experienced people with nothing but crumbs”, Pierre explained.

She added: “For far too long, care-experienced people have been the subject, but rarely the author of our own words in assessments, files, and reports.

“This is something I know all too well. When I penned an Open Letter to the Social Worker Who Wrote My Case Files a couple of years ago, which unexpectedly went viral, it resonated with many care-experienced people who longed to have more ownership over their own stories.”

Pierre described Free Loaves on Fridays as a “tangible way in which to invite other people with lived experience of care to set the score”.

“In a radical move in the publishing industry, we had a no rejection policy, meaning anyone – regardless of their age or former writing experience – could submit a piece. The result is a rich tapestry of courageous, original and powerful voices which would ordinarily have gone under the radar,” she said.

“The book holds up a mirror to the system, exposing both the wonderful potential that good, well-funded social work can have, as well as the lifelong consequences when children are let down.

“Representation is crucial; I didn’t open up about my care-experience until my late twenties, such was the stigma. So it means everything that the next generation of children in care and care leavers will see themselves proudly represented in bookshops, by people who really get it.”

Emma Lewell-Buck, MP for South Shields, and a former social worker, said: “So often, care-experienced people are not listened to, their exclusion from policy setting and decision making is ever apparent. Often those who have experienced care are spoken about as though they are all one homogenous group. They aren’t. Their diverse experiences are brought to life in this book. Please do read Free Loaves on Fridays, it’s an emotional journey that will make you cry and laugh. But most of all understand the reality of our care system and why it absolutely must change.”

Maris Stratulis, the national director for BASW (England) added: Free Loaves is an incredibly poignant and powerful book and shines a light on the courage, bravery, creativity and individual uniqueness of each care-experienced child, young person and adult contributor. It has been a privilege and honour to read this book.

“This is a must-read for every social worker, we must hear and learn from the voices of the care-experienced community, and influence and change practice and systems for the better.”

Free Loaves on Fridays is available to order online and in buy in mainstream bookshops with proceeds going to Article 39 and The Together Trust: https://unbound.com/books/free-loaves-on-fridays

Source:
www.cypnow.co.uk/news/

​Free Loaves on Friday, an anthology of poems, letters, and other forms of writing written by more than 100 care-experienced people with contributions from the Together Trust, will be published this Thursday 18 April.

The anthology’s 100 contributors include authors with diverse experiences of the care system aged 13-68 years old. The book features well-known writers such as Lemn Sissay, Sally Bayley, and Kirsty Capes, alongside those being published for the very first time.

Several young people supported by the Together Trust charity were involved in one section within the book – the A-Z of allyship - and the anthology was edited by one of our Trustees, Rebekah Pierre. Rebekah is a writer, social worker, and campaigner who works to raise the voices of the unheard.

Department for Education data shows 81,000 children were in care across England in March and 1,371 were in Manchester – above the national average.

Challenging stereotypes of people with care experience, this collection gives voice to just some of these diverse experiences including foster care, adoption, kinship care and semi-independent living.

We are incredibly grateful to be receiving half the profits from the book along with fellow charity Article 39.

The anthology is available for pre-sale here: https://unbound.com/books/free-loaves-on-fridays


Source:
www.togethertrust.org.uk/news

This morning (26 March), our Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager Lucy Croxton gave evidence to the Education Committee at Parliament as a part of a panel on children’s social care.

The panel provided evidence on why costs related to children’s social care are rising; how need is not necessarily being addressed at the right stage in the social care journey; and the increasing complexity in needs and a lack of suitable provision for these children. Discussions also centred around profiteering in children’s social care and how a lack of homes is leading to out of area placements.

​Lucy championed a need for children in the care system or who have experienced care to have a voice in, not only their own homes, but also in a wider context of national policy - where people with lived experience of the care system have a chance to affect government policy around children’s social care. 

Alongside this, she also discussed the need for collaboration between care providers in the voluntary sector where vast amounts of knowledge can be shared.

She also spoke about the barriers of entry to providers opening new residential homes for children and the issues these can cause in terms of providers moving to semi-independent homes where there have been problems in terms of quality of care. 

She gave evidence gathered from young people we have supported who have previously experienced semi-independent homes and the negative impact that these placements have had. 

Alongside Lucy, the panel also included John Pearce – President of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services; Roger Gough - Children’s Services Spokesperson, County Councils Network; Stuart Ashley - Director of Children’s Services, Hampshire County Council; Dan Turnbull, Senior Director for Markets, Competitions and Markets Authority; Mr Andrew Isaac – Chair of Children’s Services Development Group and Dr Mark Kerr.

To find out more about our campaigning work and where we stand on a number of issues, visit: https://www.togethertrust.org.uk/campaigning

Source:
www.togethertrust.org.uk/news/

​As we celebrate Care Day this year, it is a time to reflect on the strides made to improve the way that children in care are looked after across the country, and how much of this progress has been led by care experienced people themselves. 

Care experienced people have been actively campaigning to improve the care system for as long as it has existed. They have played a central role in securing rights for other young people by sharing their experiences and raising levels of public awareness. 

This April, many of their stories will be told through Free Loaves on Friday, an anthology written by more than 100 care experienced people and edited by Rebekah Pierre.

We are honored to have been involved, and chosen to receive half of the proceeds generated from the books sales so that we can continue to care for all children who need us. 

We have also seen first-hand the power of care experienced people to make a difference through their involvement in conferences, parliamentary events, meetings with MPs, ministers and regulators. In the words of one passionate campaigner, “children in care are often underestimated”. 

Equally, children and the professionals that care for them at the Together Trust have given their time generously to help shape our campaigning positions and consultation responses. 

This Care Day, we have one strong call to action: let's ensure that every child in care is offered not just a place to stay, but a caring and loving environment that truly meets their needs. 

You can pre-order your copy of Free Loaves on Friday here
Read more about our Keep Caring to 18 campaign here

Read our second blog in recognition of Care Day: What does care mean to children?.

Source:
www.togethertrust.org.uk/

In December, the Education Committee launched an inquiry to evaluate England's children's social care system.

On 15 January, we responded to the inquiry; sharing our views on different issues, including what is going wrong and the specific experiences of disabled children. 

Below is a summary of our response.

In a nutshell
The current provision of children's social care is insufficient to meet demand.  

Different factors are causing the increase in demand for children's social care including underinvestment, poverty and deprivation, the impact of policies in other areas (welfare, housing), and lack of support for families.

Decreased levels of investment in early intervention have contributed to the rising costs of late-stage children's social care intervention for local authorities. The current system leaves families waiting for extended periods to receive necessary care. 

Only £200 million has been allocated to solving the sufficiency crisis despite the annual cost of maintaining the current children's social care system being £10 billion a year. Read more here. 

Social care “market”
The children's social care sector faces a long-standing challenge of insufficient residential settings. 

The rise in unregistered homes, schools and alternative provision for children is a serious issue for the sector. Councils are placing more children in unregistered placements due to increasing need, limited provision, and reported instances of ‘cherry-picking’ where providers refuse to care for children with complex needs. 

The shortage of placements has led to more children being placed far from home, and in inappropriate placements, causing councils to pay increased costs.

This results in unplanned moves and out-of-area placements, affecting children's well-being. We do not support moving children away from their community where it is not in their best interests.  

Semi-independent accommodation is the fastest-growing “market” for children, not because it is in their best interest, but because it is more profitable, and easier to run, and there is a constant demand as there are too few registered children’s homes that provide care available.

We believe that all children in care need care. We do not support the creation of a new regulation and inspection regime for semi-independent accommodation.  

Experiences of disabled children ​
There is a lack of support for disabled children or children with additional needs.  

Just 1 in 7 parents and carers said that disabled children have the correct level of support from the children’s social care system (DCP, 2023).

The transition from children to adult services can be particularly stark for young disabled people who do not have a formal diagnosis. Additionally, life is more expensive for disabled people, but many do not receive the financial support necessary to help them live a happy life. 

Recommendations for the government 
Make children's social care a central aim of policy across areas such as housing, education, immigration, health, and social care (amongst others).

Provide funding for wholesale reform to children’s social care to provide certainty to the sector.

Prioritise funding for early intervention services to cover family support demand. 

Build more sufficiency across the country and ensure a place-based approach to address local authorities’ funding uncertainty and planning. 

Invest in more respite care for disabled children. 

End the use of semi-independent accommodation, mindful of the recommendation made in the Care Review that “all children should receive care where they live by 2025”.

What’s next?  
We are currently undertaking a research project on unregistered settings. 

We have volunteers working on research projects in children's social care areas where there are research gaps (e.g., the link between poverty and children entering care). The projects will be published within the year.  

You can keep up with our updates via our website or by signing up to our campaign emails. 

Source:
www.togethertrust.org.uk

The government is changing the way that children and young people receive advocacy support, by changing the things that services must provide. 

This December, we responded to the consultation by providing feedback based on our conversations with staff and advocacy providers. 

You can read our full response here.

Currently, local authorities need to provide advocacy to children in care, children in need and care leavers where they have an active complaint and request help from an advocate.

Independent advocacy is when a trained professional works with a child to understand their wishes and views, and advocates on their behalf, for example, to secure the support they need in meetings and working with other professionals. 

This kind of advocacy must follow national standards, which are instructions for organisations that deliver advocacy services to follow. In addition, there is statutory guidance which says what local authorities should do when they are arranging advocacy for children. 

The government is planning to change the way that advocacy services work and we have provided feedback about how it could be improved.

Changes to advocacy standards

The DfE is planning to extend national advocacy standards to other groups of children, including those:

• Subject to child protection arrangements.  
• Who are classed as ‘children in need’, which should include children with disabilities. 
• Who require support into adulthood, including young carers.
• Who have experienced school exclusion.
• Who live in residential or secure settings, including residential special schools.
• Who are in young offender institutions or secure training centres.
• Advocacy will be available to children and young people whenever they want advocacy support, not only when they want to make a formal complaint. 

Alongside this, there are new standards which are being suggested, such as non-instructed advocacy for non-verbal children, the need for ‘feelings’ to be considered alongside views and wishes, and for interpretation services to be provided so that children can share their views, wishes and feelings in the language they speak and understand. 

Despite the standards changing, the scope of statutory guidance will remain unchanged. In our response to the government's proposals, we have asked that standards and guidance be made consistent. 

​If the proposed changes go ahead, many of the children we care for will have the right to access advocacy services, even where there is no active complaint, particularly non-verbal children. 

Likewise, children with SEND who we support through our specialist services may be able to access an advocate (due to their ‘child in need’ status or interactions with social services), but we still need further details about how this will work. 

Before sending our feedback to the Department for Education, we spoke with our residential care managers to understand what was going well and what needed to be improved for children accessing advocacy services.

We also held discussions with providers of advocacy services and other professionals in the sector to explore the impact of the proposals and develop our response. 

The proposed standards are a real improvement on the previous advocacy framework. 

Access to non-instructed advocacy and the ability to access advocacy without an active complaint will assist many children and young people who have previously been denied access to receive support.

Many children entitled to independent advocacy do not know that this service exists, let alone that they are entitled to it. It is positive that organisations will need to inform children of their right to advocacy.

We prefer the term ‘active offer’ instead of ‘opt-out advocacy’ and have recommended that the government take this terminology forward instead. We believe that this makes it clearer to professionals that there is a responsibility to routinely communicate the offer and that the offer of advocacy is always there should they need it in future.    

We also welcome the proposal to recruit advocates from diverse backgrounds to better represent the children and young people they work with. However, we believe that advocates should be able to influence policy, which is currently not allowed within the suggested standards. 

Any guidance needs to reflect the extended scope of the new national standards. 

Local authorities have a legal duty to accommodate children under 18 who are unable to live with their families. However, children who should be in care are oftentimes being ‘housed’ under homelessness legislation, which does not give them access to their full set of rights as looked after children. Statutory guidance must therefore make it clear that children who are deemed to be homeless are also entitled to advocacy. 

If the proposed changes go ahead, many of the children we care for will have the right to access advocacy services, even where there is no active complaint, particularly non-verbal children.

The difference in local authority budgets, resources and staffing are factors which will influence the reform's success. Ensuring that every child in care, child in need, and care leaver has someone standing up for their views, wishes and feelings must be a priority for the government going forward.  

You can keep up with our updates via our website or by signing up to our campaign emails.

Source: 
www.togethertrust.org.uk/