Search results for ‘Subject term:"looked after children"’ Sort:
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National trends for children in need services
- Author:
- SOCIAL SERVICES IMPROVEMENT AGENCY
- Publisher:
- Social Services Improvement Agency
- Publication year:
- 2007
- Pagination:
- 23p.
- Place of publication:
- Cardiff
This paper has been prepared to support the commissioning of children in need services in Wales as part of the Better Outcomes for Children in Need Programme sponsored by the Social Services Improvement Agency (SSIA). The over-arching aim of the Programme is to achieve more cost effective and improved matching of services for children in need through effective strategic commissioning.
The role of commissioning in improving services to children in need
- Author:
- SOCIAL SERVICES IMPROVEMENT AGENCY
- Publisher:
- Social Services Improvement Agency
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 18p.
- Place of publication:
- Cardiff
This paper considers the activities involved in commissioning and how they may be expected to contribute to improving public care services, particularly for children in need. Specifically, the paper explores the following: what commissioning is and what it involves; national drivers for effective commissioning; and how commissioning has been applied as a tool for change and improved outcomes for children in need. The paper also summarises the characteristics of generic commissioning practice which should be applied to children in need, such as collaboration with key partners, `visibility` of the market, and transparency of costs and outcomes. Two types of commissioning objectives for children in need services are identified: safely reducing the number of looked-after children or expenditure on looked-after children services and promoting better outcomes for children in need living at home; and improving the choice, cost effectiveness and quality of placement and other services for looked after children. The paper outlines examples of notable practice which illustrate some of the activities involved in achieving these objectives. It concludes that generic approaches to commissioning are most effective when tailored to regional circumstances and service development is based on an in depth analysis of children in need locally.
Safeguarding vulnerable children: notable practice resource compendium
- Author:
- SOCIAL SERVICES IMPROVEMENT AGENCY
- Publisher:
- Social Services Improvement Agency
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 49p.
- Place of publication:
- Cardiff
Lists examples of notable practice in the area of safeguarding vulnerable children and young people. The examples have been collated following the publication of inspection reports to highlight local innovation and improvement in Wales. The practice examples are structured under the following themes: corporate parenting; multi agency working; IT systems; participation; workforce; streamlined planning across statutory partnerships; and Local Safeguarding Children's Board (LSCB) collaboration.
The role of commissioning in improving services to children in need
- Author:
- SOCIAL SERVICES IMPROVEMENT AGENCY
- Publisher:
- Social Services Improvement Agency
- Publication year:
- 2007
- Pagination:
- 21p.
- Place of publication:
- Cardiff
This paper has been prepared to support the commissioning of children in need services in Wales as part of the Better Outcomes for Children in Need Programme sponsored by the Social Services Improvement Agency (SSIA). The over-arching aim of the Programme is to achieve more cost effective and improved matching of services for children in need through effective strategic commissioning.
What works in promoting good outcomes for looked after children and young people?
- Author:
- SOCIAL SERVICES IMPROVEMENT AGENCY
- Publisher:
- Social Services Improvement Agency
- Publication year:
- 2007
- Pagination:
- 28p.
- Place of publication:
- Cardiff
Few children or young people choose to become looked after. A high percentage enter the care system as a result of abuse or neglect, but even these children and young people usually continue to love their families and want to remain with them. Whilst many remain in the care system only for brief periods, a considerable number spend a significant proportion of their childhood in care. The available research has identified that looked after children and young people are at greatly increased risk of a range of poor outcomes, many of which are interdependent. There is also some research which begins to identify resilience factors linked with better outcomes for young people in care, and after care. Since the introduction of the Children Act 1989, UK-wide policy for looked-after children has concentrated on increasing the stability and quality of placements offered to them, and improving educational, health and other outcomes for individual children to enhance their life chances.
What works in promoting good outcomes for children in need in the community?
- Author:
- SOCIAL SERVICES IMPROVEMENT AGENCY
- Publisher:
- Social Services Improvement Agency
- Publication year:
- 2007
- Pagination:
- 42p.
- Place of publication:
- Cardiff
Managers of children’s social services are, quite rightly, interested in ‘what works’ in improving outcomes for children in need and also crucially in preventing the need for looked after services. However in practice, there is a heavy overlap between the kinds of services that may be appropriately delivered to children and young people in need and their families, and others who are vulnerable but not yet within the statutory definition ‘in need’. An example of this overlap can be found in parenting education services, where group and individual interventions may be similar for a range of families, not all of whom will be officially ‘in need’. Similarly, domestic violence services are often designed and provided to support parents and children irrespective of whether they meet statutory thresholds. Sometimes, the lack of specificity of services to children in need presents no barrier to effective intervention: indeed much of the research has emphasised that interventions often work better where families do not feel stigmatised. However, in other cases, an added dimension may be required, for example to ensure that family support is not only effective from the parent’s perspective, but also safeguards the child or young person.
National trends for children in need services
- Author:
- SOCIAL SERVICES IMPROVEMENT AGENCY
- Publisher:
- Social Services Improvement Agency
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 31p.
- Place of publication:
- Cardiff
This document was prepared to support the commissioning of children in need services in Wales as part of the Better Outcomes for Children in Need Programme. It provides an overview of the recent national trends relating to children in need in Wales, including those relating to: the demand for services to looked after children and young people (including foster care, residential care and adoption); the quality and cost of services for looked after children and young people; recent developments in the market for placement and other services to looked after children and young people; the demand and market for family support services to other children and young people in need. (Edited publisher abstract)
What works in promoting good outcomes for children in need in the community?
- Author:
- SOCIAL SERVICES IMPROVEMENT AGENCY
- Publisher:
- Social Services Improvement Agency
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 38p.
- Place of publication:
- Cardiff
This paper is designed to give commissioners an understanding of key research findings with an emphasis on "what works" in relation to delivering better outcomes for children in need, recognising that such knowledge is vital if commissioning processes are to deliver successful reshaping of services whilst making best use of resources. The paper explores evidence identifying risk factors which may make children and young people vulnerable and at greater risk of abuse or neglect. It also highlights what are identified as being factors which promote resilience. The paper offers an extensive catalogue of interventions for children and young people current at date of publication (2007). It includes interventions for: younger children in need; older children and young people in need; parental risks factors such as domestic abuse, substance abuse, and teenage parenting; and children with disabilities and their families. The report concludes with a recognition that knowledge about needs and "what works" is developing rapidly and it is essential that commissioners use the paper as a starting point, moving on to examine local need and factors effecting it in depth, before reshaping services locally.
What works in promoting good outcomes for looked after children and young people?
- Author:
- SOCIAL SERVICES IMPROVEMENT AGENCY
- Publisher:
- Social Services Improvement Agency
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 24p.
- Place of publication:
- Cardiff
- Edition:
- Rev ed.
This paper focuses on helping commissioners to gain an understanding of the needs of looked-after children and young people. Looked-after children and young people are particularly vulnerable to a range of poor outcomes. The outcomes which should be priority areas for commissioners are: attachment; education; physical health; mental health; sexual and physical abuse; involvement in crime and substance misuse; and social exclusion. Shifting attention away from a focus on problems towards a focus on the developmental strengths of looked after children and young people enables them to better cope with adversity. Key factors which need to be addressed when designing services to meet the needs of looked after children include: choice of placement, importance of good matching processes, continuous positive relationships with social workers, and the value of local or kinship placements. Research evidence suggests that foster care is the preferred option although there is a continuing role for residential services. A range of quality placements are needed to provide looked after children with real choices and to increase their resilience. The paper provides a number of key messages from research and best practice which relate to the different types of placements and to other factors that are needed to ensure good outcomes.
What works in promoting good outcomes for children in need through enhanced parenting skills?
- Author:
- SOCIAL SERVICES IMPROVEMENT AGENCY
- Publisher:
- Social Services Improvement Agency
- Publication year:
- 2008
- Pagination:
- 20p.
- Place of publication:
- Cardiff
The literature suggests that negative parenting styles have a strong association with emotional and behavioural difficulties in children and young people, while positive, nurturing relationships between children and parents/carers are a crucial foundation for well-adjusted development. Parental communication style and conflict resolution style in particular have been described as key variables in the development of child conduct and peer relationships.