Please click on the articles below to see what our impact has been so far.
Isabel’s Voice have clarified the Government do not regulate laws for Children in Care
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In November 2018 Nadim Zahawi MP, Under Secretary of State for Children and Families confirmed the Government “has not appointed any organisation or person to complete systematic audits of local authority (LA) children’s services, to monitor their compliance and delivery of legislation (laws) related to looked-after children”. So the Government do not ask Local Authorities any questions about their compliance to laws that are in place to enhance the outcomes for this group of young people.
The trustees of Isabel’s Voice, a campaigning charity feel it is unacceptable that the Government is failing to ensure that legislation for Children in Care (CIC) and Care Leavers is delivered, monitored and reported on, as it may contribute to the poor outcomes that this vulnerable group of young people experience.
Please see the letter below from the previous Under Secretary for State for Children and Families, clarifying the Government’s position.
Isabel’s Voice have clarified that large numbers of Local Authorities do not have emotional and mental health data
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To understand the consequences of the Government’s failure to regulate local authority Children’s Services (CIC & Care Leavers), Isabel’s Voice sent all 153 English local authorities a Freedom of Information (FOI) request in October 2018 about one piece of legislation: section 7 of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review 2010 Regulations. We found that:
- When asked by Isabel’s Voice, 73 out of 150 local authorities did not know how many young people had their emotional and mental health assessed as they entered their care
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When asked by Isabel’s Voice, 102 out of 150 Local Authorities did not know how many of their young people had a written assessment of their emotional and mental health as they entered their care.
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When asked by Isabel’s Voice, 131 out of 150 Local Authorities did not know how many of their CIC/Care Leavers were assessed as needing support with their emotional and mental health as they entered their care.
We've clarified that Ofsted do not request data from authorities around the emotional and mental health of Children in Care
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Please see the response we received from Ofsted that clarifies that they do not ask for emotional and mental health data or information from local authorities, during their inspections of Children Services
Ofsted letter confirming they don't collect CIC mental health data
We've clarified that the Department for Education don't collect evidence from Authorities about the emotional/mental health of Children in Care
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Please see the letter below which clarifies that the Department for Education do not want evidence from local authorities, to know if they've properly assessed the emotional and mental health of Children in Care.
Our response to the case for change (Review of Children's Social Care)
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