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Child Protection Legislation, Disparity possible causes: lack of access to…

- - - - a child who has been in the care of their local authority for more than 24hrs (legally known as)
      - thousands of children in care in UK & #s increasing over past decade
        
        ~105,400 looked after children in UK (pop :arrow_up: by 9%
        
        England: # :arrow_up: every yr since 2008
        
        declining #s
        
        differences b/t nations around when children are counted as being 'in care'
        
        number of looked after children growing faster than the UK child population
        
        more likely to be in care:
        
        :male_sign:
        
        black or of mixed ethnicity (except in Scotland where only children of mixed ethnicity are overrepresented)
        
        less likely to be in care:
        
        :female_sign:
        
        Asian or white
      - majority in care b/c of abuse or neglect
        
        e.g. England 66%, Wales 65% in 2021/22
        
        other reasons: family dysfunction, family in acute stress, child's disability or illness, parent's disability or illness, socially unacceptable behaviour, absent parenting
      - placement types: foster care, placement with parents, residential accommodation (secure units, children's homes, semi-independent living, residential schools & other residential settings), other (includes prospective adopters & in the community)
        
        foster care: most common placement type
      - differences
        
        Home supervision orders: child remains @ home but receives regular visits from social workers
        
        aimed @ supporting families & preventing the need for full removal
        
        Focus on Prevention: Scottish system prioritizes keeping children with their families whenever possible, intervening with support services before considering removal
        
        Definition of "In Care": "looked after" includes children receiving support while living @ home
        
        inflates the # of children in care compared to other UK nations
        
        a child can be considered "in care" in Scotland even if they remain @ home as long as they receive social work intervention & support
        
        approach aims to strengthen families & prevent full removal from the home environment (trauma of removal is significant)
      - reasons for a child to leave care: returned home to live with parents or relatives, adopted, in the care of former foster/kinship carers, moved into independent/supported living arrangement, care taken by another local authority, turned 18yrs & continuing to live with former foster parent(s) in a When I Am Ready arrangement, other
        
        returning home to live with family: most common reason for a child to leave care
        
        2021/22: 53% of children who ceased to be looked after in Scotland returned home to their parents (high # explained by fact many looked after continue to live @ home with parents whilst being "looked after")
      - outcomes
        
        yoyo children (go back home ➡️ problems again ➡️ back into care)
        
        below avg outcomes across a range of measures
        
        1 study: looked after children who were continuously in care in England had better educational attainment than children in need
        
        many looked after children have exp abuse or neglect - exp associated with poorer outcomes for children
      - EDU
        
        looked after children in England receive additional support thruout their EDU - minimising disruption & stability
        
        e.g. kids taxiing to school b/c placed in foster home but wanting to stay @ same school with same friends, teachers, etc.
        
        Personal EDU Plan (PEP): details what kind of support is needed for the child to reach their full potential & is reviewed regularly
        
        all looked after children have b/c legal requirement, tracks their educational progress & need
        
        covers access to appropriate childcare or early yrs programs, continued support for catching up on missed schoolwork, arranging suitable EDU if a child is out of school temporarily
        
        Pupil Premium+ funding: extra funding provided to help them achieve academically & close attainment gap b/t them & their peers (schools receive, will have support all the way thru)
        
        support @ school: Designated Teacher for Looked After Children (DTLAC) - pt of contact & ensures the child's educational needs are met
        
        monitors child's progress, informs senior staff, & liases with the social worker
        
        higher EDU: offered guidance & support regarding higher EDU options - local authority can provide financial assistance for uni or college applications & living costs
        
        $$$ support
        
        Care leaver bursary: the gov provides a Care Leaver Bursary to eligible students to cover essential costs not covered by loans or grants
        
        financial aid: unis can offer bursaries & scholarships specifically for care leavers to help manage tuition fees & living expenses
        
        academic support: many unis have designated care leaver coordinators or support teams who understand the unique challenges faced by care leavers
        
        social & pastoral support: mentoring schemes & social events and activities
        
        accommodation: guaranteed accommodation (some unis) including during vacation periods
    - - considering wishes & feelings; physical, emotional, & educational needs