Category: Social Care

Categories
NNPCF Social Care

Government publishes response to the Children’s Social Care Review 

On the 2 February, the government published its response to the Independent Review into Children’s Social Care chaired by Josh MacCallister.

You can find a link to the government response, Stable Homes, Built on Love here: Children’s social care stable homes built on love consulation (publishing.service.gov.uk) 

You can read our submission here: https://nnpcf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Social-Care-consulation-response.pdf

Alongside the strategy, the government are launching three consultations: 

  • A consultation on the strategy that invites views on our proposals for reform here 
  • A consultation on a new National Framework and dashboard for children’s social care which asks for views on our proposed outcomes and indicators here 
  • A consultation on a set of national rules on the engagement of agency social worker resource here 

The NNPCF will be compiling responses to the relevant consultations over the coming months. Details of how to help shape the NNPCF response will be included in the March consultation briefing available on our website, social media and distributed to forums through their regional representative.   

The strategy responds to the three independent reviews that were published last year – the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel report into the tragic deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson and the Competition and Markets Authority Children’s Social Care market study.  

The strategy aims to create a vision of how to help families to overcome challenges at the earliest stage, keep children safe from significant harm, and make sure children in care have stable loving homes, long-term loving relationships and opportunities for a good life. 

The strategy is laid out across six pillars: 

  1. Family Help provides the right support at the right time so that children can thrive with their families 
  1. A decisive multi-agency child protection system 
  1. Unlocking the potential of family networks 
  1. Putting love, relationships and a stable home at the heart of being a child in care 
  1. A valued, supported and highly-skilled social worker for every child who needs one 
  1. A system that continuously learns and improves, and makes better use of evidence and data 

There is little detail or content in this paper about the SEND social care system – the Department for Education has indicated that the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement plan which they intend to publish shortly will aim to align the two systems. However, some of the key themes that the NNPCF raised are explicitly picked up in the strategy, namely: 

  • the call for a more joined us system across education health and care 
  • the need for earlier intervention 

But, some of the more specific things that we asked for in the independent review are not picked up: 

  • a call for a “support not safeguarding” for the majority of SEND families 
  • the quality of social care input into EHCPs and a recognition that too often this is non-existent. 
  • a huge variation in consistency and standards across the country 

Nevertheless, question 8 in the consultation does explicitly ask:  

What more can be done by government, local authorities and service providers to make sure that disabled children and young people can access the right type of help and support? 

The NNPCF had considerable engagement and input into the review, most notably when Josh MacCallister launched his case for change with parent carer forums Josh MacAlister makes “The Case for Change” at joint NNPCF / Contact webinar – National Network of Parent Carer Forums C.I.C 

You can find an article on earlier NNPCF input here: NNPCF input into children’s social care review – National Network of Parent Carer Forums C.I.C 

Independent review of children’s social care – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

National review into the murders of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Children’s social care market study final report – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Categories
Bills and legislations NHS England Social Care

Lords concludes examination of Health and Care Bill

The Health and Care Bill was introduced to Parliament in July 2021 and will place Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) on a statutory footing. ICSs are the structures through which NHS organisations, in partnership with local authorities, will take joint responsibility for improving the health and wellbeing of the population they serve, including children and young people.

As part of our policy work, the NNPCF are a member of the Health and Policy Influencing Group (HPIG). HPIG is leading the children’s sector’s activity on the Health and Care Bill, working with civil servants and parliamentarians to push for a greater focus on babies, children and young people in the legislation and supporting guidance.

The Government has made important commitments in Parliament that babies, children & young people will be an integral part of Health and Care Bill.

The Bill has now had its third reading, a chance to make sure the eventual law is both effective and workable.

The NNPCF welcomes the amendments tabled which include:

  • A requirement for Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to create joint forward plans that include children and young people
  • Guidance that stipulates that ICBs must identify an executive lead for SEND and safeguarding and also appoint a children and young people’s executive lead
  • Guidance for Integrated Care partnerships strategies to specifically consider children and young people and for them to consult with CYP leaders and families.

These provisions support some of the requirements for joint planning across local areas outlined in the SEND Green Paper.

Categories
NNPCF work Social Care

Josh MacAlister makes “The Case for Change” at joint NNPCF / Contact webinar

The independent review of children’s social care has published its case for change. You can find it here:

Home – The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care (independent-review.uk)

On Thursday 24th June at noon, Josh MacAlister, the independent chair of the review, will be joining an NNPCF and Contact webinar to talk about the case for change and what it means for children and young people with SEND.

You can sign up to the webinar here: Meeting Registration – Zoom

The NNPCF have been working with Josh and the review team to ensure that the issues most important to SEND families are included in the review.

Many of the issues we have raised with the review team are included for example:

· There is a recognition that families need support rather than “investigation”

· The inconsistency in classifying children with disabilities as Children in Need

· The lack of appropriate support for families with children with disabilities is noted

In addition, man y of the major themes that we have raised with the SEND review are also recognised in the report, for example:

· The need for a better definition of what early help and intervention (family support) is available

· The need for more multi-agency working

· The financial pressures on the children’s social care system

You can find out more about our work with the review team here: NNPCF input into children’s social care review – National Network of Parent Carer Forums C.I.C

Categories
consultations Social Care

NNPCF input into children’s social care review

In January, the government announced a review into children’s social care. Independent review of children’s social care – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The NNPCF have been working with the review team to ensure the voice of parent carer forums is heard and that the review understands and considers the unique challenges faced by our families.

NNPCF co-chairs Tina Emery and Mrunal Sisodia met with the officials leading the review in March. In our meeting, we described the work of parent carer forums and our unique role in representing the experiences of families and in coproducing improved outcomes. We also raised five issues that we wanted to make sure that the review considered:

  1. “Support not safeguarding” – Much of the social care system is focussed on safeguarding and the approaches and systems are too often based in this model. CYP with SEND and their families need support from the social care system and the bias towards safeguarding means that families slip through the net and further families are reluctant to engage with social care.
  2. Input into EHCPs – PCFs report that social care input into EHCPs remains patchy- often there is no input or that input is very superficial.
  3. Consistency and criteria – there is a postcode lottery for social care services. Some areas recognise children with SEND and children in need, most do not; many areas have different (and high) thresholds for services.
  4. Availability of services – many social care services that families would benefit from are simply not available to too many. Thresholds and cuts mean that respite care, residential care and short breaks are in short supply. Children’s social care must be prioritised and funded properly.
  5. Prioritisation with the NHS integrated care systems – we must ensure that children’s social care is included in plans being developed by the new integrated care systems.

We have arranged a series of engagement events with the social care team. These include:

  • Attendance at regional NNPCF meetings in the Yorkshire and Humber and London regions to hear directly from PCFs
  • Joining the East of England and South West SEND regional leads meeting
  • Attending an NNPCF steering group meeting in June
  • Josh MacAllister, the independent chair of the review, will be meeting with the NNPCF co-chairs

After these and other engagement events, the review plans to publish a “case for change” in early June. Josh MacAllister has agreed to run a webinar for PCFs to brief them on the key areas of focus for the review and how the experiences of CYP with SEND are reflected in their agenda.

The review is also working with our partners at Contact and the Disabled Children’s Partnership to meet with a roundtable of charities and individual parents to hear their stories.

We will keep you informed of our work and will share details of the webinar with Josh once they have been finalised.