By David Williams
16 October 2009
There has been a significant increase in the number of children being taken into care following the Baby Peter controversy last year.
Figures published on October 13 by the Department for Children, Schools and Families show a total of 60,900 ‘looked after’ children at the end of 2008/09, up from 59,400 a year earlier.
The number of children entering care leapt by 9%, rising from 23,300 in 2007/08 to 25,400 last year.
The rises have reversed a steady downward trend since 2003, and come in the wake of the huge publicity generated by the Baby Peter case. The toddler was killed after months of abuse at the hands of his mother and her partner, despite repeated visits from Haringey social services.
Moira Murray, head of safeguarding at the Children’s Society, told Public Finance that the figures showed local authorities were becoming more willing to intervene following the scandal.
However, she cautioned against a ‘knee-jerk reaction’, adding: ‘We can’t just concentrate on child protection measures. We have to look at early intervention, going in and working with parents. We have to look at whether it’s possible to keep families together – because the vast majority of children want to be with their parents.’
Murray noted that local authorities had become more ready to intervene even though the cost of taking out a childcare order rocketed in 2008 from £150 to £4,000.
A DCSF spokesman said the data covered a ‘particularly turbulent period for everyone involved in children’s services’, but emphasised that decisions to put children into care were taken on a case-by-case basis by the courts.
16 October 2009
There has been a significant increase in the number of children being taken into care following the Baby Peter controversy last year.
Figures published on October 13 by the Department for Children, Schools and Families show a total of 60,900 ‘looked after’ children at the end of 2008/09, up from 59,400 a year earlier.
The number of children entering care leapt by 9%, rising from 23,300 in 2007/08 to 25,400 last year.
The rises have reversed a steady downward trend since 2003, and come in the wake of the huge publicity generated by the Baby Peter case. The toddler was killed after months of abuse at the hands of his mother and her partner, despite repeated visits from Haringey social services.
Moira Murray, head of safeguarding at the Children’s Society, told Public Finance that the figures showed local authorities were becoming more willing to intervene following the scandal.
However, she cautioned against a ‘knee-jerk reaction’, adding: ‘We can’t just concentrate on child protection measures. We have to look at early intervention, going in and working with parents. We have to look at whether it’s possible to keep families together – because the vast majority of children want to be with their parents.’
Murray noted that local authorities had become more ready to intervene even though the cost of taking out a childcare order rocketed in 2008 from £150 to £4,000.
A DCSF spokesman said the data covered a ‘particularly turbulent period for everyone involved in children’s services’, but emphasised that decisions to put children into care were taken on a case-by-case basis by the courts.
