Town hall leaders greet child care proposals with caution

12 Oct 06
Government proposals to allow social workers to operate out of independent, GP-style practices have been greeted with caution by local government leaders, who fear the policy is masking the recruitment and retention crisis in social care.

13 October 2006

Government proposals to allow social workers to operate out of independent, GP-style practices have been greeted with caution by local government leaders, who fear the policy is masking the recruitment and retention crisis in social care.

The Department for Education and Skills' green paper on children in care, published this week, included a proposal to explore a model of social care practices, whereby autonomous groups of social workers contract with local authorities to work with looked-after children.

Such practices would hold a budget and could develop their own style, approach and speciality, with successful practices able to expand.

But James Kempton, vice chair of the Children and Young People's Board at the Local Government Association, told Public Finance that the proposal 'seemed like a bit of a bold step without too much evidence behind it'.

He said: 'We want to work with the DfES to explore this idea but we are concerned it could be creating a two-tier social workforce.'

Kempton also called on the government for assurances that it is committed to the long-term funding of the initiatives.

This view was shared by the Association of Directors of Children's Services.

Co-president designate John Coughlan said: 'Changes to placement systems, foster care, workforce patters and the like are vitally important if we are to improve services to these very vulnerable children. But change doesn't come cheap.'

Launching the green paper on October 9, Education Secretary Alan Johnson heralded the document as a 'major turning point'. Children in care were being failed by the present system, he said. 'The state needs to start acting like a decent parent.'

The green paper sets out 120 proposals to transform the experience of children in care, including a choice over when they leave care, guaranteed catch-up support in schools, salaries for foster carers and a £2,000 bursary towards higher education.

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