Care Statistics Continue to Rise
8th May 2009
Cafcass has today published care statistics data showing
that since November 2008 there has been a significant growth in
care applications by local authorities.
Whilst the year on year figure is in line with the previous
three years, when the last two quarters are examined there is a
significant rise which may be explained by a lowering of the
threshold of intervention by local authorities following the
publicity surrounding the Baby P criminal court case that ended in
November 2008.
Cafcass Chief Executive Anthony Douglas CBE
comments, “The increase represent real cases which are nearly
always upheld by a family court due to the power and strength of
the evidence - there is no evidence that children are being taken
into care needlessly. In fact it is our view that more
children are now being safeguarded who would otherwise be at risk
of neglect or harm.
When we look at longer term trends there are
fewer children entering the care system than, for example, in some
previous decades. We understand more about the serious
difficulties those children have experienced and how much it will
take in terms of time and resources to put that right for them.
We are seeing an increase in cases coming to
the courts of children already known to local authorities and where
chronic neglect is the main feature. There are no easy
solutions or guaranteed futures for these children, either back
home or in the care system. Each child is not a statistic but a
person with complex and long-term needs which the State has a duty
of care to meet.
Along with the measures announced yesterday by the Secretary of
State all agencies are committed to supporting social workers and
other professionals in making the best possible interventions to
safeguard vulnerable children.”
Click here to view the full press release.
Click here for the
detailed statistics covering the period April 2005 to March
2009.
Click here for comment on the topic
from November 2008.
For more information or an interview with Chief Executive
Anthony Douglas CBE please contact Head of Communications, Takki
Sulaiman on 07778 419218.
In a separate development it was announced on 6th May
2009 that Anthony Douglas CBE has been appointed to the DCSF’s
expert advisory group on the recommendation of Sir Roger Singleton,
who was appointed as the government's chief adviser on the safety
of children in March.