Care applications continue to rise at record levels
20th October 2009
Cafcass has today published care
statistics for the second quarter of
2009-10 showing that the number of care applications made
by local authorities remains at an unprecedented high
level.
Compared to quarter 2 last year, care demand is up 47.2% (688
cases). June 2009 (784 cases) was the highest care demand
figure ever recorded for a single month since Cafcass began
collecting this data.
Anthony Douglas, CBE, Cafcass’ Chief Executive commented, "The
child protection system is dealing with higher referrals at every
stage of assessment and service provision. Children’s guardians are
now working round the clock to meet the needs of these children as
best as we can.
Whilst the rise in applications is good news for children who need
protection, the child care system as a whole will need to gear up
to be able to cope with and support these much higher volumes.
Greater complexity of cases is also adding a multiplier effect to
the rise in referrals.
Rises in applications to courts directly follows on from recent
steep rises in child protection referrals to local authorities.
This has been partly caused by some agencies referring lower level
concerns in case they make a mistake by under-reacting. If we are
to avoid risk aversion agencies must regain confidence in their own
professional judgements and assessments. The UK child
protection system remains one of the safest in the world therefore
that confidence is justified.
Financial pressures in many agencies mean that resources are being
driven into funding children with the highest levels of need and
protection. This risks a reduction in the very family support and
therapeutic services a much larger group of children and families
need to prevent the cycle of neglect recurring.”
Click here to view the full press release.
Click
here to view the statistics
graph.
Previously released statistics:
Click here
for Q1 statistics that covers the period from April to
June 2009 - 2010
Click
here for all statistics from 2005 - 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.