Only by comprehensively shining a light on institutional failures, do we stand a chance to reform the system and eradicate these horrors.
“We must take decisive action and now,” says de Souza. “Arthur’s voice was not heard. The system didn’t hear him.”
After this disruptive start in life, many young people drift into an adulthood of crime and prison.
Ofsted has judged us “outstanding.” Six years ago it found us “inadequate”. One big achievement is that we are now relying much less on agency staff.
It is true that financial pressures will increase. But the scope for reform and innovation remains huge. Services do not need to be cut.
There is plenty of innovation taking place. There should not be an ideological veto preventing it from flourishing.
The difficulty is that social workers will be given a veto. Therefore very few children will be given this opportunity.
Too often local authority children’s services are dysfunctional – a lead professional needs to take responsibility when failures occur.
Coping with disabled children is still a struggle even if you have money.
More children are stuck in care than when David Cameron became Prime Minister.
One in four foster children moves home two or more times a year.
At a cost of nearly a billion a year 5,000 children are in soulless institutions.
For any child to be kept in a children’s home unnecessarily is a scandal.
What did Lambeth Council know? When did it know it?
A new law of child emotional abuse will do little to protect children, but will bring big risks with it for parents and carers.