- The Observer
24 11.08.19 News
50,000 children in
‘inadequate’ care
as council cuts bite
Surge in number of
children failed by
system, says reportAlmost 50,000 children are now in
the care of councils whose services
are falling short, a new study claims.
In the latest sign of the cash
crisis that continues to plague local
authorities, the research suggests
there has been an increase in the
number of children in councils whose
services are classed as either inade-
quate or requiring improvement.
The findings, in a study by the
Social Market Foundation think tank,
were condemned by Anne Longfi eld,
the Children’s Commissioner for
England, who said people would be
shocked by the fi gures.
The SMF said it was “shameful”
that 48,723 children were currently
being looked after in local authori-
ties whose services are deemed to be
falling short.
In 2018, there were 47,085 “looked-
after children” in such councils.
However, council leaders said it
was unfair to suggest councils whose
services require improvement
were failing.
Longfi eld said: “The government
has to put this right. These most vul-
nerable kids have had the toughest
start in life and rely on the state for
nearly every aspect of their life.
“We might imagine from the news
that potholes, street lights and bin
collections are what councils are
for, but looking after these vulnera-
ble children properly is one of their
most important roles, and govern-
ment must make sure councils make
it the best experience they possibly
can, part of which is funding them
properly to do so. At the moment they
aren’t, and too often it isn’t.”
The SMF is calling on ministers to
establish a “charter for looked-after
children”, designed to raise the stand-
ards of care and clos e the gap in out-
comes between children who have
been in care and those who have not.The number of looked-after children
in England has been rising for several
years. In 2013, there were 68,070, and
by 2018 75,420.
The SMF found that 65% of all
looked-after children in England
were in council areas where services
needed to improve.
Its report also reveals that nearly
40% of care leavers in England aged
19-21 were out of education, employ-
ment or training. And only 17.5% of
pupils in care achieved A*-C in both
English and maths GCSE. This com-
pares with almost 60% of children
who were not in care. Some 42% of
children in young offender institu-
tions were in care.
Matthew Oakley, SMF senior
researcher, said: “These are the chil-
dren who need the most support and
the best care. Yet we are collectively
content to give them inadequate sup-
port and care. This neglect is nothing
less than shameful.
“ We know that failing to properly
support looked-after children will
help to condemn them to a life of
poverty and struggle, or even worse.
And yet the numbers of such children
in failing services is actually rising.
That is scandalous.”
Anntoinette Bramble, chair of
the Local Government Association’s
Children and Young People Board,
said: “Councils want the very best for
the children in their care, with social
workers, foster carers, residential care
workers and countless others going
over and above every day to help these
children thrive.
“It is misleading to say that children
in councils where services requires
improvement [RI] or inadequate are
receiving ‘unacceptable treatment’.
Ofsted is clear that RI is an accepta-
ble judgment, while immediate, sig-
nifi cant support is put in place where
there are any concerns about practice.
“There is always more that can be
done, yet soaring demand in the face
of budget cuts by central government
means councils are fi nding it diffi cult
to give children and families the sup-
port they need. It is vital the govern-
ment uses the spending round to fully
fund the demand pressures on chil-
dren’s services next year.”Michael Savage
Policy EditorThe popular dating app Bumble
regularly brings people together
for sex, or love, or professional net-
working – or for all three. But now
the social media platform that gives
heterosexual women priority in
making contact with men is to bring
together a much bigger group of peo-
ple. The app will stage a comedy night
devoted to navigating the perils of
romance at the Edinburgh fringe fes-
tival this month.
Bumble, which is free and has morethan 60 million users worldwide, has
joined forces with the fringe venue
Gilded Balloon to host How to Make
The First Move (The Good, The Bad and
The Funny) on 19 August.
The one-off show aims to
encourage women to have the
confi dence to approach a pro-
spective date.
Many of the stand up com-
ics at this year’s festival have
created shows dealing
with the pressure to fi nd
a partner.
Darren Harriott ’s Good
Heart Yute is about reach-ing the age of 30 without having been
in love; “Handful” Brodi Snook , an
Australian comic, is trying to under-
stand why some have not welcomed
her on to the dating scene; and Robyn
Perkins , who created a live dating
show last summer, is reporting
back on the experience in Mating
Selection.
Katy Koren , artistic director at
the Gilded Balloon and daughter
of the venue’s founder, Karen
Koren, said: “Karen and Iare so excited to be teaming up with
Bumble – which is making waves in
the social, dating and business world
by empowering women to make the
fi rst move. We’re all for the strides
Bumble has made in shifting power
dynamics.”
The acclaimed comic Zoe Lyons
will host the late-night show which
will feature a line-up of up-and-
coming women comedians includ-
ing Maisie Adam , best newcomer at
the 2018 Edinburgh Comedy Awards,
and acts Jayde Adams , Lou Sanders ,
Kiri Pritchard-McLean , Jenny Bede
and Flo & Joan.A woman
walks into
a bar ... and
swipes right
Vanessa Thorpe
Arts and Media Correspondentt.
aims to
ave the
a pro-com-
have
ng
ddher on to the
Perkins , who
show last
back on th
Selection.
Katy Ko
the Gilde
of the
KoreDarren Harriott turned
30 without fi nding love.ПОДГОТОВИЛАГРУППА"What's News"
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