0370 270 6000
Home arrow Insights & events arrow Resources arrow Blogs arrow Children in care - striking the right balance

Children in care - striking the right balance

19 June 2012

A report by MPs has found placing young children far from home could encourage them to abscond, leaving them vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Recent convictions in Rochdale confirms that the problem is widespread and needs addressing.

The report highlights the problem police face in keeping children safe as information regarding the location of care homes cannot be released to them. The report recommends, amongst others, a scorecard system to rate local authorities, a new system for reporting runaways, and further training of staff.

Many care homes are considered to be unsuitable and of poor quality. Regardless of location, residents will continue to abscond and it will always be difficult to keep tabs on them. Questions remain whether new systems can prevent children absconding and minimise the risk of exploitation. A careful balance needs to be maintained between keeping children safe from the risk of sexual abuse and allowing them to maintain a sense of freedom. Otherwise, they may resent the Care system and further abscond.

Related opinions

IR35 rules to be scrapped from April 2023

The Chancellor’s recent mini-budget provided a significant announcement for business as it was confirmed that the off-payroll working rules (known as “IR35”) put in place for public and private sector businesses from 2017 and 2021 will be scrapped from April 2023.

View blog

Challenges from potential Foster Carers and Adopters

Our immediate future shows a renewed focus on foster care. We’re going to see a new nationwide-drive to recruit foster carers and the implementation of a more robust, and potentially financially-generous system for encouraging friends and family to care for their relatives (both when extended families cannot cope or provide care for any reason).

View blog

A helpful decision for claimant solicitors on Limitation under the Human Rights Act in abuse and assault cases?

In this month’s decision of CJ & Ors v Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police the court was given the task of considering whether a sexual abuse action, brought under the Human Rights Act 1998 should be allowed to proceed to trial where the claim had been brought outside the one-year period prescribed by the Act.

View blog

80% hours for 100% pay? That’ll do nicely

As has been widely reported this week, some 3,000 UK workers are taking part in a six month trial to assess the viability of a four-day working week without any reduction in their normal pay.

View blog

View all blogs

Mailing list sign up

Select which mailings you would like to receive from us.

Sign up

Quick links

Information

  1. ISO 27001 INFORMATION SECURITY MANAGEMENT UKAS
  2. Investors in people
  3. Lexcel
  5. Plain English Campaign Approved

© Copyright Browne Jacobson LLP 2022 - All rights reserved