AI and the Pothole Crisis: Learning from 'Down Under’
Leo Hanna, executive vice president UK at TechnologyOne, looks at what the UK can learn from Australia when it comes to using AI to identify potholes.
Councils create largest fostering partnership
09/07/2024 Twenty councils in the south east of England have formed the country’s largest local authority fostering partnership in a bid to boost the number of carers in the region. |
Councils team up for new fostering initiative
31/05/2024 Eleven local authorities in the East of England have teamed up as part of a new initiative aimed at recruiting more people to become foster carers. |
Eight councils launch fostering hub
28/05/2024 A fostering hub has been created by eight councils in Cheshire and Merseyside with the aim of ‘urgently’ recruiting carers. |
Social work development programme 'pulled' by Department for Education
16/04/2024 A Government decision to end a training and development programme for social work managers has been branded a ‘kick in the teeth’ for the sector. |
Negative fostering experiences undermining recruitment
24/05/2023 Poor communication, delays or insufficient information from fostering services are putting people off being foster parents, new research reveals. |
How councils can improve services for care leavers
14/02/2023 Ian Stewart-Watson, programme manager of New Belongings at Coram, looks at how councils can work with their young people to improve services for care leavers. |
DfE supports proposals to help vulnerable children
03/02/2023 Local authorities might soon be able to draw on the support of regional bodies to help them find suitable placements for children, the DfE says. |
Councils urged to check information sharing agreements
26/01/2023 Councils are being urged to check they have adequate information sharing agreements with their providers, after one council struggled to access essential data. |
Schools should be better utilised for local safeguarding, report says
23/01/2023 Schools and primary care networks should be better utilised in supporting Local Safeguarding Partnerships, a new report into foster care has concluded. |
Social care failing LGBTQ+ young people, study reveals
01/12/2022 The social care system needs to improve how it cares for LGBTQ+ young people in residential and foster homes, University of Birmingham researchers say. |
Number of fostering homes down by a quarter
11/11/2022 The number of available homes for foster children in England has fallen by almost a quarter in four years, according to the latest Ofsted figures. |
Foster parent shortage ‘financially ruinous’ for councils
28/09/2022 Foster carers have called for more support to help with the cost-of-living crisis and warned a shortage of carers is likely to be ‘ruinous’ for councils. |
The state is failing foster children, charity says
28/06/2022 The needs of many children in foster care are not being properly looked after, a leading fostering charity has warned. |
Tens of thousands fewer children could avoid going into council care
09/03/2022 Tens of thousands of young people could avoid going into council care if services are reshaped under a new ‘optimised delivery model’ based on a family-focused way of delivering support, says a report. |
'Crumbling' fostering system failing vulnerable children
06/12/2021 Urgent action is needed to fix the 'crumbling and failing' fostering system, a charity has warned. |
Figures paint 'bleak picture' of foster care
12/11/2021 A lack of foster carers means vulnerable children are not getting the support they need, Ofsted has warned. |
A third of kinship carers warn children are missing support
29/09/2021 Thousands of vulnerable children being looked after by kinship carers are not getting the support they need, a new survey has revealed. |
Why a new law discriminates against over-16s in care
22/09/2021 Malcolm Johnson warns that a new law governing decisions about children in care in England could put vulnerable 16 and 17 year-olds at risk. |
Union calls for 'new deal' for Shared Lives foster carers
14/09/2021 Councils have been urged to provide a 'pay rise' and respite care for Shared Lives foster carers who look after vulnerable adults in their homes. |
Charity warns children needing care rises by a third
07/09/2021 The number of children being referred to its fostering service has risen by a third in the past year, a charity has warned. |
Councils failing to plan for fostering provision, think tank warns
25/06/2021 Three quarters of local authorities are failing to meet their legal duty to plan for future demand in foster care, a report has warned today. |
BCP Council agrees to check past payments to foster carers
08/06/2021 BCP Council has agreed to check whether it has paid friends and family foster carers properly over the past five years following an investigation. |
Charity calls for ‘fair’ financial support for kinship carers
01/06/2021 A charity has called on the Government to ensure that kinship carers receive the same amount of financial support as foster carers. |
The biggest providers of children's care placements report £216m profits
29/01/2021 The six biggest independent providers of children’s residential and fostering placements made £219m in profit last year, a new report has found. |
Capacity in foster care is stalling, data reveals
13/11/2020 The number of applications to become a foster carer has fallen by 10% since March last year, new data has revealed. |
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Tribunal rules foster care workers entitled to employee rights
01/09/2020 A UK tribunal has ruled that foster care workers are council employees and therefore entitled to employment rights. |
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Charity declares ‘state of emergency’ in foster care
23/06/2020 A children’s charity has warned that the number of children needing foster care has increased by 44% during the pandemic. |
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Councils warned to cover foster carers’ school transport costs
17/01/2020 Councils have been reminded by the local government ombudsman that they should be providing financial support to foster parents to pay for school transport. |
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Foster carers experience high-levels of ‘burnout’, study reveals
16/12/2019 Psychologists have called for more support to be provided to foster carers after a new study reveals the extent of ‘burnout’ in the sector. |
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Foster parents at risk of burnout and stress, study warns
12/12/2019 Foster carers are more likely to suffer from secondary traumatic stress due to their exposure to the trauma stories of their foster children, a study has revealed. |
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Kinship carers ‘lack support’ in times of crisis, charity warns
07/10/2019 Family members who take on the responsibility of caring for children who are not their own risk being penalised due to a lack of support and independent advice, a charity has warned. |
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Whitehall launches 10 new foster projects
04/10/2019 The Government has today launched fostering projects in 10 new locations in a bid to provide foster families with practical and emotional support and advice. |
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Kinship carers blast lack of support from children's services
24/09/2019 Local authorities should have a legal responsibility to support people looking after the children of family and friends, campaigners have argued. |
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Nottinghamshire councils apologise for ‘decades’ of child abuse
01/08/2019 Nottinghamshire councils have apologised for letting survivors ‘down in worst possible way’ after an inquiry found hundreds of children were abused in care. |
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Foster carers need ‘more support’ to look after LGBTQ young people
30/07/2019 More support is needed for foster carers looking after LGBTQ young people, new study says. |
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Ambitious for adoption
03/07/2019 Dr Carol Homden argues the closure of the Adoption Register for England means all parts of the system must work together to ensure the best possible service to children. |
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Council accused of ‘negligence’ over Parsons Green bomber
08/03/2019 Surrey has been accused of ‘negligence’ by the foster parents of the Parsons Green bomber who claim the authority failed to warn them he had been radicalised. |
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Foster carers feel ‘undervalued’, report reveals
04/02/2019 Foster carers do not feel treated as an ‘equal and valued’ member of the social care team looking after fostered children, a new report has revealed. |
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Number of looked after children rises to over 75,000
16/11/2018 The number of children looked after by local authorities has increased since last year, prompting council chiefs to warn of the ‘huge demand’ this is placing on children’s services. |
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Home Office announces £13m fund to support vulnerable children
22/08/2018 Councils have welcomed £13m of funding to help vulnerable children but warned cuts to children’s services are making it ‘difficult’ to help families. |
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Foster parents to receive free childcare
22/06/2018 Foster parents will have access to the government’s 30 hours free childcare offer for the first time from September. |
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Children's services blow for new chiefs
16/05/2018 Surrey CC’s children’s services are still inadequate, according to Ofsted – three years after they received the same grade. |
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Urgent need for another 8,000 foster families says charity
15/05/2018 The UK needs another 8,000 new foster families to ensure all fostered children can find the right home, a charity has warned today. |
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The scrutiny of foster care costs
04/04/2018 Ray Hart questions why foster care costs aren’t subject to the same level of scrutiny as other social care costs. |
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Government fostering report calls for councils to work with agencies
07/02/2018 Collaboration between local authorities and the private sector would improve foster care for children, a new Government report has suggested. |
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Committee calls for ‘fundamental review’ of foster system
22/12/2017 MPs have called on the Government to carry out a ‘fundamental review’ of the whole foster care system to ensure children and foster parents are supported. |
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Counting the cost of foster care abuse
12/12/2017 Ceri Sian Williams warns local authorities could face a significant increase in foster care abuse claims following a recent court ruling. |
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Investigation concludes ‘Christian’ child happy with Muslim foster parents
02/11/2017 Inquiry by Tower Hamlets into allegations a Muslim couple fostering a ‘Christian’ child coerced her into following their faith concluded claims were baseless. |
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Council liable for foster care abuse, judge rules
19/10/2017 Local authorities could face a big increase in claims by foster children over historic or recent child abuse after a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court. |
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Safeguarding foster children from radicalisation
18/10/2017 William Eichler finds out how the fostering sector can protect children from radical ideologies. |
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Record number of children in care system
12/10/2017 Council leaders have warned a record number of children are now in the care system, with 90 youngsters a day entering care last year. |
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Council charges foster family for free school transport
11/10/2017 Councils are putting foster children at a disadvantage compared to their peers when it comes to school transport, ombudsman says. |
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Shocking survey reveals 'true scale' of foster care crisis
11/09/2017 A new poll by a children’s charity has revealed over 85% of UK adults surveyed show little or no interest in fostering, raising concerns over the future of foster care in the UK. |
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London boroughs awarded £1m for innovative fostering scheme
20/07/2017 Six London boroughs have been awarded £1m for a scheme improving access to high-quality residential care and fostering placements for looked after children. |
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Watch - Foster with Nottingham City Council
19/05/2017 Hear from the council's foster carers about the importance of fostering with Nottingham City Council. |
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Cracks within fostering system 'likely to get bigger' warns charity
31/01/2017 The fostering system in the UK is under ‘unsustainable strain’, with ‘hard-won improvements’ at risk of being eroded, a report has warned today. |
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Foster care system in need of ‘urgent attention’, MPs say
07/10/2016 MPs have launched an inquiry into fostering in England today at a time when the number of looked-after children is at its highest point since 1985. |
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Charity to take over Peterborough’s fostering and adoption services
27/09/2016 Peterborough Council has agreed to transfer all its fostering and adoption services to a charitable organisation. |
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Councils call for ‘golden hellos’ in fostering to be banned
08/09/2016 Town hall leads have called for a ban on independent agencies offering foster carers cash to switch from working for local authorities. |
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Councils hit out at 'golden hellos' in fostering
05/08/2016 Children’s services directors have called for private agencies to be banned from offering golden hellos of up to £3,000 to poach foster carers from councils. |
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Foster care children do better at school, report finds
25/05/2016 Town hall bosses have highlighted research that shows children in foster care do better at school to help promote Foster Care Fortnight. |
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Queen's Speech 2016: Councils face fresh demands under ‘care covenant’
18/05/2016 Proposals to speed up child adoption and raise council support for young people were outlined in the Queen’s Speech today. |
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Cameron outlines reforms for social workers
16/05/2016 David Cameron has pledged to change the way local authorities help children in care with a new regulator and further reforms. |
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Foster children ‘under threat’ from budget cuts
14/04/2016 Government funding cuts to local authority budgets are putting the wellbeing of foster children at risk, survey finds. |
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Millions invested by Whitehall into helping vulnerable children
04/04/2016 Hundreds of millions will be invested to support vulnerable children and families, the education secretary announced yesterday. |
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Liverpool foster carers to be exempt from council tax
22/02/2016 Foster carers working directly for Liverpool City Council will no longer have to pay council tax. |
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Rehab company to run children’s homes in Birmingham
07/01/2016 Birmingham City Council has selected the Priory Group to run five of its residential children’s homes. |
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Rise in number of children missing from foster care warns report
11/12/2015 The number of children going missing from foster care rose by almost a fifth in the last year, according to the latest report from Ofsted. |
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Being in foster care can boost GCSEs grades, finds research
01/12/2015 Children who are fostered do better at school than those who live with their families while receiving social work support, according to new research. |
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Council explores new fostering service
06/11/2015 Peterborough City Council has proposed setting up new partnerships to improve services for young people in care. |
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Young care leavers being ‘cut adrift’ warn MPs
30/10/2015 Vulnerable young people leaving local authority care are not receiving the help and support they need, a new report from the Public Accounts Committee has warned. |
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Councils told to 'weigh up all options' when safeguarding children
22/10/2015 Councils have been reminded to consider all the options available when safeguarding vulnerable children to avoid making ‘knee-jerk reactions’. |
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Council issues urgent plea for foster carers
07/10/2015 Islington Council has issued an appeal for more foster carers to help with unaccompanied asylum-seeker children. |
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Council offers staff extra time off for fostering
30/09/2015 Coventry City Council has announced it will give its staff an extra five days of leave if they are applying to be a foster carer. |
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FOI request exposes upheaval experienced by foster children
21/09/2015 A freedom of information request has revealed that a quarter of foster children have to move home at least twice a year. |
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Children in care should stay until 25 says commissioner
08/07/2015 Young people should be allowed to stay in care until they are 25 years old as thousands are leaving before they are ready, a new survey has revealed. |
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Children 'at risk' due to unregistered private fostering
06/07/2015 Local authorities are not being notified of the majority of private fostering arrangements, according to new research. |
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Foster children moved too many times warns charity
01/06/2015 Nearly half of teenagers in foster care are already living with their third family, according to a new survey. |
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Councils triple number of special guardianship orders
22/05/2015 An investigation has revealed that that the number of councils placing babies under a special guardianship order has tripled in the past two years. |
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Norfolk given £1m to develop child care project
17/02/2015 Over £1m of government funds has been awarded to a Norfolk County Council project designed to prevent 180 children coming into care every year. |
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Dog adoption blacklist barking up the wrong tree, charity warns
02/02/2015 An adoption charity has launched a best practice guide to prevent foster children being denied the physical and emotional benefits of having a pet. |
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Charity calls for research on cost of siblings separated in care
23/01/2015 Local authorities have been urged to provide data on the number of siblings separated in care by a charity, after figures show it costs the UK economy £800m a year. |
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Council not liable for foster care abuse finds court
12/12/2014 A judge has ruled a local authority can not be held legally responsible for abuse that happened to a woman in foster care and at the hands of her mother’s partner. |
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Record numbers of children in care, finds watchdog
27/11/2014 Numbers of children in care have reached a 20-year high, with the Coalition making ‘no progress’ on improving the system – auditors have warned. |
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Yearly cost of children going back into care reaches £300m, report says
22/09/2014 Some 5,000 children return to care after being reunited with their families at a cost of £300m every year – a report claims. |
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A third of foster children split from siblings
08/09/2014 One in three children placed into foster care have been separated from their siblings, according to new research. |
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Best practice guide for Staying Put arrangements
15/07/2014 A best practice guide to help support foster children who choose to stay in care until they turn 21 has been launched by the Children’s Partnership. |
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Take children at risk of radicalisation into care, Boris Johnson says
03/03/2014 Muslim children who are at risk of being radicalised should be taken into care, London mayor Boris Johnson has said. |
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Improve data security for vulnerable children, councils told
05/02/2014 Sensitive information about vulnerable children is at risk due to 'insecure' links between fostering agencies and councils, a report claims. |
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Extent of private fostering ‘unknown’ in many areas
27/01/2014 Councils have been urged to work with local safeguarding boards and the Government to improve awareness of private fostering. |
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Adoption campaign begins in Birmingham
20/01/2014 Birmingham City Council has launched a campaign to locate local adopters and foster carers, deploying prime-time television advertising and a new website. |
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Charity warns thousands new foster families needed this year
08/01/2014 Nearly 9,000 new foster families will be needed during 2014 to replace the 12% that leave each year, according to new figures. |
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Charity's plea for children with complex needs
06/01/2014 Councils faced with reduced budgets are having to make difficult choices that are often cost driven and not needs led, charity Action for Children has warned. |
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Report: Three in four foster carers share same values set
20/12/2013 Almost three-quarters of foster carers share the same values set, according to a new report published by the Fostering Network charity. |
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Foster children to stay with families until 21
04/12/2013 Councils will be given £40m to allow children in care to stay with foster families until they are 21, the children and families minister Edward Timpson has announced. |
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Charity warns of ‘huge variation’ in foster carer recruitment
04/12/2013 Recruitment of foster carers varies hugely across councils, with some authorities ‘struggling’ to recruit the workforce they need, a report indicates. |
Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.
Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.
Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.
