Your editorial, quoting Sir James Munby’s denunciations of the lack of proper provision of care services for young people, was interesting (The Guardian view on care failures: vulnerable children need homes, not court orders, 13 June). But failures in specialist care provision don’t just affect those young people subjected to deprivation of liberty orders and sent to poorly regulated private residential care, isolated from families and friends.
Children’s services are largely unregulated, confidentiality is highly regarded, and scrutiny avoided. A recent report by Health Equity North, published on behalf of the child of the north all-party parliamentary group, highlighted regional variations in the number of children taken into care in England. One in every 88 children in the north-east – where I live – is in care, compared with one in 140 across England, and children in care homes generally require high levels of support from public agencies.
The authors of the report said £25bn of public money would have been saved between 2019 and 2023 if the north had the same care entry rates as the south (One in 52 Blackpool children in care as poverty soars in north of England, 17 April). This suggests a presumption that a child will be taken into care, rather than children’s services and family courts considering family-based solutions, disregarding the principle that children should be cared for by parents or family wherever possible. Yet family care is less disruptive for the child and less expensive.
My great-niece is in care, despite my family’s willingness to look after her. We are not allowed to see her for reasons that the “system” is reluctant to explain. She is probably autistic, with behavioural dysfunction. She must feel deserted, and we are very concerned about her. I can’t tell that children’s services have organised an appropriate assessment or a placement, or arranged therapy.
I believe that system change is needed to address regional variations, end the private sector stranglehold, reinstate effective regulation, reform the working procedures of family courts and children’s services, and include families in solutions.
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