Vulnerable child care
Lack of consistent prescribed care for highly vulnerable children due to insufficient care package reviews and staff training.
21 items
1 source
5 inquiries
Source spread
Where this theme appears
Vulnerable child care has been flagged across 1 independent accountability source:
21 inquiry recs
This theme has been identified in one data source. As more data is added, cross-references may emerge.
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Source-grouped records are useful for tracing where a concern came from. Large sections show the 50 strongest matches for that source; counts still show the full theme total.
Inquiry Recommendations (21)
87 — Review CSA support services expenditure (Wales)
Recommendation: The Chair and Panel recommend that the Welsh Government and the relevant UK government departments work together to establish current levels of public expenditure, and the effectiveness of that expenditure on services for child victims and adult survivors of child …
Gov response: On 24 February 2022, the Welsh Government stated that it had obtained levels of public expenditure for support services to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse in Wales. The Welsh Government also stated that …
Accepted
No update 2+ yrs
R10 — Observe 'Welfare of Children and Young People in Hospital'
Recommendation: We recommend that the Department of Health should take steps to ensure that its guide, "Welfare of Children and Young People in Hospital", is more closely observed. (para 5.8.8)
Unknown
FR-6 — Amend Children Act 1989
Recommendation: The Inquiry recommends that the UK government amends the Children Act 1989 so that, in any case where a court is satisfied that there is reasonable cause to believe that a child who is in the care of a local …
Gov response: We accept the absolute need for children and young people to have their voices heard, raise concerns and challenge any aspect of their care, including where they may be experiencing or at risk of serious …
Accepted in Part
No update 2+ yrs
FR-5 — Prohibit Pain Compliance Techniques
Recommendation: The Inquiry recommends (as originally stated in its Sexual Abuse of Children in Custodial Institutions: 2009-2017 Investigation Report, dated February 2019) that the UK government prohibits the use of any technique that deliberately induces pain (previously referred to by the …
Gov response: It is essential that staff are equipped to keep children safe in custodial institutions. That is why they must be trained in the use of safe pain-inducing techniques for scenarios where they may need to …
Not Accepted
18 — Joint MoJ/DfE policy for children in custody
Recommendation: The Chair and Panel recommend that the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Education share policy responsibility for managing and safeguarding children in custodial institutions. This is to ensure that standards applied in relation to children in custody are …
Gov response: On 23 July 2019, the Ministry of Justice stated that it has joint working relationships with the Department for Education on secure children's homes, safeguarding and establishing secure schools. It stated that it aims to …
Not Accepted
17 — Prohibit pain compliance techniques
Recommendation: The Chair and Panel consider that the use of pain compliance techniques should be seen as a form of child abuse, and that it is likely to contribute to a culture of violence, which may increase the risk of child …
Gov response: On 18 June 2020, the Ministry of Justice published the Charlie Taylor review of pain-inducing techniques in the youth secure estate. The review recommended that the Minimising and Managing Physical Restraint (MMPR) programme should be …
Not Accepted
16 — Review mixed justice/welfare placement risk
Recommendation: The Chair and Panel recommend that the Department for Education and the Youth Custody Service conduct a full review of the practice of placing children for justice and welfare reasons together in secure children's homes to establish whether it increases …
Gov response: On 7 May 2021, the Department for Education published its review of placement practices in secure children's homes. It concluded that the practice of placing children in mixed justice and welfare homes does not create …
Accepted
15 — Research high child remand population
Recommendation: The Inquiry was told that children should only be placed in custody as a last resort. However, it was concerned to hear evidence that some children are remanded in custody because of a lack of appropriate community provision. Given that …
Gov response: On 26 January 2022, the Ministry of Justice published its Review of Custodial Remand for Children. The review's findings challenged the narrative that remand is overused and highlighted several factors that have impacted the increase …
Accepted
R3 — Paediatric pathology in unexpected child deaths
Recommendation: We recommend that the provision of paediatric pathology services be reviewed with a view to ensuring that such services be engaged in every case in which the death of a child is unexpected or clinically unaccountable, whether the post mortem …
Unknown
R61 — Statutory adult safeguarding function
Recommendation: Vulnerable children and adults are inherently more susceptible to abuse or neglect than other people. Adult safeguarding should be formally recognised as a statutory function, equivalent to child protection.
Response Pending
96 — CICA same roof rule reapplication
Recommendation: The Chair and Panel recommend that the Ministry of Justice revises the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority rules so that all applicants who previously applied for compensation in relation to child sexual abuse - but were refused solely due to the …
Gov response: On 22 July 2019, the UK government confirmed that the 'same roof' rule had been removed. The amended Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme provides for past claimants refused under the rule, whether or not that was …
Accepted
95 — CICA specialist caseworker training
Recommendation: The Chair and Panel recommend that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority ensures that claims relating to child sexual abuse are only considered by caseworkers who have specific and detailed training in the nature and impact of child sexual abuse.
Gov response: CICA continues to look for opportunities to work with stakeholders to improve its understanding of victims' experiences. Since the abolition of the pre-1979 same roof rule, CICA is providing specialist application support and named caseworkers …
Accepted
FR-16 — Specialist Therapeutic Support
Recommendation: The Inquiry recommends that the UK government and the Welsh Government introduce a national guarantee that child victims of sexual abuse will be offered specialist and accredited therapeutic support. There should be sufficient supply of these services so that children …
Gov response: We accept that victims and survivors must be able to access effective systems for provision of therapeutic support. We will elicit views on the future of therapeutic support, including possible systemic changes to provision, through …
Accepted in Part
No update 2+ yrs
28 — Revise Prison Service safeguarding guidance
Recommendation: The Chair and Panel note that Prison Service Instruction 08/2012, which sets out the mandatory actions for young offender institutions and secure training centres for 'maintaining a safe and secure environment', has expired. The Chair and Panel recommend that the …
Gov response: On 23 July 2019, the Ministry of Justice stated that work had begun to revise or replace Prison Service Instructions (PSIs) with 'policy frameworks'. In advance of updating PSI 08/2012, the Youth Custody Service published …
Accepted
No update 2+ yrs
26 — Youth Custody Service safeguarding training
Recommendation: The Chair and Panel recommend that the Youth Custody Service takes steps to ensure that its training provides staff with an appropriate understanding of safeguarding in the context of the secure estate, and that this is regularly reviewed and updated.
Gov response: On 23 July 2019, the Ministry of Justice stated that the Youth Custody Service would review the mandatory training for all its frontline staff – including at management level – alongside a review of the …
Accepted
No update 2+ yrs
WATE-(11) — Require field social workers to visit looked after children every eight weeks
Recommendation: Field social workers should be required by regulation to visit any looked after child for whom they are responsible not less than once every eight weeks916. In the case of older children, they should be required also to see the …
Unknown
WATE-(17) — Require reporting of absconsions to social worker and independent follow-up
Recommendation: It should be a rule of practice that any absconsion should be reported as soon as possible to the absconder's field social worker and that the absconder should be seen on his return by that social worker or by another …
Unknown
WATE-(16) — Advise police on absconders from care homes and social worker consultation
Recommendation: Police officers should be reminded periodically that an absconder from a residential care or foster home may have been motivated to abscond by abuse in the home. They should be advised that, when apprehended, an absconder should be encouraged to …
Unknown
WATE-(12) — Safeguard field social worker's responsibilities for placement supervision and care planning
Recommendation: Any arrangements made for the provision of residential care or fostering services should expressly safeguard the field social worker's continuing responsibilities for supervision of the placement and care planning.
Unknown
WATE-(10) — Assign field social worker to every looked after child in and after care
Recommendation: An appropriate915 field social worker should be assigned to every looked after child throughout the period that the child remains in care and for an appropriate period following the child's discharge from care.
Unknown
11 — Review E Wing suitability for vulnerable detainees
Recommendation: The Home Office and the current operator of Brook House must keep under review the appropriateness of the multi-purpose use of E Wing, particularly in relation to its suitability as a location to detain vulnerable people.
Gov response: The government stated the multi-purpose use of Eden Wing at Brook House is under consideration, and learning would be applied across the estate.
Accepted in Part