The national Government must help local authorities help families early
Local authorities are struggling to provide adequate help, care and protection for some of Englands most vulnerable children, according to Ofsteds reports on the state of social care, published on 10th March 2015.
The inspectorate said many weaker authorities lacked early and direct action to support families before crisis hit and drastic measures had to be taken.
Responding to the report, Emma Smale, head of public policy and research said: “Spending time and money preventing a problem rather than repairing the damage is the right thing to do for children.
“Crucial to providing early help is listening to children when they tell you that they are not safe. It is shocking that Ofsted found that many professionals rely solely on what parents say about a case, failing to speak to children at all.
“Many local areas are looking at how they can adopt preventative approaches and help families early on. To truly transform children’s lives, however, authorities must be held to account and supported by the Government to provide early help for families.”
