We work with children’s services - social care, youth justice, education and health - in England and Wales, with central government departments, and with a wide range of voluntary organisations.
Although our current work reflects the changing themes and concerns in children’s services, our approach and our aims stay the same – to make a real and lasting difference to the lives of vulnerable children.
During the two years to March 2015, working as part of a core development team supporting the roll out of FDAC beyond London and developing the model so that it can operate within the 26-week time limit for care proceedings and can be used for cases where domestic abuse and/or mental health problems are the precipitating factors for initiating proceedings.
Department for Education
Evaluating two years of the Bi-Borough Care Proceedings Project, a joint project between Camden and Islington local authorities, working with partners in the Courts and CAFCASS to reduce unnecessary delay in care proceedings.
London Boroughs of Camden and Islington
Co-ordinating the work of a consortium of local authority senior managers, the judiciary, local lawyers and Cafcass, as they collaborate to reduce unnecessary delay and improve decision making for children who are the subject of care proceedings.
London Boroughs of Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark
An audit of case files of 100 children under 12, drawn from the service areas for looked after children, child protection, and children in need. To supplement the earlier work around vulnerable young people (see entry below), to provide a more complete understanding of the effectiveness of children’s services overall.
London Borough of Croydon
Two commissions: the first in relation to children aged 12 or over who go missing from home or care, and the second in relation to young people identified as highly vulnerable. Including a multi-agency audit of need and workshops with the multi-agency team of professionals working with the young people. To improve the Local Safeguarding Board’s understanding of the needs of the children, identify the services available to meet the needs, and use the analytical assessment framework with local practitioners as a tool for assessing the needs of individual young people and developing plans that can be delivered on a multi-agency basis. Many children were identified as being at risk of sexual exploitation and the work helped the Board understand the extent and underlying causes of the problem in their area.
London Borough of Croydon
A desktop review of the local authority’s Family Group Conference service, to provide information about its impact, set in the context of national and international research findings about the use of FGCs.
London Borough of Islington
A review of the fostering service, commissioned to inform decision making by senior managers about the structure and organisation of the service, with particular focus on the recruitment of new foster carers and the supervision and support provided to approved carers.
London Borough of Enfield
Working with a young woman in residential care to help her understand her mother’s history, her own history and how decisions have been made about her life. Then working with the young woman and all those involved in her life, including her mother and residential workers, to formulate a pathway plan that focused on her pressing need to understand her relationship with her family and with others and to manage relationships safely.
London Borough of Southwark
Evaluating the impact of the Bi-Borough Care Proceedings Project in its second year.
London Boroughs of Camden and Islington
“Your report is excellent. We couldn’t have imagined you would discover so much, so quickly. You spoke to everyone who was relevant, you analysed what they said, and you have given us some important recommendations to implement.” CAMHS commissioner
