Section 3 - priority projects

Improving life for Children in Care

Accountable Officer - Kevin Peers

Lead Officers - Karen Cleave, Deborah Booth

Reference Groups - Children in Care Council and Corporate Parenting Forum

Key Links - all areas

What’s the story?

We want children in care to feel loved and cared for, able to achieve their potential, and given the best chances in life.

There is a national drive to improve the quality of services to children in care, because children in the care system fare worse than the average child for all five outcomes. Research shows us that they are at greater risk and more likely to:

be abused
be involved in drug taking and alcohol abuse
underachieve at school
be the subject, or the cause, of bullying
be involved in crime
live in poor housing
be unemployed.

As corporate parent for children in care, Devon County Council has to make sure
they have proper parenting. We know that the position in Devon reflects the national picture. This is not a failure of the local child in care system (in the last twelve months the Fostering service, the Adoption service and all children’s
homes run by Devon County Council have been judged as least ‘Good’ by Ofsted*) but a failure to address the underlying issues that result in children
being in the child care system at all.

The root of this is poor parenting. It underpins why children fail in the education
system and do not receive the health care they should. Like deprivation and poverty, it can become a vicious circle. If you grow up with poor parenting,
fail to succeed in the education system and fail to get a job, you are more likely to be involved in crime and drug-taking and be poorer parents.