In the third blog of our Care Review Case for Change series, we focus on the second of our four key recommendations to the Care Review: Institutional Learning. You can read all our recommendations to the Care Review here: Pause’s key messages and recommendations for The Care Review – Pause – Creating Space for Change
We know from research that at least one in four women will return to the family court within seven years, having previously lost a child through a court order. Additionally, 40% of these women were looked after children themselves. This rises to one in three for women who were in their teenage years when they had their first child. Some of these women will have experienced emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. At Pause over 40% of women who work with us have experience of care themselves, with that figure rising to as high as 70% in some regions.
The system is clearly not working to break this intergenerational cycle of the repeat removal of children into care and the multiple and complex trauma that women and children experience. There must be formal institutional learning and accountability for how local areas becomes corporate grandparents for children and how they not only cater to the child(ren)’s needs, but also provide support to families.
We propose a multi-agency panel brought together after care proceedings have ended, which learns lessons from children being removed and puts in place a wide-ranging community response for the parent(s). This panel would work alongside a key worker to coordinate a plan and agree a package of care for any parent whose child has been removed. Data from these multi-panel agencies must be collected and published nationally each year, in order to ensure good practice is shared throughout the country.
You can read our recommendations to the Care Review here: Pause’s key messages and recommendations for The Care Review – Pause – Creating Space for Change
If you have any questions or would like any more information, get in touch with us via communications@pause.org.uk
You can also find out more about the Care Review on Twitter @ReviewCSC