Policy & Research
It was nerve-wracking but I'm glad I did it. Just being able to help with the whole thing to make people more aware to stop the stigma of being in care
Young person, presenting at an NLCAS conference
What's new?
Here you will find all the latest news from us and details of the latest developments in leaving care.
Keynotes - email update July 2007 Issue is now available
Keynotes is the quarterly newsletter for leaving care. You can read the latest July 2007 issue online now. Click here to view: Keynotes
Care Matters: Time for change
On 21st June 2007, the Government launched its White Paper, Care Matters: Time for Change, which sets out measures to improve significantly the outcomes of children in care and care leavers. Which can be downloaded at:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/timeforchange/index.shtml. At the same time, it published the Time for Change Impact Statement, which includes the funds the Government is likely to provide to support the delivery of the different policies over 2008-11, you can download this document at: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/timeforchange/docs/timeforchange_IA.pdf.
National Leaving Care Advisory Service and the What Makes the Difference project have written a summary to the white paper 'Care Matters: Time for change', you can view the summary here.
Championing Children Report
Summary of the key messages from young people to Corporate Parent(s) from a regional seminar 'Championing Children & Young People in Yorkshire and Humber. You can download the report here.
LILAC Launch
On 6th June the report on the LILAC Project was launched at a reception at Portcullis House, . It was hosted by David Kidney MP and attended by 70 people, including eight of the ten young people from the development group.
Click on the report to read it. Hard copies are available form NLCAS.
Parlimentary Internships
David Kidney MP, Chair and Lord Listowel, Vice-Chair of the APG are offering two internships - opportunities for work experience to young people with care experience aged 18 plus. For more information please download Job description.
Responding to the Home Office
AoAC, nlcas and the What Makes The Difference? Project have submitted a collective response to the Home Office consultation document, Planning Better Outcomes and Support for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children. It can be downloaded here.
We would all agree that there is a need for improvement in the support and services for unaccompanied asylum seekers. However, the Home Office proposals showed a distinct lack of consistency with broader developments for all children in care and care leavers. Our response highlights the issues specific to the leaving-care sector. The Home Office suggest that the next steps to this consultation paper will be published some time in August.
Care Matters - Young people response
The Government have published the responses from young people to Care Matters. This is the first step in their Next Steps process that will continue with a white paper later in the year. The responses publication can be found at : http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/carematters/index.shtml.
Local Governement White Paper
In October, the Department for Communities and local Governement launched its White Paper, Strong and Properous Communities, which addresses the role of local government in tackling disadvantage. It is concerned with rebalancing the relationship between central governement, local governement and local people, and, among other things sets out a 'radical simplification fo the performance framework for local authority outcomes'. It can be downloaded at www.communities.gov.uk.
Care Matters - Green Paper
The National Leaving care Advisory Service, Action on Aftercare Consortium, What Makes the Difference? project and National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum submitted a joint response to the Care Matters consultation .
Read our responses here
Read our summary document here
Read our press release on the publication of Care Matters here
Fostering Consultation
The Government has announced the introduction of minimum allowances for Foster Carers from April 2007. Read the Government's statement here.
For more information on this issue see the Fostering Network website www.fostering.net
Can the State be a Good Parent? - Making the Difference for Looked After Children and Care Leavers
The National Leaving Care Advisory Service and the What Makes the Difference? project have completed a joint piece of work to look at corporate parenting. The launch of the publication, Can the State be a Good Parent? coincides with the publication of the Green Paper, Care Matters. You can download a free copy of the booklet here: Can the State be a good parent?. If you would like to be sent a hard copy, please contact Symone Smith on 020 7840 5620 or email symone.smith@raineronline.org.
Review of the National Minimum Standards for Children's Social Services
nlcas submitted our views into this consultation. We support the adoption of a proportionate approach to the inspection of children's services and wish to see an extension in the remit of the scope of the National Minimum Standards to include specialist leaving care services and in particular supported accommodation in which young people who are still looked after or have recently left care are placed. You can view the complete response here.
We will be happy to include any relevant news that you may want to share on these pages. Send details to us (preferably by email) and we will include any news or events that will be of interest to people visiting our website. This could include:
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useful links to other interesting websites.
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details of relevant forthcoming events, such as training, seminars & conferences.
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new publications or research findings, including details of how to obtain them.
If you wish to have your news included or event publicised please send an email to nlcas@nlcas.org.
