Evaluation of Public Accounts Committee report: Financial sustainability of children’s care homes

An evaluation by NCERCC CHIEF (Children’s Homes Information and Evidence Factchecker)

NCERCC – independent experts in Residential Child Care and its planning.

NCERCC – independent of governments, local authorities and providers.

NCERCC are experienced knowledgeable informed experts with decades of experience in children’s social care theory and practice, policy and research

An impressively insightful and instructive analysis of the DfE regarding children in care politely outlining the many and dramatic shortfalls and current lack of leadership. This reflects badly on the Minister, it is an outfall of the laxity of his Care Review and Children’s Well Being Bill.

The PAC states exactly that which experts have been advising DfE repeatedly, their lack of up to date information, or knowing what homes best suit needs, or where they are needed, or where the funding will come from.

A devastating deeper malaise is made public, that the DfE needs to define the role and task of the children in care system. The Care Review ‘relationships’ does not contain the detail necessary to meet multiple, high level, co-occurring needs.

Reiteration of the recent defences of current policy and activity cannot be expected to be satisfactory in the 6 months the PAC has given for DfE to define the role and task. In social care theory and practice to define the role and task is to state the primary task, that which cannot be compromised. It is on this that all else follows, it is how an organisation knows it is ‘on-task’. That this is not overt is extremely troubling.