Residential child care body brings forward relaunch

The NCERCC (National Centre for Excellence in Residential Chld Care) has brought forward its return in response to current demands for reliable policy and practice directed to positive outcomes for looked after children living in residential settings.

Jonathan Stanley, NCERCC’s Principal partner, explained, ‘This is a time of major criticism, challenge and calls for change. This must be responded to by policy and practice directed by solid data and evidence. We had planned to re-launch NCERCC in 2013 however recent reports suggest a major restructuring of the sector.

Residential Child Care needs a positive professional identity. Providers and practioners will be having their resilience challenged and need practical support that enables them to make sense of what is going on to plan for a positive future. Reliable information direct to each home and person will be needed more than ever.’

Stanley continued, ‘What makes NCERCC unique is its 360-degree approach, taking messages effectively from one arena to another – a service not provided by any other organisation.’

NCERCC is solely interested in good child care outcomes and developing positive practice, through effective policy that relfects the reality for looked after children. Its knowledgeable and experienced residential child care practitioners work with young people, parents, providers across private, voluntary and local authority (care, education, health), children’s services professionals, policy makers, regulators, and local, regional and national government.

Now entirely funded by the services it will offer the Centre aims to deliver evidence and experience informed leadership and support for improvements in both policy and practice. NCERCC partners are already involved with the many changes across inspection, commissioning, in ownership and funding as well as contributing to national and local government initiatives regarding policy and practice.

NCERCC is soon to announce the restoration of the Children’s Residential Network, a national and regional network for practitioners, and are in the process of completing the discussions regarding a new organisation, the Children’s Homes Association for Registered Managers. Dates before the end of the year are being finalised for the first of two meetings per year and details will be on the NCERCC website. A national ‘summit’ for Residential Child Care is also being planned for summer 2013 when says Stanley, ‘the sector will be able to reflect on the progress being made with the DfE programme for the reform of residential care.’