Report: Breaking the Lock – Preventing neglect of vulnerable children
In a recent report from Impower, titled ‘Breaking the Lock: A new preventative model to improve the lives of vulnerable children and make families stronger’, the effectiveness and direction of UK councils’ approaches to dealing with the care for vulnerable children are considered.
The report makes clear that a focus on prevention over care is not only better in terms of the social outcomes for individuals but also make greater sense on the finances of a public sector that continues to be under pressure from budgetary reductions.
While the report notes that state care for children suffering long term neglect has considerable positive potential, entry into state care also comes with considerable risks. Children that have been in care make up less than 1% of the UK population, yet one in four of the adult prison population has been in care.
There is also considerable correlation between homelessness and the care system, with a third of homeless people having been in care.
