Inconsistencies in Child in Need plans found across local authorities
Published by Professional Social Work magazine, 10 August, 2022
Inconsistencies in Child in Need plans and the need to gather better data to inform local provision has been revealed by new research.
One in seven children in England will have had a Child in Need assessment or received support from a social worker by the age of 16.
Of those, 76 per cent receive intervention under a Child in Need Plan, 11 per cent are placed under a Child Protection Plan and 13 per cent go into care.
Interventions under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 affect up to 400,000 children on any given day in England according to What Works for Children's Social Care.
But new research reveals there are gaps in our understanding of the Child in Need process and who it is supposed to support.
And a lack of national reporting can affect how local authorities understand local need.
The study examined 100 case files and spoke to parents and social workers to better understand what Section 17 support means.
It found disparities in practice, and variations in the reasons for offering support and the type and duration of support.
Child in Need plans were found to be wide-ranging and not always clear. Support wasn't always given to families when they most needed it 'particularly for child and parent mental health.'
The report authors noted: There appears to be considerable variation in the reasons for using Child in Need plans, and consequently considerable variation in their length and the types and sources of intervention provided. This includes instances where there is a high level of risk, as well as those with no safeguarding concerns."
The type of families needing support didn't always represent the local population, and parents reported that they didn't always feel involved in developing their plans.
Aoife O'Higgins, director of research at What Works for Children's Social Care, said: "Our work points to a need for greater clarity on the ways and circumstances in which Children in Need plans are used, so that we can begin to improve their effectiveness.
"Clarity is essential for these children and their families as well as for all the professionals delivering support. Where this is realised and it is recorded in strong case management systems, we can start to build the scaffold of a system which learns about itself and uses this to improve how it delivers services to those who need it most."