Just so you know

Messages for Munro documents the views of children and young people in care who contributed evidence to the Munro review of the child protection system. The Justice Department has also published a short thematic review of the care of looked after children in custody. It has also been announced that responsibility for commissioning health services for children and young people in secure settings passes to the NHS, in line with Young Offender Institutions. Prior to this, Secure Children's Home and Secure Training Centre commissioned their own healthcare independently, funded by the Ministry of Justice.

Looked after children

The Department for Education is consulting on changes to the rules governing fostering and children's homes and the statutory guidance. Largely this is to reflect changes in legislation and practice since the rules and guidance were developed, following the 1989 Children Act. The proposed changes also aim to clarify where restraint may be used and "to seek views on who must have access to reports made by the registered person which cover improving the quality of care provided to children and monitoring matters such as complaints, recruitment records, illness, minutes of meetings." Responses should be submitted by 19 November 2010.

In care

Draft public health guidance from NICE focuses on the physical and emotional health and wellbeing of looked after children. The guidance, which has been developed by NICE and the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), is expected to be released in its final form in September. Key recommendations include the need to commission services that are “integrated, preferably on the same site,” provision for the team around the child of a “consultancy service to help consider and work collaboratively on complex cases and situations” and access to specialist services for babies and children under 5 “which offer early and preventive interventions for babies and young children to avoid placement breakdown.” Also, because of the high level of emotional and mental health issues amongst looked after children and young people, there is, throughout the recommendations, a strong focus on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) input. Responses should reach NICE by 16 April 2010.