The Weekly News Roundup – 10/04/2023

Here’s your news from across the UK:

• ITV is looking into the abuse of vulnerable people with autism in care. They say that 41% of those being held in hospitals do not need to be there. Trigger warning: disturbing details of abuse – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHO3isSxKzE

• An interview piece that looks at the damaging effects of long-distance placements. The Guardian talks to two Care Experienced people about their experiences. Trigger warning: brief mentions of abuse – https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/apr/01/i-felt-totally-abandoned-the-trauma-of-being-uprooted-and-taken-into-care

• Ofsted is to start registering supported accommodation providers from April. Under new regulations, providers will need to submit applications to register with Ofsted by 28 October 2023. After this date it will be an offense to provide supported accommodation without having a registration application accepted as complete. –https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ofsted-to-start-registering-supported-accommodation-providers-from-april

• Paul O’Grady discovered a family of young kids he looked after in his days as a carer were being raised in a flat used as an IRA arms dump. –https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/news/paul-ogrady-played-mary-poppins-to-four-children-living-in-ira-weapons-dump/1572144740.html

• The Fostering Network respond to the Observer article and reiterate their position on long-distance placements. –https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/media-release/2023/our-response-observers-piece-britains-care-homes-crisis

• A campaign has been launched to try and increase the number of foster carers in Bristol. In Bristol, there are more than 750 children and young people in care but only 353 households foster with Bristol City Council. –https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2023-04-01/foster-care-crisis-as-the-number-people-coming-forward-to-care-falls

• Twelve Welsh councils are engaging in unlawful practice according to Welsh Conservative research which found that at least 20 looked-after children have been placed in unregistered care settings. –https://pembrokeshire-herald.com/81714/over-half-of-welsh-councils-are-breaking-the-law-over-looked-after-children/

• The figures show Care Experienced pupils fall behind their key stage two classmates. –https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/education/less-than-a-third-of-children-in-need-in-derbyshire-meet-education-standard-4095284

• Renfrewshire North and West MSP Natalie Don has been promoted to Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise. –https://www.the-gazette.co.uk/news/23433587.renfrewshires-msps-ministers-scottish-government/

• Brothers and sisters could now be kept together when placed into care due to increased tax relief –https://news.sky.com/story/more-siblings-in-care-to-stay-together-after-increased-tax-relief-for-foster-parents-12852397

• A medic who moved between 27 foster homes was diagnosed with autism at the of 31 – and said he could “finally understand why I am the way I am”. –https://www.sloughobserver.co.uk/news/23444779.medic-bounced-around-27-foster-homes-diagnosed-autism-age-31/

• Cambridge students who arrive at university from care backgrounds or who have been estranged from their families are being offered local mentors as part of a new scheme – https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/how-community-mentors-can-aid-care-leavers-heading-to-the-un-9306759/