In response, the NSPCC has The process will be underpinned by the NSPCC’s reunification framework and will require you to work with colleagues to undertake a multi-agency assessment and deliver interventions to children, young people and families with complex needs. September 2014 . the NSPCC, to test and evaluate the implementation of a Reunification Practice Framework, supported by an Implementation Guide, to explore whether this approach is likely to improve the success of the reunification of children with their parents after a child has been looked after. 2016). All Rights Reserved. Download Providing support for children and families on return home from care - calculating the cost and potential savings (XLSX). Incorporated by Royal Charter. The NSPCC and the University of Bristol, in partnership with local authorities, developed, tested and evaluated an evidence informed Reunification Practice Framework. It supports families and workers to understand what needs to change, to set goals, access support and services and review progress. The original version, known as Taking Care, was delivered in partnership with nine local authorities and evaluated by Loughborough University. Importantly, it suggested that use of the framework had a positive impact on the practice of returning children home, by helping families to feel that they played an active role in the process and that they were being listened to. We have been working with 14 local authorities and the universities of Loughborough and Bristol since 2012 to develop, deliver and evaluate the practice framework. Wade, J. et al. Our reunification practice framework, created in partnership with University of Bristol, brings all of these research messages into one place, and provides practical guidance and tools for practitioners working with children and families. Outline of NSPCC analyses: key criteria and best practice themes 7 a. We’re offering bespoke support to local authorities to help train practitioners to confidently implement the framework within existing practice and systems. This is important as we must take every precaution possible to make sure we are not sending children into a potentially risky situation. Copyright ©
NSPCC, charity registered in Scotland, charity number SC037717. The report called for increased use of the NSPCC’s Reunification Practice Framework to support practitioners in their decision making about returning a young person home from care, to help them to understand what in the family needs to change and give the best chance for a successful reunification. the Reunification Practice Framework: a Checklist for Local Authorities, London, NSPCC; Farmer E. and Patsios D. (2016) Evaluation Report on Implementing the Reunification Practice Framework , Bristol, University of Bristol. Reunification: An Evidence-Informed Framework for Return Home Practice. In the 2018 Care Crisis Review it was identified that there was a lack of consistency in the way that good practice is used to support reunification. Thanks are owed to the following NSPCC staff who authored and advised on specific sections of the Framework: Saira Bashir, Karen Bates, Karen Bateson, Louise Bazalgette, Joseph Davenport, Julian Fabian, Damien Fitzpatrick, Dawn Hodson, Anna Holland, This resource is a framework for planning and undertaking the reunification of children to their parents following a period of living out of home. As it is a framework document it appears lengthy, at 128 pages. © 2021 Open Forum Events. Supporting others to use the frameworkThe NSPCC’s Scale-up Unit has been supporting local authorities to implement the Reunification Practice Framework since 2014. (2011) Achieving successful returns from care: what makes reunification work. We’ve created a checklist for staff leading the implementation of the practice framework in the local authority. practice forums to share learning and troubleshoot challenges with other local authorities who are implementing the framework. Childline. British Association for Adoption and Fostering (now CoramBAAF), 3 Department for Education (2013) Improving Permanence for Looked after Children (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/245513/consultation_document.pdf), 4 Holmes, L. (2014) Supporting Children and Families Returning Home from Care: Counting the Costs (https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/supporting-children-families-returning-home-from-care.pdf), 5 https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/evaluation-of-services/taking-care-practice-framework-reunification-evaluation-report.pdf. But research shows that for many others this can result in further abuse and neglect, with many children ending up back in care (Department for Education, 2013; Farmer, 2011; Wade, 2011). To find out more about the Reunification Practice Framework visit the . Subscribe to our weekly email keeping you up-to-date with all the developments in child protection policy, research, practice and guidance. at Loughborough University who worked with NSPCC in 2012 to develop the original Reunification Practice Framework. A separate evaluation of the short-term outcomes of the framework by the NSPCC considered decisions made by professionals about 47 children who were returned home from a total of 226 children across the participating authorities. The NSPCC has worked with 14 local authorities to develop and implement the Framework since 2012. NSPCC, London. The NSPCC’s Scale-up Unit has been supporting local authorities to implement the Reunification Practice Framework since 2014. Call us on 0116 234 7246
NSPCC Gillingham Service Centre Pear Tree House 68 …
This edition of the framework is based on a literature review on reunification (PDF) by the University of Bristol and the findings from our Taking Care evaluation. The framework supports practitioners and managers to apply structured professional judgement to decisions about whether and how a child should return home from care. Help for adults concerned about a child
To find out more about the implementation support for the Reunification Practice Framework, contact reunification@nspcc.org.uk. This is the first step in embedding the behaviours into how we work. These are likely to be directors, assistant directors, heads of service and senior managers with strategic responsibility for looked after children, edge of care, family support services and workforce development. Leeds Children’s Services have adopted the Department for Education, NSPCC and University of Bristol Reunification Practice Framework. Text CHILDHOOD to 70044 to donate £4. Call us on 0808 800 5000
Reunification: framework for return home practice, Data pack: improving permanence for looked after children (PDF), Download Providing support for children and families on return home from care - calculating the cost and potential savings (XLSX), For safeguarding training, resources and consultancy, children on the edge of care and in pre-proceedings, children accommodated under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989 (including cases where the child/young person and/or the parent end the Section 20 arrangement), children subject to Section 31 of the Children Act 1989, children subject to Section 38 of the Children Act 1989. children who have recently become looked after, and those who have been looked after for longer, where the potential for return home is being considered. NSPCC Camden Service Centre Alexandra Ciardi House Camden London NW1 0AP Tel: 020 3772 9905. [Accessed 16/07/2018]. Wilkins M. (2015) How to implement the reunification practice framework: a checklist for local authorities. We've created a tool which enables local authorities to calculate local costs and potential savings:Providing support for children and families on return home from care - calculating the cost and potential savings. support successful reunification work. Whilst research studies paint a worrying picture, they also point to tangible practice solutions. Registered charity number 216401. But where a child returns home without sufficient support being put in place, there is added risk of recurring maltreatment and poor outcomes. If a child or young person needs confidential help and advice direct them to Childline. Providing solutions to a systematic problem The total number of children in care in the UK has increased every year since 2010 and in 2016/17 the number of care order applications in England reached a record level. What do social workers do? wider roll out of the framework and maintenance. We provide a range of online and face-to-face training courses. Central to this is the implementation of the 'Reunification Practice Framework and Guidance'. Download Reunification: an evidence-informed framework for return home practice (PDF), Download How to implement the reunification practice framework: a checklist for local authorities (PDF). London: NSPCC. Our framework outlines not just what we do for children, but how we do it and how we support each other to live our values. NSPCC Cymru/Wales . London: British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF). 28 Recognising this issue, the NSPCC has worked closely with local authority teams to test and develop an evidence-based framework called the Reunification Practice Framework. Published: 20 Nov 2012. Corpus ID: 157450369. NSPCC Cymru/Wales, Diane Englehardt House, Treglown Court, Dowlais Road, Cardiff, CF24 5LQ Tel: 02920 108 081 Email: Vivienne.Laing@nspcc.org.uk var year = new Date(); document.write(year.getFullYear()); NSPCC / All rights reserved. We understand that sometimes implementing a new service or practice and ensuring sustained delivery of that service can be difficult to achieve, particularly considering the needs of local teams and the individual challenges they face. National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. yr. NSPCC. The framework fits in with the existing care planning and family support work delivered by children's services departments and scrutinised by Independent Reviewing Officers. This is significantly higher than the cost of providing appropriate support and services to families where children are returning home from care, which costs on average £56 million a year (Holmes, 2014). The University of Bristol has evaluated the implementation, and the findings from the evaluation alongside the views of parents, young people, local authority managers, practitioners and academics have informed this current version. What is the reunification framework? I gaelgwybodmwy am y FframwaithYmarferAilunoewchi. How to become a social worker; Registering as a social worker; Support for newly-qualified social workers; Publications, policies and reports. Response to: Linking the Continuing Professional Education and Learning (CPEL) Framework and Registration as a Social Worker . The NSPCC is asking for feedback on its Reunification practice framework, to help decide how the Framework develops in the future and what support needs to be in place to help people implement it. For some children, returning home from care is the best possible outcome. Foster carers, residential care staff and schools all have a significant role to play in supporting children and parents throughout the process. If you would like to find out more about the Reunification Practice Framework and the support package available, please contact Emma Popo: reunification@nspcc.org.uk. Taking Care practice framework is designed to provide a more robust assessment and decision-making process and also to inform and support work with children and families throughout the reunification process, including once a child has returned home. Among children who returned home from care in England in 2006/07, almost one third (30%) went back into care within five years (DfE, 2013). Wefan. It was found that almost all children who returned home remained at home after 6 months, and after 6 months at home child protection concerns for many of the children had declined (Gill, C0. [London]: Department for Education (DfE). NSPCC. Farmer, E. et al. The financial and human impact of failed reunificationsWhere the reunification of children with their families after a period in care is unsuccessful it can have a significant impact on the young person and their family and can lead to further financial costs for local authorities. https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/2015/reunification-practice-framework/?utm_source=open_forum&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=AD1048*&utm_content=opern_forum_reunification++Dec18&ac, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/664995/SFR50_2017-Children_looked_after_in_England.pdf, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/245513/consultation_document.pdf, https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/supporting-children-families-returning-home-from-care.pdf, https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/evaluation-of-services/taking-care-practice-framework-reunification-evaluation-report.pdf, Taking Care evaluation: the return home and short-term outcomes for looked after children. One of the clearest messages from this work is the need for senior leadership and commitment to a whole authority approach to improving practice in this area. Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) E-learning and Webinars; Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS) 2020; Resources. To find out more about how we can support you, email reunification@nspcc.org.uk. 126 p. Wilkins, M & Farmer, E 2015, Reunification: An Evidence-Informed Framework for Return Home Practice. Leeds is one of three local authorities working with the NSPCC and the University of Bristol on the 'Reunification Project - Achieving positive outcomes for children in relation to return home from care'.
Reunification: An Evidence-Informed Framework for Return Home Practice @inproceedings{Wilkins2015ReunificationAE, title={Reunification: An Evidence-Informed Framework for Return Home Practice}, author={Mandy Wilkins and E. Farmer}, year={2015} } Wilkins, Mandy ; Farmer, Elaine. It supports families and workers to understand what needs to change, to set goals, access support and services and review progress. The checklist is divided into three stages: The average annual cost of a child re-entering care after a failed return home is £61,614, compared with supporting the child and their family on their return home costing on average £5,627. 6 Gill, C. (2016) Taking Care evaluation: the return home and short-term outcomes for looked after children. (2011) Caring for abused and neglected children: making the right decisions for reunification or long-term care. With ever increasing numbers of children in care, what can we do to protect children, support families and reduce pressures on the care system? reunification@nspcc.org.uk. Call Childline on 0800 1111, Weston House, 42 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3NH. The aim of the project was to create, in partnership with local authorities, a Reunification Practice Framework an Implementation Checklist and an Evaluation. We understand that sometimes implementing a new service or practice and ensuring sustained delivery of that service can be difficult to achieve, particularly considering the needs of local teams and the individual challenges they face. A structured approach that works for children and familiesThe Reunification Practice Framework has been in development since 2012. Family tracing and reunification needs considerable investment of time and resources that allow us to carry out the process in a careful and sensitive manner. The Reunification Practice Framework is an evidence-based resource to help practitioners assess whether or not to return a child or young person home from local authority care. Summary This is a joint development project between the University of Bristol and the NSPCC. The original version – Taking Care – was delivered in partnership with eight local authorities and evaluated by Loughborough University to explore whether the framework and guidance could support decision making. Reunification Practice Framework • Partnered with academic and practice experts to create evidence-informed practice framework, initially known as ... • To support this the NSPCC has trained all senior inspectors (HMI) on research messages about good practice in reunification. Calls to 0800 1111 are free and children can also contact Childline online or read about living in care on the Childline website. National Risk Framework to Support the Assessment of Children and Young People. We're working with academics, local authorities, practice experts and young people to improve support for children returning home. See also Annex 3 of How to implement the Reunification Practice Framework: a checklist for local authorities for further information. The reunification practice framework supports social workers’ professional judgement about if and how a child should return home. This is inaccurate. Become a social worker. The tasks will primarily be undertaken by the child's social worker and their manager, assisted by family support teams. Reunification framework The Research in Practice blog features an article by the NSPCC’s Julia Mayes, discussing how the NSPCC’s free Reunification practice framework can help ensure more children return home from care safely. The Reunification Framework. Directorate: Children and Families Directorate Part of: Children and families, Communities and third sector ISBN: 9781782562061. We know that good practice and effective services can support children to return home safely. Despite return home from care being the most common outcome for looked after children (Department for Education, 2014a); research suggests that significant numbers of children experience abuse and neglect when returning home from care. Returning home to a parent or relative is the most common outcome for children in care, accounting for one third (32%) of cases where children leave the care system (DfE, 2017). Wilkins M. and Farmer E. (2015) Reunification: an evidence-informed framework for return home practice. with NSPCC in 2012 to develop the original Reunification Practice Framework. London: NSPCC. If you know a child who is at risk of abuse or is being abused, it’s very important that you let the council or the police know. And with our support packages we can work with local authorities to implement local solutions. London: Jessica Kingsley. For safeguarding training, resources and consultancy
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