Care system 'not fit for purpose' and placing thousands of children at risk of exploitation, report finds

The care system in England is “not fit for purpose” and it is placing thousands of children at risk of criminal and sexual exploitation, according to a new report.

The Commission on Young Lives, chaired by former Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield, stated the system is designed to care for younger children and “often failing to cope” with the growing number of troubled teenagers.

It said thousands of teenagers under 18 are moved into “inadequate and dangerous” unregulated accommodation - far away from their homes and support networks - and they are then actively targeted by violent gangs and coerced into selling drugs.

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The overall number of children in care reached 80,850 earlier this year, the highest on record, and children over 16 now make up 23 per cent of those in care.

The Commission on Young Lives found thousands of teenagers are being moved into “inadequate and dangerous” unregulated accommodation - far away from their homes and support networksThe Commission on Young Lives found thousands of teenagers are being moved into “inadequate and dangerous” unregulated accommodation - far away from their homes and support networks
The Commission on Young Lives found thousands of teenagers are being moved into “inadequate and dangerous” unregulated accommodation - far away from their homes and support networks

There were 6,050 children in unregulated accommodation in 2020/21 and 86 councils were recently found to have provided these placements, sending some to live in tents and caravans.

The report, titled ‘Out of Harm’s Way’, stated most children’s homes are privately run and there is a “chronic shortage” of appropriate places for teens so younger children with less complex needs are often prioritised.

The commission, which has brought together a panel of experts, also found the overall response from safeguarding agencies who are working to protect teenagers is “confused and inadequate” in most cases, due to a lack of funding and coordination.

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Social services found 12,720 children in England were involved in gangs in the year ending in March 2021, but Ms Longfield warned that is “the tip of the iceberg”.

Former Children's Commissioner Anne Longfield set up the Commission on Young LivesFormer Children's Commissioner Anne Longfield set up the Commission on Young Lives
Former Children's Commissioner Anne Longfield set up the Commission on Young Lives

Criminals often target the vulnerable children, who are surrounded by addiction, poverty, violence and mental health issues, and the commission is concerned the pandemic has exposed more young people to these issues.

The report looks at cases involving several teenagers, including 15-year-old Michael, who was subjected to 10 social care referrals because his mother was struggling with domestic violence issues and alcohol dependency. After being taken into care for one night and then returned to his volatile home, he was groomed by a gang and he ended up stabbing another boy.

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According to the report, most of the children who are groomed are boys and Black boys are disproportionately affected, but gangs are also “increasingly targeting girls”.

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The report stated: “The experience of exploited teenagers is bleak, and the system in place to support them infuriatingly inadequate. Too many children are dying or suffering serious harm as a result of criminal exploitation.”

It added: “The scale and urgency of the response is not of the level needed to protect the thousands of teenagers who are at risk of harm. We must face the fact that we are dealing with organised criminals that are agile and ruthless.

"Their business model depends on the exploitation of children, using coercion, control and manipulation to push them into criminal activity and they are highly skilled at identifying and entrapping children who often become too scared to walk away.

“We now need a widespread change in how the social care and other services respond to vulnerable teenagers on an everyday basis."

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The commission, which is due to publish a series of reports over the next nine months, has recommended several reforms to improve the care system and protect teenagers.

It called on the Government to ban the use of unregulated accommodation for all under 18s in care and fund more council-run children’s homes so teenagers can remain in their local communities and receive support from professionals and their families.

The Government should launch a national recruitment programme for specialist teen foster carers, encouraging youth workers and others with experience of working with young people to become foster carers, the commission added.

It also stated that interventions to protect those who are already being exploited “need to be a priority for the care system”, and families should be provided with support so they can keep these children safe at home, but local authorities, schools, GPs and the police must also develop a coordinated approach to dealing with exploitation.

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Ms Longfield said there is an urgent need for reform, and the recent murders of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, 6, and Star Hobson, 1, show “the tragic consequence of a child protection system stretched to its absolute limit”.

She added: “A children’s social care system that is supposed to protect vulnerable teenagers is frequently putting them in even greater danger. Often, we may as well be handing over children directly to ruthless gangs and criminals. It is unfit for purpose.

“We know the number of vulnerable teenagers at risk of exploitation entering the care system is becoming older, with more complex and expensive needs, and growing. We also know this is putting an enormous strain on the whole children’s social care system.”

She added: “Resetting children’s social care in this new offer for teenagers will require determined action and some funding, but it is clear there are huge benefits not only to those vulnerable young people who need protection, but also to the public purse.”

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A Department for Education spokeswoman said action is being taken to protect children from "new and growing risks" and it is "urgently reforming the system to address growing pressures".

It has launched an alternative provision taskforce, backed by £15m, which works to keep teenagers engaged in the education system, provide intensive support and keep them from being drawn into gangs.

Another £30m has been spent on SAFE (Support, Attend, Fulfil, Exceed) taskforces, which work to keep children in school in 10 serious violence hotspots.

The Government is also increasing the number of places at children’s homes across the country, with a £259m investment, and introducing national standards and Ofsted inspections for all providers of accommodation for children over 16.

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