NSPCC calls for new guidance on returning children home from care

The NSPCC has called on the Government to issue new child-centred guidance to local authorities for returning children home from care.

The charity made the call after publishing research which found that:

• Around half of the abused or neglected children who enter care each year are abused or neglected again when they return home, with up to half of those returning to care;
• A third suffered repeated but failed attempts to reintegrate them into their family;
• More than 70% of the children consulted said that they were not ready to return home;
• Two-thirds of children who returned home remained with a suspected abuser even after concerns had been identified. Some 16% of children remained at home after confirmed incidents of abuse or neglect.

The charity described the Government’s focus on adoption as welcome, but pointed out that this was only an outcome for a small minority of children who go into care.

“Focusing equally on the far higher number who return home would have a substantial impact on reducing repeated harm,” the NSPCC said.

The NSPCC said care planning guidance should be revised to “cover children returning home from care, ensuring that placement decisions are based on the child’s needs, and that the necessary support is provided to children and their families”.

The guidance should also be revised to improve the support to families tackling problems such as substance misuse, domestic violence, mental health issues and poor parenting “before and during reunification”.

Other recommendations included publication of full data on the outcomes of looked after children who are returned home to increase transparency and accountability.

The NSPCC also suggested that all those working with looked after children, including members of the judiciary, should receive training on child development and the impact of reunification decisions.

The NSPCC’s Head of Strategy and Development for Looked After Children, Tom Rahilly, said: “Local authorities are doing a very challenging job and have to make tough decisions every day. Care does provide a safe and supportive environment for some of our most vulnerable children and can be the right option in many cases.

“The trauma caused to children who are abused, go into care, and are then abused again when they return home is unimaginable. Their trust in adults and their motivation to speak out is shattered.”

Rahilly claimed that the evidence showed that the wrong decision was being made in far too many cases. He added that it was vital that decisions to return a child home were taken cautiously and the risks to the child were assessed carefully.

“If parents’ problems have not improved, the child must stay in the safety of care,” he argued. “And if a child is returned home, the concerns which led to them being removed in the first place must be addressed before they go home.”

Rahilly added that returning home must only be seen as the start of a process where the needs of the child come first and the situation is monitored closely on a continuing and long-term basis.

The NSPCC said it was testing a new service aimed at ensuring that children who are reunited with their families are not abused or neglected again.

A copy of Returning home from care: what’s best for children can be downloaded here.