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| Cameron pledges more help for care leavers and adoption law changes | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| David Cameron has unveiled an overhaul of the care system that includes significant changes to adoption laws and social services. | David Cameron has unveiled an overhaul of the care system that includes significant changes to adoption laws and social services. |
| The prime minister called for “zero tolerance of state failure” as he highlighted worrying trends of children in care falling into crime, the sex trade and homelessness in later life. | The prime minister called for “zero tolerance of state failure” as he highlighted worrying trends of children in care falling into crime, the sex trade and homelessness in later life. |
| Writing in the Sunday Times ahead of the Queen’s speech on Wednesday, Cameron pledged to provide care leavers with extra support into adulthood that is enshrined in a covenant and announced the creation of a new social care watchdog. | Writing in the Sunday Times ahead of the Queen’s speech on Wednesday, Cameron pledged to provide care leavers with extra support into adulthood that is enshrined in a covenant and announced the creation of a new social care watchdog. |
| Local authorities will also be made to help care leavers find housing, jobs and healthcare, and each person will be assigned a mentor until the age of 25. | Local authorities will also be made to help care leavers find housing, jobs and healthcare, and each person will be assigned a mentor until the age of 25. |
| There will also be wider support in the form of new programmes including an initiative with the Arts Council to help broaden care leavers’ horizons. | There will also be wider support in the form of new programmes including an initiative with the Arts Council to help broaden care leavers’ horizons. |
| Cameron said the government felt a feeling of impatience with the existing system, something it shared with those let down by it. | Cameron said the government felt a feeling of impatience with the existing system, something it shared with those let down by it. |
| He said: “For too long, whether through misguided notions of what is right or sensitivities about not wanting to cause offence, we have let the most vulnerable in our country down.” | He said: “For too long, whether through misguided notions of what is right or sensitivities about not wanting to cause offence, we have let the most vulnerable in our country down.” |
| The reforms are part of a legislative programme Cameron said would bring about a “great social transformation in Britain” that included opening educational opportunities, a shake-up of the prisons system and new powers to tackle extremism and segregation. | The reforms are part of a legislative programme Cameron said would bring about a “great social transformation in Britain” that included opening educational opportunities, a shake-up of the prisons system and new powers to tackle extremism and segregation. |
| His proposals for the care system begin with a fundamental change to the adoption process, involving a departure from a trend in the family courts to promote children being placed with distant relatives rather than adopted by new families. | His proposals for the care system begin with a fundamental change to the adoption process, involving a departure from a trend in the family courts to promote children being placed with distant relatives rather than adopted by new families. |
| While praising the work of foster parents, he cited a near-50% fall in adoption numbers over the past two years and said new laws would “tip the balance” in favour of permanent adoption in the right circumstances even when that meant overriding family ties. | While praising the work of foster parents, he cited a near-50% fall in adoption numbers over the past two years and said new laws would “tip the balance” in favour of permanent adoption in the right circumstances even when that meant overriding family ties. |
| Cameron said he was “unashamedly pro-adoption” and the move would be vital as greater importance would be attached to “long-term stability and better outcomes”. | Cameron said he was “unashamedly pro-adoption” and the move would be vital as greater importance would be attached to “long-term stability and better outcomes”. |
| The government previously changed rules that in effect prevented black, mixed-race or Asian children being adopted by white parents. Changing the “nonsensical” law led to a 72% rise in adoptions, he said. | The government previously changed rules that in effect prevented black, mixed-race or Asian children being adopted by white parents. Changing the “nonsensical” law led to a 72% rise in adoptions, he said. |
| Having brought in new powers to intervene where local authorities were deemed to have failed in a child’s care, the prime minister said he now wanted to reform training for social workers by cutting bureaucracy. | Having brought in new powers to intervene where local authorities were deemed to have failed in a child’s care, the prime minister said he now wanted to reform training for social workers by cutting bureaucracy. |
| The prime minister said he believed that by introducing vocational courses and reducing time spent in classrooms, social workers would be better equipped to use their experience to provide the best care and intervene when there was a risk of failure. | The prime minister said he believed that by introducing vocational courses and reducing time spent in classrooms, social workers would be better equipped to use their experience to provide the best care and intervene when there was a risk of failure. |
| A regulator would oversee this new system and ensure a set of standards is met in each case by 2020. | A regulator would oversee this new system and ensure a set of standards is met in each case by 2020. |
| Once an individual has left the care system they would continue to receive support under a care leaver’s covenant, including practical help in finding jobs and managing money. Business would also be invited to take part and apprenticeship funding would be extended to 25 for care leavers. | Once an individual has left the care system they would continue to receive support under a care leaver’s covenant, including practical help in finding jobs and managing money. Business would also be invited to take part and apprenticeship funding would be extended to 25 for care leavers. |
| Cameron said those leaving care needed “far more support” but it was not solely the government’s responsibility. | Cameron said those leaving care needed “far more support” but it was not solely the government’s responsibility. |
| He added: “These are not someone else’s children; they are all of ours so every part of society should be stepping up to help care leavers get a shot at building a decent life.” | He added: “These are not someone else’s children; they are all of ours so every part of society should be stepping up to help care leavers get a shot at building a decent life.” |