The English and Romanian Adoptee (ERA) project is a longitudinal, multi-method investigation, initially led by Michael Rutter (Rutter et al, 2007). The Lancet has now published a follow-up study of this work (Sonuga-Barke et al, 2017), which presents data from this same cohort of Romanian children but now in their young adulthood (22-25 years). 

The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) has been commissioned by the Department of Health to manage an ambitious project to improve the experiences of looked after children and young people, care leavers and children adopted from care with mental health and wellbeing difficulties.

The overall aim of the project is to ensure that the emotional wellbeing and mental health needs of children and young people in care, those adopted from care or under a Special Guardianship Order (SGO), and care leavers are better met.

The Life Chances Fund (LCF) will be open for Expressions of Interest to develop Social Impact Bonds in the themes of early years and young people from 4 January 2017.

Prime Minister Theresa May has outlined a string of measures aimed at reducing the stigma around mental illness, and has announced that every school will have mental health first aid training in a bid to catch problems early.

“We know mental illness too often starts in childhood and, left untreated, can blight lives.”

In September 2015 Charlie Taylor was asked to lead a departmental review of the youth justice system for the Ministry of Justice.

The Taylor Review makes recommendations for extensive reform of the youth justice system covering devolution, courts, sentencing and custody.

The government’s response supports many of the principles of The Taylor Review and sets out the intention to review the governance of the system, improve the way we tackle youth offending and put education and health at the heart of youth custody.

*DEADLINE EXTENDED DUE TO HIGH VOLUME OF INTEREST*

The Department of Health and Department for Education have established an Expert Working Group – supported by the Social Care Institute for Excellence - to develop models of care and care pathways to support the mental health and wellbeing of looked after children and care leavers.

You are invited to submit evidence and/or register for a stakeholder event.

Call for evidence

MST Family Integrated Transition (FIT) is an adaptation of MST for children aged 11-17 who have been placed in residential care services or foster care and are returning home. The overall aims of MST FIT is to increase the success rate of the transition back home and to improve the outcomes for the young person. In addition to this, MST FIT improves the skills of residential care staff and foster carers.

For more information about MST FIT, please visit the MST Adaptations webpage

The conference provided clinicians and researchers with a unique overview of recent advances in research and practice in the field of childhood maltreatment. 

The speakers, including Tracey Kayne, Supervisor of the MST CAN team in Leeds (pictured), are experts in psychological treatment, social care, neuroscience and policy. They reviewed the emerging evidence and considered:

With 2016 drawing to a close, the Multisystemic Therapy (MST) 2015 outcome data is in. And the numbers look good. 

As an evidence based programme that works to keep at-risk young people out of trouble, at home and in school, achieving our goals is bigger than the MST organisation. Meeting our goals means helping children and families across the world live healthier, more productive lives.

Northamptonshire County Council has been shortlisted for three prestigious national awards in recognition of its drive to transform public services, its high-quality children’s homes and its work to recruit foster carers.

The council’s Next Generation Council model has been chosen as finalist in the Most Innovative Service Delivery Model category of the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards, and its work with care leavers through its residential homes has been shortlisted in the children’s services category.

Excluded from mainstream schools, often the victims of extreme neglect, pupils at Gloucester House primary have finally found somewhere they can learn. As the doors are opened to TV cameras, Lena Corner pays a visit to a remarkable place

To read the full article, please visit the i News website

Milton Keynes Council has given its support to two agreements that will ensure children in care are treated fairly if they find themselves subject to the youth justice system.

The announcement came at last night’s Cabinet meeting during which Councillor Zoe Nolan shared details of the Thames Valley Protocol and the Concordat on Detention in Police Custody.

Please visit the MK Citizen website to read the full article.

The British Psychological Society have published a review of what good could look like in integrated psychological services for children, young people and their families with preliminary guidance and examples of practice.

Click here to downlaod a copy of the review

Whether you see it as a battle to bust bureaucracy or defend children’s rights, the fate of ‘innovation’ proposals in the Children and Social Work Bill will shape how services work in the future. Andy McNicoll reports.

Please visit the Community Care website to read the full artcle.

The excellent work of the MST team in Sandwell has been heralded on BBC News which highlights the difference they are making in the lives of young people and their families.

To view the news article please visit the Midlands Today facebook page

A poll of specialist workers finds that 20% believe services are seriously lacking, with potentially dangerous consequences

Seven out of 10 specialist nurses caring for the growing number of young people struggling with mental health problems believe that NHS services are insufficient.

For many years, Lara felt that she had no voice in her own home. Even though she was the mum, Lara was overwhelmed by her son Harry’s aggressive outbursts, using drugs and alcohol, and not going to school. Lara often felt she couldn't manage her 'unmanageable' child and had no choice but to call the police on Harry. This left her feeling ashamed, embarrassed and she couldn’t see her way out.