Over 20,000 children had fallen from the school register by last autumn s reopening
The head of Ofsted has warned that some of these children may be at risk as they are out of sight of the authorities
Pupils return to school last autumn, after several months of home schooling
Credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
Over 20,000 children had fallen off the school register by the time schools reopened last autumn, figures have revealed, amid warnings that vulnerable children may be “falling through the gaps”.
Local authority chiefs reported a 38 per cent rise in the number of children being “electively home educated” when the annual school census was recorded on Oct 1.
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Survey supports recommendations for a review of supervision orders in care proceedings
According to a survey carried out by Nuffield Family Justice Observatory, nine out of ten professionals think standalone supervision orders should continue to be an option in care proceedings. A key reason given for this was the need for a proportionate order between a care order and no order when children were returning home at the end of proceedings in which the threshold for a care or supervision order had been established.
Supervision orders are one of the options available to courts hearing care proceedings if they are satisfied that the grounds for a care or supervision order exist. The order places a child under the supervision of the local authority which then has a duty to advise, assist and befriend the child.
Social workers back standalone supervision orders, despite questioning their effectiveness
Study finds vast majority of professionals favour maintaining the option of standalone supervision orders, but identifies wide regional variation in their use and perceived value in safeguarding children
Photo: Florian/Fotolia
Only 18% of local authority children’s social care professionals think standalone supervision orders should be scrapped as an option in care proceedings, a survey has found.
However, participants in the research by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory highlighted issues with the orders, and differences in how they were used and perceived in different parts of England and Wales.
Half of all professionals who thought supervision orders should remain wanted legislation and guidance to change, primarily to give the orders more “teeth”.