Government targets U-turn leaves vulnerable children exposed

A Written Ministerial answer published today by the Department of Health shows that targets for the education of looked after children have been revised, after the Government failed to meet any of its previous targets.

In "Revised PSA targets for the education of children in care" (WS30), Health Minister Jacqui Smith MP has created new targets that are impossible to measure or will be unachievable according to Liberal Democrat Social Services Spokesman Paul Burstow MP.

Paul Burstow MP said:

"Ministers are now setting targets that are unreasonable and unachievable. The proportion of children in care getting 5A * to C grades is meant to rise by 4% per year, with 15% of children in care achieving that level. But it has only risen by 4.9% for all children leaving school since 1997.

"Until today, the Government's target was that by 2003, 50% of all looked after children should get 1 GCSE at grade A-G. Now Ministers are saying that no more than 10% of children in care should reach school leaving age without having sat a GCSE - with no grades mentioned. That is a reduction in the Government's commitment to these vulnerable children.

"Currently, six out of ten of all 60,000 looked after children will leave school with no GCSEs at all. Only one in twenty will get five GCSEs.

"The Social Exclusion Unit is right to believe that education can improve the chances of children in care. But the problems faced by these children are extensive: we need more multi-disciplinary solutions.

"The Government is wrong to believe that children in care can leave their problems outside the school doors in the morning, only to pick them up again at home time."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• In January Mr Burstow published the report "Set Up To Fail? Overlooking Looked After Children". He put forward a 24 point plan to tackle the failings including scrapping pointless targets.

• Previous targets on looked after children have included:

Local authorities to improve the educational record of the children they look after so that the proportion of children leaving care aged 16 or above who have gained at least one GCSE or GNVQ qualification increases to 50% by 2001, and to 75% by 2003.

• In the figures released last Friday, Ministers showed that 41% got 1 GCSE, 4% worse than the previous year

Improve the educational attainment of children and young people in care by increasing to 15% by 2003/04 the proportion of children leaving care aged 16 or over with 5 GCSE's at grade A*-C and maintain this level up to 2006

• In the figures released on Friday Ministers showed that 5% of children were attaining 5 A*-C GCSE's, no change on the previous year

• In today's statement, Ministers have also set targets for:

reducing the number of cautions and convictions by 2006 - the offending rate has remained virtually static for the last 2 years

reducing teenage pregnancy of looked after children - they have not measured this for 11 years.

increasing adoption - the increase recorded last year in the number of adoptions was 20.

• In his report, Mr Burstow also examined:

WHO ARE LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN?

THERE ARE 59,700 LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN AT ANY ONE TIME

• 56% children leaving care are boys, 44% are girls

• Around 27% have a physical or mental impairment

• 6.6% are black

• 6% are of mixed race

• 1.8% are Asian

HOW DID CHILDREN END UP IN CARE?

• 41% have been abused or neglected

• 10% have been taken into care because of family dysfunction

• 8% were put in care because of fears for their welfare

• 3.9% are abandoned or lost

• 3.3% have been placed in care because of their behaviour

• 2.1% are accused or guilty of an offence

• 1.9% are orphans

• 1.3% are in the preliminary stage of adoption

• 1.2% have parents in prison

• 0.7% have been homeless or their families made homeless

• 0.6% are children whose parents needed some respite

• 0.2% have suffered a breakdown of their adoptive family

WHAT IS THEIR HEALTH LIKE?

• 96% have behavioural or emotional difficulties

• 31% have not had basic health checks, inoculations or have gone to the dentist

• Between 17.5% and 25% have a child by the age of 16

• 13% are mentally or physically disabled

• 5% have not had a social worker allocated to them

HOW DO THEY DO AT SCHOOL?

• 55% will leave school with 0 GCSE's,

• 26% have a statement of Special Educational Need

• 25% have missed 25 days or more of school a year

• 10% will have 1 A-G GCSE

• 10% will have 1 GCSE A-C

• 9% will have 5 A-G GCSE's

• 6% have been excluded from school all together

• 5% will have at least 5 GCSE's A-C

• 4% will have at least 1 GNVQ

WHAT DOES LIFE HOLD FOR THEM?

• Between 50% and 80% will be unemployed or unemployable

• Between 6% and 10% girls in care will have a child of their own.

• 31% of the prison population is a formerly looked after child

• 20% have experienced homelessness within 2 years of leaving care

• 12% -19% go on to further training or education.