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CSJ outlines plan for putting hope at the heart of England's care system

Many of England’s care leavers are trapped in cycles of inter-generational disadvantage, according to a major Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) report which calls for radical change.

Finding their Feet highlights how young people from the care system often face tougher outcomes. For example, it exclusively reveals that nearly a quarter of girls leaving care become teenage mothers – around three times the national average.

The CSJ says many local authorities are failing in their duty to support young people and build a network of positive relationships around them.

The figures on teenage parenting represent just one example of a system struggling to look after those in care.

Figures uncovered by the CSJ also revealed that thousands of vulnerable children go missing from England’s care system on a regular basis.

Local authorities in England reported 252 cases where children have gone missing from care for more than 28 days in the last year.

Those leaving the care system are now twice as likely not to be in education, employment or training (NEET) at the age of 19 than the rest of the population.

The CSJ recommends getting a network of support to young people in care, similar to a scheme developed in the United States. The US model seeks out at least 40 adults who have a connection with a young person and encourages them to increase their engagement.

It also calls for 'scorecards' to be introduced to highlight which local authorities are performing well and which need to improve. 

Researchers also call on the Government to end a financial imbalance between care leavers who go to university and those who take on apprenticeships. Currently bursaries of £2,000 are given to those who go to university, but there is no central Government equivalent for apprentices. The report says this is an injustice and urges that apprentices also be given a £2,000 bursary.

Dr Samantha Callan, Associate Director for Families at the CSJ, appeared on BBC Breakfast to talk about the report. The story was covered by the Daily Mail and The Times. The report’s author, researcher Mark Winterburn, wrote about his findings on ConservativeHome.

The CSJ has published several reports on the care system, including: Couldn't Care Less, I Never Left Care, Care Left Me and Survival of the Fittest?

Labour adopts CSJ plan to create ‘Family Hubs’

Labour has committed to supporting families in local communities by adopting a key CSJ policy recommendation.

The party has said it will turn Children’s Centres into so-called ‘Family Hubs’, which will co-ordinate all family services, particularly in areas of disadvantage.

In a speech to the House of Lords, Shadow Education Minister, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, pledged to adopt the plan which the CSJ outlined in the recent report Fully Committed?

Under the CSJ’s proposals, Sure Start Family Hubs would be the ‘go to’ place for any parent to access services or information about all family-related matters including antenatal and postnatal services, information on childcare, employment and debt advice and relationship support.

Birth registration would also take place in the hubs rather than in registry offices and father engagement would be part of their reformed purpose.

It will be especially beneficial in poorer areas where levels of family breakdown are higher. By the age of five, 48 per cent of children in low-income households are not living with both parents, according to Government data.

Read CSJ reports on family breakdown: Breakthrough BritainFractured Families and Forgotten Families?

CSJ urges ‘penny on a unit’ treatment tax to fund rehab revolution

The number of alcohol-related hospital admissions have risen to more than 1.2 million a year, the CSJ has revealed.

Admissions in England rose by more than 5 per cent over the space of two years. The CSJ said the figures show alcohol abuse is an increasing burden on society and public services.

The number of admissions rose from 1,168,266 in 2010/11 to 1,232,464 in 2012/13, the latest statistics from the Department for Health highlight.

The CSJ is critical that residential treatment - the most effective form of treatment - has been continually cut.

A 'treatment tax' should be added to off-licence alcohol sales to fund rehab for people with alcohol and drug addictions, the CSJ said. Under the scheme, a levy of a penny per unit would be added by the end of the next Parliament to fund recovery services to the tune of £1.1billion over the five years.

"Alcohol abuse can rip into families, make communities less safe and entrench poverty," said CSJ Director Christian Guy. “This is a growing problem but for years effective treatment has been the preserve of the wealthy.

“It’s time to break this injustice wide open and fund a new generation of rehabilitation treatment.”

The story was covered in the Daily Mail and The Times

Labour's 'mansion tax' could cut charity giving, Minister tells CSJ event

Labour's plan to introduce a 'mansion tax' could cut legacy giving to charities, Minister for Civil Society Rob Wilson said last week.

Speaking at the CSJ, the MP insisted the Conservatives will unlock new funds to reform the social sector and help charities fight poverty, if re-elected.

The Minister said he wants to see a “bigger, stronger society” as he spoke at the official launch of the CSJ’s Breakthrough Britain 2015 report Social Solutions.

The report includes recommendations on how to enable grassroots charities to tackle poverty more effectively. It calls for the Government to make the most of the social sector and help it to innovate.

It also says that there are too many ‘cold spots’ in the UK where there are not enough charities to serve those most in need.

In his speech Mr Wilson said: “Breakthrough Britain 2015 and the Social Solutions report is further evidence of how important it is that we continue to tackle the high levels of deprivation that exist in many of our communities.”

Watch the speech here.

Three main parties outline plans to tackle personal debt crisis at CSJ debate

Britain’s three main political parties were quizzed on how they plan to tackle the country’s personal debt crisis at a major pre-election CSJ debate.

Economic Secretary to the Treasury Andrea Leadsom joined Shadow Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs Stella Creasy and Liberal Democrat peer Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope.

Andrea Leadsom said personal debt is often related to other root causes of poverty, and that early intervention is crucial in providing relief.

While pointing to Government successes, Leadsom said there was no room for complacency in tackling the issue.

Stella Creasy lambasted a worrying lack of ethical lending options for the poorest people, with payday loan companies dominating the country’s high streets.

Lord Kirkwood emphasised a need for a culture change to stop people indulging on credit. He said that the electorate should not vote for a party that doesn’t mention the issue of financial inclusion in its manifesto.

The debate, chaired by Spectator Editor Fraser Nelson, included discussion of policy proposals put forward by the CSJ in the recent Restoring the Balance report.

New CSJ data: Thousands of children excluded from school for drink and drugs

There are more than 7,000 exclusions in schools in England each year for drugs or alcohol, new CSJ analysis reveals.

The damning new statistics show how alcohol and drug abuse are daily realities in some of England’s state schools.

Many individual local authorities had several hundreds of pupils excluded for drugs and alcohol - with the highest number in Kent, where there were 272 exclusions.

In total there were 7,400 drug and alcohol related exclusions in England, 360 of them permanent.

The CSJ is urging the Government to scrap the drugs information website, FRANK and develop an effective replacement programme to send a strong signal to young people about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

Christian Guy, Director of the CSJ, said: “These new figures show many schools are struggling to cope and pupils are getting being hit by drugs and alcohol and an early age.”

The story was covered exclusively by The Sun. Read it here

Justice Secretary promises zero tolerance on drugs in prison in CSJ speech

Chris Grayling unveiled a crackdown on drugs in prisons at a speech hosted by the CSJ this week.

The Justice Secretary said the Government faced a new challenge in dealing with New Psychoactive Substances or so-called ‘legal highs’.

Grayling said their use is causing increased levels of violence, compared to traditional drugs and linked them with cases of assault and self-harm in prisons.

He said prisoners caught using 'legal highs', or attempting to smuggle them into prison, would face severe penalties.

Watch the speech here.