Dangerous Times for Looked-After Children: Austerity Cuts Risking the Lives of the Most Vulnerable

Stephanie Hunter - Austerity Policies

Abstract

This chapter will critically examine the difficulties faced by young people who are looked after by local authorities in accessing mental health services and argue, based on findings of recent Serious Case Reviews that there has never been a more dangerous time to be a looked-after child. As recently as July 2015 the National Audit Office published data on care leavers. Only 8 of all the 151 Local Authorities knew where all their care leavers were living, suggesting that the government is failing in its corporate parenting responsibilities to the looked-after child. This chapter will explore the impacts of cuts since 2010 on the most vulnerable children in our society.