The balance between acute and preventative services has shifted dramatically. E.g. children's services

Spending on services like children's centres is down 79% in real terms, while acute services (e.g. looked after children) is up 71%

That contributes to rising acute demand in the long-term

Learn more about Kinship Care Week and how to get involved. 👇

In the new post-Strategy landscape, and with the lead architect of the Independent Review of Children's Social Care now at the helm of children and families policy in government, it's time to deliver that whole-system view of support for #KinshipFamilies and family networks.

We identify real opportunities for the government to deliver better outcomes - for families and the public purse - by accelerating plans to improve support, as well as considerable risks associated with the incorrect sequencing of reform which moves too fast in some places and too slow in others.

The rest explores key findings of relevance to the current policy context for #KinshipCare in England - particularly the forthcoming Kinship Allowance Pilot and provisions included within the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (e.g. kinship local offer, duty to offer FGDM etc).

In the report, we examine year-on-year trends around measures of health, loneliness, financial security, family stability and more for #KinshipFamilies in England and Wales. It's a real mixed picture - some positive signals but elsewhere significant continued challenges.

Here's one example...

Incredible that this is all the same article. How utterly pathetic

Thanks I hate it.

Very grateful to @helenhayes.bsky.social and all other Committee members present and past for inviting me and @lucypeake.bsky.social along to give evidence to support the inquiry, and for the report's extensive use of our @kinshipcharity.bsky.social wider evidence and key arguments.