At its best, technology speeds up laborious inputting of information, enabling children’s services practitioners to spend more time with their clients, helps commissioners to identify trends so they can prioritise resources, and enable leaders to make informed choices on how services are structured.
Kent Council is struggling to cope with a major rise in the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children it is caring for, to the point where the government is preparing to force other authorities to share the burden.
An Ofsted report highlights the importance of schools and councils sharing information about excluded pupils with alternative providers, but experts warn the fragmentation of the education system has made this more difficult.
If children's services are to deliver improved outcomes with declining resources, the sector must embrace technology, joint working and volunteers, says Pillars and Foundations, a radical paper from the ADCS.
Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire are among the authorities chosen to take part in the Partners in Practice programme to transform children's social care. Eileen Fursland finds out about their plans.
The government is investing £200m to extend its Supporting Families programme to March 2025. Supporting Families provides targeted early interventions for families with complex, interconnected problems.