I am delighted to be here today to talk to you today in my new capacity as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families. The past couple of weeks have been a time of upheaval in government.

As change has been the watchword recently, it is appropriate that I set our forthcoming guidance that Bruce Clark talked to you about this morning in the context of our broader proposals outlined in our recent white paper, Care Matters: Time for Change. I will focus in particular on the impact of those proposals on children whose cases come before the family courts. I should say before I begin that the White Paper uses the generic term ‘children in care’ to describe all children who are looked after by local authorities, not just those who are looked after through a care order. I will do the same today.

I am particularly pleased to take on responsibility for family law within the new department. I was an active member of the special standing committee on the Adoption and Children Bill during its passage through the Commons in 2001/2002, and have been actively involved in some of these issues as an MP.

This is an incredibly important agenda. Nothing could be more vital than the safety and wellbeing of children, particularly the most vulnerable in our society, who have had a difficult start in life.

Looked after children have the odds stacked against them. Overall, they are five times less likely to get five good GCSEs than the rest of their peers; they are 4 times more likely to suffer from mental health problems; and young women in care are three times more likely to become pregnant as teenagers.

This is true whether they are the subject of care orders made by the family courts, or provided with accommodation by local authorities with the agreement of their parents.

Working with authorities and others, it is the Government’s job to change those odds.

We have already made good progress: the number of children in care obtaining 5 good GCSEs has risen from 7% to 11% between 2000 and 2005; those in employment, education or training at 19 has increased by 8% since 2002; and our Every Child Matters reforms have delivered a Director of Children’s Services in every local area with responsibility for all children’s outcomes.

That progress is down to everyone involved – government, children’s services, the courts – all of our partners, and I want to thank you all for your tireless commitment to this area.

But the figures I quoted before are extremely sobering, and it is clear that there is much more to do. Many of these children have spent a large proportion of their young lives in flux, not knowing where they’ll be living from one month to the next, particularly during care proceedings, where placement changes occur all too often. What they need more than anything else is stability.

Stability is exactly what the proposals in this white paper are intended to create.

We are absolutely committed to making the changes that are needed to secure the best possible outcomes for children in public care. In bringing about change, we must ensure that it is delivered in a way that maximises stability for children, since the outcomes that we are seeking can only be built on a stable foundation.

The creation of the new Department for Children, Schools and Families will help us do that. In his first speech to the department, our new Secretary of State Ed Balls has said that "we are essentially the Every Child Matters Department". This clear focus on enabling all children to be safe, be healthy, to enjoy and achieve, to make a positive contribution and to achieve economic well being will be the focus of all that we do.

Integrated, well-run, professional children’s services will benefit all children, whether they are growing up with their birth parents or, where that is not possible, with other carers.

There is much debate at the moment about parenting and the quality of family life in this country. The reality is that there are people out there who can offer a child a stable family life – love, security and support – where, for whatever reason, this cannot be provided by their birth parents. And we have to recognise that there are parents who, often despite their best efforts and the support of professionals and public services, cannot meet their children’s needs, for reasons such as drug and alcohol misuse and mental ill-health .

We are targeting those problems, and Sure Start Children’s Centres are going a long way to helping to address them at community level. By 2010, when 3,500 children’s centres will be in operation, parents will only have to travel a short distance to a centre right in the heart of their community, where they can access parenting classes, seek work and careers advice, and get help – or just a sympathetic ear – from a local health professional or counsellor. Those services can be accessed in a friendly and welcoming environment, with childcare available while they do it. Already, more than 1,300 centres are in operation, reaching more than 1 million children and their families.

But prevention is only one side of the coin. Offering support and guidance to parents who want it, who actively seek it, or can be reached and persuaded – and where a child is not at risk – is, in a sense, the easier problem to solve. For those parents who can recognise that they might benefit from help and are willing to accept it, quick progress is often possible.

But the other side of solving family difficulties is much more difficult – reaching people with serious problems, who perhaps don’t want to be reached, and where a child is considered to be at risk of harm. In those cases, compulsory intervention may be necessary and justified, which must be timely, proportionate and effective.

In such situations, there are many people, both in the child’s wider family and beyond, who may be able to give the child the love, support and stability they need to grow and develop – these could be grandparents, aunts and uncles, foster carers and adoptive parents.

But where a child is not receiving that support to the point that they are suffering abuse and neglect – even despite involvement by local authorities and others – we need to act immediately to safeguard that child.

That is why we have issued revised statutory guidance to local authorities, currently the subject of public consultation, as Bruce described to you this morning. It is intended to ensure that local authorities undertake rigorous and thorough assessments of a child’s needs, and identify how they can best be met, prior to the initiation of care proceedings. This is intended further to ensure that legal proceedings are not set in motion until proper consideration and sufficient preparation have taken place. Both of these steps are essential if proceedings are to ensure the best possible outcome for the child.

The state – at central and local level – and others working at the front line, have key roles to play in supporting parenting for children who cannot safely or properly remain with their birth parents.

New measures in the White Paper Care Matters: Time for Change will ensure improved provision for vulnerable children in public care, just as any responsible parent would. For every year that a child is looked after, government will add £100 to their Child Trust Fund, making sure they have a nest egg for the future. Additional bursaries worth £2,000 will be made available over the next 3 years to help looked after children pursue university courses. And each local authority will have to draw up a ‘Pledge’, clearly setting out its commitments for the children in its care.

But to succeed, every child needs the sort of close nurturing relationships with adults that most children receive in ordinary family life. That is why local authorities are being asked in the new guidance first to consider family and friends as a care placement option. We will legislate to enable relatives who are carers to apply for residence orders more easily – after only one year of the child living with them, rather than the current three years. For some children, this will be a good way to secure stability, easing the process for the carer.

Too frequently, disruption and instability are often the experience of looked after children, with frequent switches between families, schools, friends. Just when they think they have found some stability and familiarity in their lives, it is taken away from them. As a number of local authorities have shown, it is possible to take steps that will markedly improve stability.

Stability outside the classroom will have positive knock-on effects inside the classroom. We are therefore asking local authorities to pay particular regard to reducing the disruption to a young person’s care provision, especially around the age of 14-16 when they will be studying for their all-important GCSE exams. It needs to become exceptional that a looked after child in year 10 or 11 should move schools in the middle of their exam course, just as it is exceptional for other children’s education to be disrupted at this important stage.

We are absolutely committed to nurturing healthy, happy, well-rounded children. That is the essence of the Every Child Matters agenda. We will not achieve that by placing a simplistic emphasis on exam results. A stable family life creates the best environment for a child to focus on school and in which they can develop their interests and talents, without the worrying distractions of changes of placement to knock them off track.

Education is what gives a child a real chance in the world. It is one of the biggest generators of opportunity for the individual. And it is a tremendous force for good in society through its ability to break cycles – of poverty, worklessness, and low self-esteem. The opportunity to learn must be open to all, regardless of background and circumsI am delighted to be here today to talk to you today in my new capacity as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families. The past couple of weeks have been a time of upheaval, renewal, and reformation; emotions, demotions, promotions.

New departments have risen out of the reshuffle dust, including the new Department for Children, Schools and Families, which I am proud to represent in my first ministerial post.

So as change has been the watchword recently , it is appropriate that I set our forthcoming guidance that Bruce Clark talked to you about this morning in the context of our broader proposals outlined in our recent white paper, Care Matters: Time for Change. I will focus in particular on the impact of those proposals on children whose cases come before the family courts. I should say before I begin that the White Paper uses the generic term ‘children in care’ to describe all children who are looked after by local authorities, not just those who are looked after through a care order. I will do the same today.

I am particularly pleased to take on responsibility for family law within the new department. I was an active member of the special standing committee on the Adoption and Children Bill during its passage through the Commons in 2001/2002, and have been actively involved in some of these issues as an MP.

This is an incredibly important agenda. Nothing could be more vital than the safety and wellbeing of children, particularly the most vulnerable in our society, who have had a difficult start in life.

Looked after children have the odds stacked against them. Overall, they are five times less likely to get five good GCSEs than the rest of their peers; they are 4 times more likely to suffer from mental health problems; and young women in care are three times more likely to become pregnant as teenagers.

This is true whether they are the subject of care orders made by the family courts, or provided with accommodation by local authorities with the agreement of their parents.

Working with authorities and others, it is the Government’s job to change those odds.

We have already made good progress: the number of children in care obtaining 5 good GCSEs has risen from 7% to 11% between 2000 and 2005; those in employment, education or training at 19 has increased by 8% since 2002; and our Every Child Matters reforms have delivered a Director of Children’s Services in every local area with responsibility for all children’s outcomes.

That progress is down to everyone involved – government, children’s services, the courts – all of our partners, and I want to thank you all for your tireless commitment to this area.

But the figures I quoted before are extremely sobering, and it is clear that there is much more to do. Many of these children have spent a large proportion of their young lives in flux, not knowing where they’ll be living from one month to the next, particularly during care proceedings, where placement changes occur all too often. What they need more than anything else is stability.

Stability is exactly what the proposals in this white paper are intended to create.

We are absolutely committed to making the changes that are needed to secure the best possible outcomes for children in public care. In bringing about change, we must ensure that it is delivered in a way that maximises stability for children, since the outcomes that we are seeking can only be built on a stable foundation.

The creation of the new Department for Children, Schools and Families will help us do that. In his first speech to the department, our new Secretary of State Ed Balls has said that "we are essentially the Every Child Matters Department". This clear focus on enabling all children to be safe, be healthy, to enjoy and achieve, to make a positive contribution and to achieve economic well being will be the focus of all that we do.

Integrated, well-run, professional children’s services will benefit all children, whether they are growing up with their birth parents or, where that is not possible, with other carers.

There is much debate at the moment about parenting and the quality of family life in this country. The reality is that there are people out there who can offer a child a stable family life – love, security and support – where, for whatever reason, this cannot be provided by their birth parents. And we have to recognise that there are parents who, often despite their best efforts and the support of professionals and public services, cannot meet their children’s needs, for reasons such as drug and alcohol misuse and mental ill-health .

We are targeting those problems, and Sure Start Children’s Centres are going a long way to helping to address them at community level. By 2010, when 3,500 children’s centres will be in operation, parents will only have to travel a short distance to a centre right in the heart of their community, where they can access parenting classes, seek work and careers advice, and get help – or just a sympathetic ear – from a local health professional or counsellor. Those services can be accessed in a friendly and welcoming environment, with childcare available while they do it. Already, more than 1,300 centres are in operation, reaching more than 1 million children and their families.

But prevention is only one side of the coin. Offering support and guidance to parents who want it, who actively seek it, or can be reached and persuaded – and where a child is not at risk – is, in a sense, the easier problem to solve. For those parents who can recognise that they might benefit from help and are willing to accept it, quick progress is often possible.

But the other side of solving family difficulties is much more difficult – reaching people with serious problems, who perhaps don’t want to be reached, and where a child is considered to be at risk of harm. In those cases, compulsory intervention may be necessary and justified, which must be timely, proportionate and effective.

In such situations, there are many people, both in the child’s wider family and beyond, who may be able to give the child the love, support and stability they need to grow and develop – these could be grandparents, aunts and uncles, foster carers and adoptive parents.

But where a child is not receiving that support to the point that they are suffering abuse and neglect – even despite involvement by local authorities and others – we need to act immediately to safeguard that child.

That is why we have issued revised statutory guidance to local authorities, currently the subject of public consultation, as Bruce described to you this morning. It is intended to ensure that local authorities undertake rigorous and thorough assessments of a child’s needs, and identify how they can best be met, prior to the initiation of care proceedings. This is intended further to ensure that legal proceedings are not set in motion until proper consideration and sufficient preparation have taken place. Both of these steps are essential if proceedings are to ensure the best possible outcome for the child.

The state – at central and local level – and others working at the front line, have key roles to play in supporting parenting for children who cannot safely or properly remain with their birth parents.

New measures in the White Paper Care Matters: Time for Change will ensure improved provision for vulnerable children in public care, just as any responsible parent would. For every year that a child is looked after, government will add £100 to their Child Trust Fund, making sure they have a nest egg for the future. Additional bursaries worth £2,000 will be made available over the next 3 years to help looked after children pursue university courses. And each local authority will have to draw up a ‘Pledge’, clearly setting out its commitments for the children in its care.

But to succeed, every child needs the sort of close nurturing relationships with adults that most children receive in ordinary family life. That is why local authorities are being asked in the new guidance first to consider family and friends as a care placement option. We will legislate to enable relatives who are carers to apply for residence orders more easily – after only one year of the child living with them, rather than the current three years. For some children, this will be a good way to secure stability, easing the process for the carer.

Too frequently, disruption and instability are often the experience of looked after children, with frequent switches between families, schools, friends. Just when they think they have found some stability and familiarity in their lives, it is taken away from them. As a number of local authorities have shown, it is possible to take steps that will markedly improve stability.

Stability outside the classroom will have positive knock-on effects inside the classroom. We are therefore asking local authorities to pay particular regard to reducing the disruption to a young person’s care provision, especially around the age of 14-16 when they will be studying for their all-important GCSE exams. It needs to become exceptional that a looked after child in year 10 or 11 should move schools in the middle of their exam course, just as it is exceptional for other children’s education to be disrupted at this important stage.

We are absolutely committed to nurturing healthy, happy, well-rounded children. That is the essence of the Every Child Matters agenda. We will not achieve that by placing a simplistic emphasis on exam results. A stable family life creates the best environment for a child to focus on school and in which they can develop their interests and talents, without the worrying distractions of changes of placement to knock them off track.

Education is what gives a child a real chance in the world. It is one of the biggest generators of opportunity for the individual. And it is a tremendous force for good in society through its ability to break cycles – of poverty, worklessness, and low self-esteem. The opportunity to learn must be open to all, regardless of background and circumstances.

Proposals in the White Paper will give a leg up to those that have had a difficult start in life. Each child in care at risk of falling behind will receive an annual education budget of £500 to spend on books and after school activities. Children in care are now given the highest priority in school admissions, and we have introduced a power to secure them a place at a good school even, if it is deemed to be full.

A ‘virtual head’ will be responsible for all children in care in their local area. They will work with schools’ staff, local authorities and carers to monitor progress and improve young people’s educational prospects. And within each school, there will be a legal requirement to have a designated teacher for children in care, to oversee their progress. Giving every child the chance to succeed is the fundamental mission of this new department.

These measures will help enormously in creating a stable environment for children to flourish - on both sides of the school gate.

We are empowering young people to create some stability in their lives for themselves. Through the ‘right to be cared for’, they will have a greater say over when they leave care – making the decision themselves with support and advice and, crucially, not before they’re ready. It is absolutely wrong that, although the average age that young people in this country leave home is 24, people in care are expected to drop off the cliff-edge at 16 to 18, then left to fend for themselves when they land. Now, they will not be alone in making tough decisions – they will be entitled to a personal advisor up to the age of 25 (care leavers who are in or want to return education). These measures all build on the progress made since the Children Leaving Care Act.

Another key factor that underpins stability and attainment for looked after children is the quality of the delivery and the review of their care plans, both during court proceedings and beyond. We are currently considering how best to ensure that the care plan of each looked after child is kept under more rigorous review and scrutiny. We are determined to develop the role of the Independent Reviewing Officer, or IROs. This follows widespread Green paper responses, which suggested that this new role, introduced only in 2004, has not had sufficient impact on cases where, for example, inappropriate changes of placement were taking place or where the contents of care plans, even where previously approved by the family courts, were not being delivered in practice. We are paying careful consideration to the views put to us, and will be bringing forward proposals shortly to tighten up our approach.

We will require local authorities to appoint a named IRO for each child. IROs will be required to spend time with that child prior to each review, and we will define the caseloads that we expect IROs to support through guidance, and the types of ‘significant event’ which must trigger a review. And finally, we will ensure that a referral to CAFCASS is no longer seen as a last resort, but is considered as a real option.

One slogan in politics in recent years has been ‘for the many not the few’. These policies are ‘for the all’. They are for the many; and they are for the few. The 60,000 children in care on any given day, the 90,000 children during the course of the year. Proportionally, they are the few. But every child has a voice, every child must be listened to, and every child must have an equal chance to shine. It is imperative that we get this right, and it is our duty as those who have the power to make a difference. 60,000 futures rest on our success.

tances.

Proposals in the White Paper will give a leg up to those that have had a difficult start in life. Each child in care at risk of falling behind will receive an annual education budget of £500 to spend on books and after school activities. Children in care are now given the highest priority in school admissions, and we have introduced a power to secure them a place at a good school even, if it is deemed to be full.

A ‘virtual head’ will be responsible for all children in care in their local area. They will work with schools’ staff, local authorities and carers to monitor progress and improve young people’s educational prospects. And within each school, there will be a legal requirement to have a designated teacher for children in care, to oversee their progress. Giving every child the chance to succeed is the fundamental mission of this new department.

These measures will help enormously in creating a stable environment for children to flourish - on both sides of the school gate.

We are empowering young people to create some stability in their lives for themselves. Through the ‘right to be cared for’, they will have a greater say over when they leave care – making the decision themselves with support and advice and, crucially, not before they’re ready. It is absolutely wrong that, although the average age that young people in this country leave home is 24, people in care are expected to drop off the cliff-edge at 16 to 18, then left to fend for themselves when they land. Now, they will not be alone in making tough decisions – they will be entitled to a personal advisor up to the age of 25 (care leavers who are in or want to return education). These measures all build on the progress made since the Children Leaving Care Act.

Another key factor that underpins stability and attainment for looked after children is the quality of the delivery and the review of their care plans, both during court proceedings and beyond. We are currently considering how best to ensure that the care plan of each looked after child is kept under more rigorous review and scrutiny. We are determined to develop the role of the Independent Reviewing Officer, or IROs. This follows widespread Green paper responses, which suggested that this new role, introduced only in 2004, has not had sufficient impact on cases where, for example, inappropriate changes of placement were taking place or where the contents of care plans, even where previously approved by the family courts, were not being delivered in practice. We are paying careful consideration to the views put to us, and will be bringing forward proposals shortly to tighten up our approach.

We will require local authorities to appoint a named IRO for each child. IROs will be required to spend time with that child prior to each review, and we will define the caseloads that we expect IROs to support through guidance, and the types of ‘significant event’ which must trigger a review. And finally, we will ensure that a referral to CAFCASS is no longer seen as a last resort, but is considered as a real option.

One slogan in politics in recent years has been ‘for the many not the few’. These policies are ‘for the all’. They are for the many; and they are for the few. The 60,000 children in care on any given day, the 90,000 children during the course of the year. Proportionally, they are the few. But every child has a voice, every child must be listened to, and every child must have an equal chance to shine. It is imperative that we get this right, and it is our duty as those who have the power to make a difference. 60,000 futures rest on our success.