“Today’s report is a timely reminder that there are children who need our help now, and that number is growing. It is our duty as a society to ensure these children receive what each of us would expect for our own children. These children are among the most vulnerable in our society, and we are failing them if they are not getting the services they need in timely and consistent fashion across the country.
“The report finds there is no simple single explanation for why services vary. However, the greatest cause of variation appears to be the characteristics of local authorities themselves and their areas. Coram’s work with local authorities to increase their in-house capacity has shown that outcomes improve and expenditure on costly external placements can be avoided when high quality practice and performance are combined.
“Experiences of care vary from place to place and in some authorities over 90% of young people in care say that their life is improving. Initiatives such as Coram Voice’s Brightspots programme, which helps authorities to identify what they are doing well for children in care, and then supports the sharing of best practice, can help local authorities to provide children in care with a better quality of life.”