Children on the edge of care: Human rights and the Children Act

This report examines how local authorities respond to the needs of:

• unaccompanied asylum seeking children,
• disabled children at residential special schools,
• and children who are privately fostered or who live with relatives other than their birth parents.

It provides a critical analysis of what we know about the circumstances of these children, what their entitlements are under the Children Act, how local authorities respond to their needs and entitlements, and whether recent changes will redress past inadequacies.

It concludes that a shortage of resources, and inadequate knowledge about the views and experiences of these three groups of children have resulted in a failure to recognise and promote their human rights.

Two related publications are also available:

• A management solution to keeping children safe by Ian Sinclair and John Corden
• Resilience and young people leaving care by Mike Stein

Available in electronic format only.