children subject to Section 38 of the Children Act 1989.children subject to Section 31 of the Children Act 1989.children accommodated under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989 (including cases where the child/young person and/or the parent end the Section 20 arrangement).children on the edge of care and in pre-proceedings.The framework can be used with all looked after children and young people up to the age of 18 who have experienced and/or may be at risk of experiencing abuse or neglect.

It supports families and workers to understand what needs to change, to set goals, access support and services and review progress. The framework supports practitioners and managers to apply structured professional judgement to decisions about whether and how a child should return home from care. And with our support packages we can work with local authorities to implement local solutions. Our reunification practice framework, created in partnership with University of Bristol, brings all of these research messages into one place, and provides practical guidance and tools for practitioners working with children and families. We're working with academics, local authorities, practice experts and young people to improve support for children returning home. We know that good practice and effective services can support children to return home safely. Whilst research studies paint a worrying picture, they also point to tangible practice solutions. But research shows that for many others this can result in further abuse and neglect, with many children ending up back in care (Department for Education, 2013 Farmer, 2011 Wade, 2011). Helping social workers make decisions on returning children home from careįor some children, returning home from care is the best possible outcome.

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