Lucy de Groot, Chief Executive at UK volunteering charity CSV, responds to an article in the Guardian (9th February 2012) recommending the support of volunteers to assist troubled families address the many problems they face.

"Helene Mullholland rightly raises the troubling issue of record numbers of children being removed from their families and placed into care. This serves no one, least of all the public purse. (Record number of children going into care, Guardian Online 9 February 2012)

"CSV’s volunteers have had extraordinary success in helping at risk families address the many problems they face, ultimately assisting them in turning chaotic, dysfunctional homes into confident, stable and safe ones. With the support of volunteers, children come off the Child Protection Plan and are not re-registered.

"Appropriate use of volunteers is cost effective, helps forge stronger social links within communities and reinforces the impact of hard pressed public services. Local authorities have a real opportunity to work more closely and more extensively with us in supporting vulnerable children.

"More widely, government at all must levels must ensure that voluntary services continue to receive funding and support, or vital expertise in dealing with problem families will be lost."

Lucy de Groot

Read the full article: “Record number of children in England are taken into care”