As this is an independent, rather than government, review, the Government has provided an initial response now and will be developing its more detailed response over the coming months, including which recommendations it wishes to take forward.
The Government has outlined an initial response to the Care Review in which the Secretary of State for Education, Nadhim Zahawi MP, said “this is the start of a journey to change the culture and dramatically reform the children’s social care system.” In his oral statement to Parliament, the Minister for Children and Families, Will Quince MP, committed to “an ambitious and detailed Government response and implementation strategy” by the end of 2022.
Minister Quince outlined three priorities to improve children’s social care:
1. The first is to improve the child protection system so that it keeps children safe from harm as effectively as possible.
2. The second is to support families to care for their children, so that they can have safe, loving and happy childhoods which set them up for fulfilling lives.
3. And the third is to ensure that there are the right placements for children in the right places, so that those who cannot stay with their parents grow up in a safe, stable and loving home.
The Government’s initial response committed to:
- Establishing a National Implementation Board of sector experts, people with experience of leading transformational change and with experience of the care system.
- Work with local authorities to boost efforts to recruit more foster carers, including pathfinder local recruitment campaigns and providing more support throughout the foster carer application process
- Reframing and refocusing the support social workers receive in the early part of their careers, particularly to enhance their skills and knowledge in child protection
- Joining up data from across the public sector to increase transparency – both between safeguarding partners and to the wider public (more detail will be set out later this year).
- Establishing a new Digital and Data Solutions Fund to help local authorities improve delivery for children and families through technology
- Developing a national children’s social care framework which will set direction for the system and point everyone to the best available evidence to support families and protect children.
The Government’s response also committed to funding for family hubs, social workers in schools and designated safeguarding lead supervision programmes.