Children’s Social Care Reform 2023 : our response
VoiceAbility’s response to the government’s ‘Stable Homes, Built On Love’ Implementation Strategy and Consultation.
In February 2023 the government published an open consultation for the implementation strategy to reform children’s social care. This strategy is based on recommendations from three reviews – The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, The Child Safeguarding Practice Panel Review into the deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson and The Competition and Markets Authority Review.
Children’s social care desperately needs reform and investment now. While we welcome some of the strategy’s suggestions - like opt-out independent advocacy for children in care - we’re disappointed in the lack of funding behind reform and in government’s choice not to make care experience a protected characteristic. We also think proposals could go further in providing a clearer, more inclusive entitlement for advocacy.
Read our consultation response in full.
Our response calls for:
A single, clear, expanded and more inclusive legal entitlement for advocacy for children and young people
Advocacy is an essential service for all children and young people. Existing legislation and entitlements are diffuse, subject to interpretation and would not be easy to enforce. This patchwork of legislation creates barriers to eligible groups of children and young people accessing advocacy because their entitlements are not clear. We need a single, clear, expanded and more inclusive legal entitlement for advocacy for children and young people and for provision to match this.
More focus on SEND children and young people
New schemes must be designed with the needs and opinions of SEND children and young people in mind. Government must also address the funding deficit in SEND children’s provision together with complaints about Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and delayed diagnoses.
Extending opt-out independent advocacy to children and young people undergoing child protection processes
The right to advocacy for children and young people undergoing child protection processes is already supported by national and international law. Making advocacy provision opt-out during child protection processes would mean children and young people’s voices are heard at important junctures in their lives.
More funding
We’re disappointed government have invested only £200 million over the next 2 years for proposed reform, which is only 20% of the £2.6 billion over 4 years suggested in the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care. This lack of funding suggests government does not see children’s social care as a priority worth investing in.