A promised restructuring of the care system in England to protect vulnerable children must be carried out by the next Prime Minister, charities say.
The five charities, including NSPCC and Barnardo’s, say improper care results in children being “seriously injured or even killed”.
They are calling on Tory leadership rivals Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to take action to reform the system.
The Conservatives promised changes to their 2019 manifesto.
It said: “We will review the care system to ensure that all care agencies and facilities are providing children and young adults with the support they need.”
- Early help for families urgently needed in social care reset
- The brief life and death of a beloved toddler
- Foster children are viewed as criminals, not victims
However, the recommendations of an independent review have yet to be implemented.
In a letter to Tory leadership candidates, the charities say the childcare system has badly failed children, with success stories being the “exception to the rule”.
They say current regulations “are not working” and that without action, “outcomes for children and families will remain persistently poor”.
The letter warns that up to 100,000 children could be cared for in ten years, compared to the 80,000 currently in the system.
The charities welcomed the commitment of the 2019 manifesto, but noted that the independent review’s final report was released in June.
They call on both leadership candidates to commit to implementing the recommendations by the end of the year.
The recommendations include:
- New child safeguarding experts to ensure senior staff are directly involved in front line decisions
- A recruitment campaign to increase the number of foster parents who can look after children
- A new law protects care leavers from discrimination
- The gradual closure of juvenile detention centers described as “completely unsuitable for children”.
The letter is signed by Anna Feuchtwang from the National Children’s Bureau, Melanie Armstrong from Action for Children, Lynn Perry from Barnardo’s, Sir Peter Wanless from the NSPCC. and Mark Russell of The Children’s Society.
Truss and Sunak campaigns have been contacted for a response.
According to the five charities, an estimated one in four adult prison inmates are care leavers, and 70% of care leavers are more likely to die prematurely.
Young people raised in care are three times less likely to be in education, employment or training by the time they turn 19.
The letter describes how some children in the care system felt they had to hurt someone or be hurt to get support.
In June 2022, the Department of Education said “change can’t just happen overnight” but outlined its action plans.
She wants to develop a national child welfare framework to support families and protect children.
It also aims to work with local authorities to increase foster parent hiring and ensure children have access to the right places at the right time.
A goal was set to create seven new family centers to help families access a range of support services.
The government said it would respond in full to the report later in the year.
An Education Ministry spokesman said: “Protecting vulnerable children is at the heart of government policy.
“That’s why we commissioned the Independent Review of Child Welfare Care, which recommended a major reform of the system.
“Since its release, we have committed to a bold action plan to bring about a sea change in the social care of children and established a new national implementation committee of sector experts and people with experience in the care system to lead this work.”
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