Children and young people with the law behind them

We could have included many more examples, but have kept this brief to make our message clear – that the law is critically important to children and young people.

The care review’s interim report, The Case for Change, stated:

"What is needed is a coherent regulatory landscape and rulebook which is grounded in the needs – and indeed rights – of children and families, and combines greater levels of both freedom and responsibility for professionals in children’s social care."

The government has been attempting to deregulate children’s social care since 2011. Like the care review, it has pressed for greater professional freedom and set up a conflict between the statutory framework for children’s social care, and social workers and others being able to do their jobs well. The government has also presented deregulation (the removal or weakening/dilution of law) as innovative and cutting-edge.