CYP Now - Care Review response: Sector ‘appalled’ at failure to implement protected characteristic recommendation

Campaigners have criticised the government for dismissing a recommendation from the Care Review, which proposed making care experience a protected characteristic in law, as part of its £200m plan to reform children's social care.

Nottingham City Council recently voted to make care experience a protected characteristic, alongside more than 10 other councils. Picture: Terry Galloway

The Children’s Social Care Implementation Strategy, which was published in response to the Care Review’s recommendations and findings, proposed a package of measures to reform the system.

However, campaigners have hit out at the strategy for missing a key recommendation from the review’s final report, which proposed that the government should make care experience a protected characteristic under the Equalities Act, following consultation with care-experienced people and the devolved administrations.

The proposal received widespread support from the sector, and since the recommendation was made more than 10 councils have passed motions pledging to treat care experience as a protected characteristic, meaning that the impact on care-experienced people will be considered during equality evaluations of prospective policies.

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