The announcement on Friday that new regulations planned for the autumn will only allow local authorities to delegate social care functions to mutuals, community interest companies and charities came as a relief to many children’s organisations who had raised concerns that the proposals would open the door to privatisation of child protection.
Kathy Evans, chief executive of children’s charity umbrella organisation Children England, which had organised a petition against the proposals, said: “We really welcome the fact that government has recognised the breadth and strength of feeling about the risks of allowing profit-making in child protection.
“We gathered over 12,500 signatures in the space of two weeks. Since then our concern has been echoed by many responses across the public, statutory and voluntary sector bodies. It’s rare that government listens and responds to consultation so quickly.”
But she warned that the government’s proposed measures still “raise many practical questions” which need “very careful evidence and safeguards”.
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