Exclusive: Government set to drop controversial 'exemption clause'

Provisions contained in the Children and Social Work Bill, which is currently going through parliament, are intended to give councils the ability "to test different ways of working" within children's services by freeing them from "requirements imposed by children's social care legislation".

But the proposals are highly divisive, with a number of organisations and prominent individuals in the children's services sector opposing them.

CYP Now understands that the government has agreed to support amendments tabled by Labour's shadow children's minister Emma Lewell-Buck to remove the proposals from the bill by scrapping clauses 32, 33 and 34.

Once the government has signed the amendments the proposals will be formally removed from the legislation when the bill is at report stage in the House of Commons on Tuesday (7 March).

A source told CYP Now that the government climbdown follows a summit meeting last week between Education Secretary Justine Greening, children's minister Edward Timpson, and chief children's social worker Isabelle Trowler, with a delegation of opponents to the proposals including child protection expert Lord Laming, former children's minister Tim Loughton and Conservative MP Kelly Tolhurst.

"The delegation made absolutely clear that the clause was not needed, the timing was inappropriate, and it would be resisted in the House of Lords," the source said.

"The government should sign [Emma Lewell-Buck's] amendments today. It looks as if the message has at last got through." 

Carolyne Willow, director of children's rights charity Article 39, a member of the Together for Children coalition of organisations opposing the proposals, said: "This is extraordinarily excellent news for children and young people across the country.