The stocktake, published earlier this month, makes a total of 36 recommendations, including the establishment of a national register of foster carers, and for improvements to be made to placement commissioning.
But the suggestion that local authorities should be allowed to ditch the independent reviewing officer (IRO) role, which scrutinises local authority care plans for looked-after children, taking into account the views of the child, has been criticised by both Nagalro, a professional association for social workers, and the National Association of Independent Reviewing Officers (Nairo).
Nagalro said it "strongly believes that such a move would put vulnerable children at real risk".
"The task of the IRO is to be the voice of the children, who cannot speak out for themselves," said Sukhchandan Kaur, acting chair of Nagalro.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
