Narey defends private sector role in child protection

Writing in the latest issue of CYP Now, Sir Martin Narey said government proposals to allow local authorities to outsource children’s social care services, the consultation on which closes this week, was an attempt to introduce competition to the sector.

He said: “While I’m opposed to crude privatisation, I’m an unapologetic fan of competition, not least because I believe that competition allows the public sector the opportunity to demonstrate that it cannot be beaten in terms of value for money.”

Referring to his experience of introducing private sector competition into running prisons when he was head of the Prison Service, Narey said that if private providers could offer better value for money in children's social care it would “say a lot about the efficiency and effectiveness of the public and voluntary sectors”.

He added: “There is, in my mind, no reason why a properly managed private sector organisation – by itself, or more likely, in partnership with a public or voluntary sector provider – could not compete to play a role in child protection.”

Despite this, he said child protection services are “not remotely ready for competition now”, because of the inadequate nature of commissioning and concerns over the competence of the private and voluntary sectors.

The proposals have been criticised in some quarters as an attempt by the government to privatise child protection, something the former Barnardo’s chief describes as a “sanctimonious dismissal of the morality of the private sector”.

“I’ve spent all my life in the public and voluntary sectors. But I’ve never agreed with those who claim a moral superiority over private sector organisations and those who work for them,” he adds.

Following concerns about the proposals raised by a group of academics, Children England last week launched an online petition to “keep profit out of child protection”, which has gathered more than 11,000 signatures.

To read the full Martin Narey article click here or see the 27 May issue of CYP Now.