The government's vision behind the pilot, which took place in 16 areas between 2006 and 2008, was to give lead children's professionals far greater budget financial responsibility and autonomy to pay for support.
The aim was to speed up purchasing and help the lead professional better develop a tailored package of support for each child.
But a damning evaluation report by Newcastle University found that "most pilots were not well-prepared to promote a radical shift in practice".
Too often lead professionals were not given the purchasing power the pilot intended, instead using money merely for top-up support.
Lead professionals received little training for this new budget holding role and families knew nothing of the government's changes or the vision to create a bespoke package of support for them.
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