Social work leaders demand extension to outsourcing consultation

The college said the six-week consultation period, which began on 17 April and is due to close today, is “deeply insufficient” to discuss and debate the range of issues at stake.

In its response to the consultation TCSW calls for a pause to allow more time for “due and full consideration of the very serious implications of these proposed regulatory changes”.

“A six-week consultation seeking responses to only two very loosely worded questions is insufficient and inadequate given that these proposed changes are of such potential magnitude,” the response states.

“There needs to be meaningful consultation about the detail of proposed draft regulations.”

The response also highlights four key concerns the college has about the prospect of children’s services being outsourced.

These are: the “weak” evidence base; the impact on the local authority’s role as corporate parent; the lack of consultation with children and young people; and the implications of opening up all areas of children’s services to potential profit-making.

TCSW chair Jo Cleary said: “The proposals raise serious and important questions about how services to some of the nation’s most vulnerable children and young people may be delivered in future.

“These need to be carefully considered in the light of the full spectrum of evidence.

“The limited consultation and accompanying regulations has not enabled the necessary public discussion on these important policy matters.

“The college believes that there must be full and open public discussion of all the implications of the proposed policy changes; this needs to include consultation with children and young people in care and their families.”

Reaction to the government proposals has been strong.

A Children England petition objecting to outsourcing child protection, launched earlier this month now has more than 12,000 signatures.

Also this month a letter condemning outsourcing and signed by 37 academics, including Ray Jones, professor of social work at Kingston University, was published in The Guardian.

However, Sir Martin Narey, the government’s adviser on children’s social care, has defended outsourcing child protection saying it would not lead to large scale privatisation and would help councils show they are providing value for money.