Children’s services reform needs brave leaders

Over the coming months, a number of important pieces of work will draw to conclusion: implementation of the Health and Care Bill, designed to build greater cross-system collaboration; the review of special educational needs and disabilities, addressing the implementation of reforms stumbling because of lack of investment and the capacity to implement them; and the Education White Paper, consolidating yet further reform in the education system. A National Safeguarding Review into the tragic death of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes will, no doubt, shine a light on the need to further improve partnership arrangements to safeguard children; implementation of Andrea Leadsom’s Best Start in Life Vision which focuses attention on babies and may bring the partial revival of decimated integrated local support through family hubs. Finally, there is the concluding report of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, long heralded as bringing bold thinking to complex support for the most vulnerable children under the oversight of statutory agencies and in care.