The shadow children's secretary is convinced children's trusts amount to nothing more than bureaucracy and inefficiency. His pledge pierces at the heart of efforts to boost partnership working under Every Child Matters.
While Labour's reforms have been far from perfect, Gove's position is seriously flawed on several fronts. It may well be the case, as he maintains, that joint working arrangements have given rise to too many meetings. Of course meetings in themselves won't keep children safe. But a lack of meetings won't either. While Gove promises at least to keep local authority children's services departments in place, by removing duties to set up children's trusts, he is stripping away the tools of the trade that directors of children's services and others need to help them work together.
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