Consultation: Delegation of social services functions for looked-after children and care leavers

What is it all about? The government introduced special legislation in 2008 to allow six councils to develop voluntary, private sector or staff-led GP-style social work practices as part of a Department for Education pilot scheme. One authority dropped out of the initiative in 2010, but the five remaining authorities were joined by a further six councils in 2011. The legal powers that allow social services for children to be delegated to staff-led practices expire in November, and the DfE wants views on whether they should be extended to all local authorities on a permanent basis.

What are the main points? An evaluation of the pilot projects reported mixed results, but found that social work practices can have a positive impact on outcomes and offer the potential for greater autonomy, enabling practitioners to work “more closely and innovatively” with looked-after children and care leavers. The government is keen to avoid disruption to the 11 local authorities in the pilot if the legal powers end abruptly, so wants to extend the legislation to all local authorities in England.

It wants views on whether the proposal will help prevent disruption in areas where delegation arrangements are already in place, as well as opinions on whether all local authorities should be given “additional flexibility” to carry out their social care functions.

The DfE is also consulting on plans to remove the current requirement that all social work practices be registered and inspected separately by Ofsted. Instead, it wants to include delegated social services in the watchdog’s new arrangements for inspection of local authority services for children in care and care leavers. This would mean that providers would not need to register with Ofsted or be inspected separately from the local authority that they are contracted by. It wants to know whether the proposal will avoid unnecessary burdens and duplication in inspection arrangements.

Who can have their say? Local authorities, representative bodies, social workers, children in care, and care leavers are all invited to respond.

When is the deadline? Thursday 28 February 2013.