Call for Care Review to commit to protect children’s rights
Neil Puffett
Monday, May 24, 2021
The government-commissioned Independent Review of Children’s Social Care should publicly commit to the protection and promotion of children’s rights, a sector-wide coalition has said.
The long-awaited review, which was promised in the Conservative Party’s 2019 general election manifesto, was first announced in January, and officially launched in April.
-
Analysis: The reports and investigations set to shape direction of Care Review
-
Related news: How to get involved with the Care Review
A "coalition of coalitions" including representative bodies with more than 150 member organisations and tens of thousands of individual social workers and lawyers across the sector, said that since the review was announced almost six months ago, none of its publications have mentioned “rights” when discussing children and young people.
The coalition, which includes Together for Children, the British Association of Social Workers (England), and the Alliance for Youth Justice, wants the review to commit to upholding the principles and provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
It said conducting a “child rights impact assessment” of its own proposals and recommendations would provide an assurance mechanism for this.
It has also called for the review to refrain from making any recommendations which dilute or delete existing legal protections that children, young people and families rely upon, and for children’s “meaningful and effective” participation to be at the heart of the review.
Carolyne Willow, who, alongside Ben Twomey, co-chairs the coalition of coalitions, said: “The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the guiding light for ensuring that every child has a happy, fulfilling and safe childhood where they can meet their potential. It respects children for the people they are today, and places obligations on governments to ensure laws, financial decision-making and policies work for children and their families.
“A great many of us have huge concerns about the government’s children’s social care review, fearing it could lead to the further dismantling of local authority care, support and protection and the disappearance of crucial rights and entitlements. To date there’s been no official recognition in the review’s communications of the importance of the convention. We have asked the chair to adopt this children’s rights framework as a guarantee that the needs and rights of children and their families will prevail."
Twomey added: “We are united in our call for children’s rights to be at the heart of the Care Review.
“We are asking the review team to work with the sector to uphold the principles and provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. A rights-based framework for the review will guarantee this and must be included in the review’s upcoming case for change.”
Concerns have previously been raised over the choice of Josh MacAlister as chair of the Care Review with critics pointing to the fact that prior to founding Frontline, a fast-track training scheme for social workers set up in 2013, he was a schoolteacher.
Last month, he received the public backing of children’s minister Vicky Ford who said MacAlister “brings a wide range of experience to this role and was chosen for his understanding of the challenges facing the system and his experience of implementing innovative solutions”.