Care Review chair reveals two new advisory panels

Josh MacAlister revealed the terms of reference and membership details of his evidence and design groups which will “provide invaluable advice to the review in the months ahead”.

They will work to support MacAlister’s Experts by Experience group made up of 15 people with lived or professional experience of the children’s social care system in England.

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Both of the new panels “will bring together considerable experience from professionals delivering the current children’s social care system, politicians from different political backgrounds and researchers from a range of disciplines”, he said.

A new design group has been appointed to “reflect the range of public services already working to provide children with safety and stability, as well as those with other relevant expertise”.

The design group will be responsible for: 

1. Helping the review capture the views of those currently delivering parts of the system. 

2. Testing and refining emerging findings throughout the review. 

3. Guiding the review on its overall approach to designing recommendations.

MacAlister will chair the design group himself, overseeing input from 16 members including chief social worker for England Isabelle Trowler, Association of Directors of Children’s Services president Charlotte Ramsden and Labour peer Baroness Judith Blake, former leader of Leeds City Council and former chair of the Local Government Association’s children and young people board.

Meanwhile, an evidence group is set to “bring together a range of research perspectives and experts in children’s social care to ensure the review’s approach is evidence-informed”.

It is chaired by Leon Feinstein, professor of education and children’s social care at the University of Oxford and director of the Rees Centre. 

Feinstein was previously director of evidence at the Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England from 2016 to 2019 and has also held the position of director of evidence at the Early Intervention Foundation.

The evidence group also includes 11 professionals including John Simmonds is director of policy, research and development at CoramBAAF, Lisa Harker, director of the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory and Haroon Chowdry, director of evidence at the Office of the Children’s Commissioner.

The group will be responsible for: 

1. Advising on the most appropriate research and analytical methods to use throughout the review. 

2. Identifying evidence gaps, and, where appropriate, advising on how these should be filled to input into the review. 

3. Stress testing the theory of change, impact and costs of emerging recommendations.

Campaigners have questioned the make-up of the design group over links to controversial amendments to children’s social work legislation in 2016.

Children’s rights charity Article 39 wrote on Twitter: “Design Group includes individuals who took leading roles within central and local government in pushing for, and championing, exemption clauses in the children and social work bill 2016/17.”

Others question why no senior figures in foster care are involved in the groups.

One person wrote: “No foster carer in the group? The people who care for the children 24/7?”

The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care has been contacted for further comment.

For the full terms of reference and membership of the groups click here.