Anne Longfield has called on ministers to reinstate local authorities’ full statutory duties changed by the Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 which came into force on 24 April, bypassing the 21-day consultation rule.
The amendments enable councils to relax rules and timescales on issues including social worker visits to vulnerable children, foster care placements and reviews of care placements and children’s home.
Children’s homes have also been given the right to deprive children of their liberty if they show symptoms of coronavirus.
Longfield said: “I would like to see all the regulations revoked, as I do not believe that there is sufficient justification to introduce them. This crisis must not remove protections from extremely vulnerable children, particularly as they are even more vulnerable at this time.”
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