The unit was set up following recommendations by Lord Laming in his review of child protection services in England, but was openly criticised by then shadow children's minister Tim Loughton who described it as "an extra bit of bureaucracy, whose merits in achieving qualitative outcomes are questionable".
Speaking at the launch of Professor Eileen Munro's review of children's social work, Loughton, the new minister responsible for safeguarding children, confirmed the body will be disbanded "with immediate effect".
Resources from the unit will be reallocated to new safeguarding priorities, including Munro's reveiw.
Despite this, other measures recommended by Laming are being retained by the new government.
The Department for Education has confirmed that the £23m Local Social Work Improvement Fund will be available to local authority children's services departments in 2010-11.
The Children's Workforce Development Council programmes to support the recruitment and retention of social workers will also continue, subject to some efficiencies, which will be made by cutting bureaucracy and marketing budgets.
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