Profit-making firms to be prevented from delivering child protection
Neil Puffett
Friday, June 20, 2014
Only non-profit organisations will be allowed to deliver child protection services under controversial government plans to give councils more freedom in the way they work with vulnerable children, it has been announced.
The government's response to a recent consultation on plans to allow local authorities to outsource the vast majority of children’s social care services, reveals that only not-for-profit organisations, mutuals, and community interest companies will be able to deliver the services.
The market will not be opened up to profit-making firms in a step that could be seen as a concession to concerned voices within the sector.
The consultation, which ended on 31 May, received mixed responses from the sector, with a number of organisations saying they would only support them if those delivering services did not make a profit.
Children’s minister Edward Timpson said the government wants to give local authorities the freedom to deliver services differently in order to achieve better outcomes for vulnerable children.
“If we are going to achieve the very best for our most vulnerable children we must harness the expertise, passion and drive of all those who want to serve children’s needs,” he added.
New regulations governing the delegation of children’s social services will be introduced in the autumn.
The Department for Education has said accountability of local authorities and the role of Ofsted will remain unchanged – the watchdog will continue to inspect all children’s services and issue judgments on the local authority’s performance in meeting its duties.
The government-appointed chief social worker for children, Isabelle Trowler, said the “new freedoms” will encourage innovation in the delivery of children’s services.
“We now need to be fully engaged in this reform agenda and respond positively to these freedoms by helping local authorities redesign services in ways that respond to the voices of children and families who use them,” she said.
The decision to allow not-for-profit organisations to deliver child protection services will open the door for a number of children's charities that already provide services supporting vulnerable children and families.
Just last month Barnardo’s new chief executive Javed Khan told CYP Now that he wants the charity to manage, commission and deliver statutory children’s services in partnership with local authorities as it evolves into a more strategic organisation over the next few years.