The Government has set out how it will implement the most significant reforms to children's social care and child protection in a generation, publishing an implementation plan to follow the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026.

The plan, titled 'Delivering the Children's Social Care Reset', details how reforms will be rolled out across councils in England.

Every local authority will be required to deliver a single Family Help service, and new multi-agency child protection teams will bring together social workers, police, health and education professionals to strengthen safeguarding.

Councils must also publish a local kinship offer to support more children to be cared for by family members rather than entering the care system.

Care leavers will receive strengthened support through a national Staying Close offer from 2029, covering accommodation, employment and healthcare up to the age of 25.

The reforms are backed by £2.4bn for the Families First Partnership Programme, £245m to improve the care market, and £560m in capital funding to expand and refurbish children's homes.

Children and Families Minister Josh MacAlister said: ‘Through these reforms we are delivering what vulnerable children need, in partnership with committed frontline professionals, putting children’s safety and wellbeing and giving more young people the best possible start in life.’

Commenting on the announcement, Ann Graham, president at the Association of Directors of Children's Services, said: ‘The Government's newly published implementation plan for children's social care reform sets out a helpful timeline of when different elements of the reforms will be developed, consulted or switched on.

‘This will help directors of children's services to develop and deliver local plans with our teams, and our partners, against a backdrop of significant change in wider children’s services and public services more effectively.

‘It also helps us to see these plans within the context of major transformation programmes that are reshaping the structures of local government, the health service, schools and police.’