The Government has scrapped controversial clauses from the Children and Social Work Bill that would have exempted select local authorities from their statutory duties to young people.
The Department for Education has removed the ‘power to innovate’ from the Bill just weeks after Eileen Munro, who published a landmark review into children’s services in 2011, rescinded her backing of the initiative.
The set of rules would have allowed certain authorities to step outside of the legislative framework in order to pilot innovative new ways working, but some campaigners peers and politicians feared it undermined decades of child safeguarding legislation.
Charity Action for Children welcomed the move, but some councils believe the proposals would have allowed them to test new ways of working that would have improved outcomes for children across the country.
Steve Walker, the director of children’s services at Leeds City Council – which has been recognised as a national ‘partner in practice’ and previously welcomed the clauses – stressed that no authority was planning to remove care responsibilities from children.
Mr Walker told The MJ that reversing the proposal would limit councils’ opportunities to improve outcomes for children and young people and share best practice.
