Children’s social care

Education Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 22 Nov 2024 Closed: 2 Feb 2026 Parliament page
In December 2023, the previous Education Committee began an important inquiry into the state of children's social care in England. Unfortunately, this work was interrupted by the General Election and the dissolution of Parliament on 30 May 2024, which meant all select committees were disbanded. Recognising the critical nature of … Read more
14 Recommendations
64 Conclusions
1 Report
8 Oral sessions
5 Letters
8 Events
Activity timeline 23 events
17 Oct
2025
Report published
15 Jul
2025
Correspondence
10 Jul
2025
Report published
23 Apr
2025
Correspondence
8 Apr
2025
Correspondence
18 Mar
2025
Oral evidence
18 Mar
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
11 Feb
2025
Oral evidence
11 Feb
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
21 Jan
2025
Oral evidence
21 Jan
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
7 Jan
2025
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 8 sessions
18 Mar 2025
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Children’s Social Care
Fran Oram · Department for Education Janet Daby MP · The Department for Education
11 Feb 2025
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Children’s Social Care
Dan Turnbull · Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Georgia Sullivan Jake Hartley Lamar Mohsen Louise Fitt Mr Sam Turner · Kinship Mrs Denise Rawls · The National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) Roger Gough · The County Councils Network (CCN)
21 Jan 2025
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Children’s Social Care
Andy Smith · Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) Anna Edmundson · National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) Annie Hudson · Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel Claire Throssell MBE Lynn Perry MBE · Barnardo’s Rob Williams · National Association of Head Teachers
17 Dec 2024
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Children’s Social Care
Councillor Arooj Shah · Local Government Association (LGA) Dr Mark Kerr · Children’s Homes Association Harriet Edwards · Sense James Bury · CoramBAAF Jo Harrison · National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) Katharine Sacks-Jones · Become Maris Stratulis · British Association of Social Workers England Matthew Horne · Innovation Unit
30 Apr 2024
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Children’s social care
Annie Hudson · Child Safeguarding Review Panel Ms Katie Ghose · Kids Professor Michelle McManus, Professor of Safeguarding and Violence Prevention Stephen Kingdom · Disabled Children’s Partnership Tina Emory OBE · National Network of Parent Carer Forums Yvette Stanley · Ofsted
16 Apr 2024
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Children's Social Care (3/5)
Emily Frith · Adoption UK Lucille Allain · Association of Professors of Social Work Lucy Peake · Kinship Mary Jackson · Frontline Matt Clayton · Coventry City Council Sarah Thomas · The Fostering Network
26 Mar 2024
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Children’s social care
Dan Turnbull · Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Dr Mark Kerr · Children’s Homes Association John Pearce · Association of Directors of Children’s Services Mr Andrew Isaac · Children’s Services Development Group Ms Lucy Croxton · Together Trust Roger Gough · The County Councils Network (CCN) Stuart Ashley · Hampshire County Council
27 Feb 2024
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Children’s social care
Dinithi Wijedasa · Bristol University Dr Ray Jones · Kingston University June Thoburn CBE · University of East Anglia Katharine Sacks-Jones · Become Lynn Perry MBE · Barnardo’s Will McMahon · Care Leavers’ Association
Title HC No. Published Items Response
4th Report - Children’s social care HC 430 10 Jul 2025 78 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
3 results
Clear
16 Conclusion Not Addressed
4th Report - Children’s social care
Produce DfE analysis of funding needed for children's social care reforms and implementation plan.
The Department for Education should produce an analysis of the level of funding that is still needed to achieve the necessary reforms to children’s social care and set out how it will work towards achieving the level of funding recommended … Read more
Government Response
The government did not commit to producing an analysis of needed funding or setting out how it will work towards achieving the recommended level, instead stating they are already investing the recommended amount.
Department for Education
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31 Conclusion Not Addressed
4th Report - Children’s social care
Crucial sibling relationships for children in care unprotected due to lack of separation data.
Sibling relationships are crucial for many children in care and, for some, may be the only family relationships they have. They must be protected and supported as much as possible. The lack of any data on the extent of sibling … Read more
Government Response
The government response cuts off mid-sentence and does not engage with the committee's concern about the lack of data on sibling separation in care.
Department for Education
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70 Conclusion Not Addressed
4th Report - Children’s social care
Strictly limit handcuff use for child transport and ensure provider accountability with Ofsted.
The Department for Education must act to strictly limit the use of handcuffs to those cases where it is otherwise unavoidable or necessary for the child’s own safety, and work with Ofsted to ensure that local authorities and transport providers … Read more
Government Response
The government reiterates that children's homes regulations permit restraint only when necessary to prevent injury, damage, or absconding, and it must be proportionate. While stating these principles should apply across children's social care, the response does not commit to new actions to strictly limit handcuff use or work with Ofsted to hold local authorities and transport providers accountable for this specific practice.
Department for Education
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Government Response AI assessment · 78 of 14 classified
Accepted 45
Accepted in Part 6
Acknowledged 15
Deferred 5
Not Addressed 3
Rejected 4
Total 14 recs + 64 conclusions
Correspondence 5 letters
15 Jul 2025 To committee Letter from Minister for Children and Families on New Children's Homes dated 09.07.25
Parliament page
23 Apr 2025 To committee Letter from Minister for Children and Families on Children's Social Care, dated 08.04.25
Parliament page
8 Apr 2025 From committee Letter to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Children and Families) on Children's Social Care, dated 24.03.25
Parliament page
7 Jan 2025 To committee letter from Maris Stratulis, National Director, BASW England on Children's Social Care, dated 02.01.25
Parliament page
24 May 2024 Correspondence to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children, Families and Wellbeing on the Committee's inquiry into Children's social care
Parliament page