Rethinking Children’s Services: Fit for the Future? is a collection of essays that explore new perspectives and practical ideas for how we can do better for vulnerable children across the country, at a time when children's services are struggling against a backdrop of tightened budgets, increasing demand and mixed outcomes.
Produced in partnership with Catch22 and edited by Enver Solomon, the essays are written by some of the children’s sector’s most influential figures – from government advisers, local authorities and academia to leading voluntary sector organisations.
Authors include:
- Lord Warner, Sir Martin Narey
- Louise Casey (DCLG)
- Professor Donald Forrester, Martin Pratt (Camden)
- Donna Hall (Wigan)
- Michael Little (Dartington Social Research Unit)
- Kathy Evans (Children England)
Key recommendations
The authors challenge traditional approaches, critique current practice and put forward a range of ideas for the transformation of children's social care for the next decade and beyond.
Their suggestions include:
- Rethinking the commissioning, statutory and regulatory frameworks to allow differently qualified case workers to support social workers
- A new, strategic focus on building long-term relationships, rather than bureaucratic systems
- A reimagining of how we respond to children at risk
- A commissioning system that enables co-production from both state and community-led organisations, empowering young people and families to be agents in their own solutions
- The creation of a collaborative system that allows local authorities and third sector organisations to share best practice and evidence in a coordinated way