Thousands of vulnerable children put at risk

Thousands of vulnerable children could be put at risk if a dangerous new law gets the go-ahead today. It would allow councils to opt out of their legal duty to protect children and instead ‘experiment’ with services that protect vulnerable kids.

The Government has introduced clauses in the Children and Social Work Bill, which would allow local authorities to be exempt from children’s social care legislation.

Barnardo's are working together with the NSPCC, The Children’s Society and Action for Children on this issue. Their shared view is that they support innovative practices that benefit vulnerable children and young people, but as currently drafted the clauses present clear risks to children’s safety. Without checks and balances to assure that innovation will not come at the price of children’s safeguarding and well being, we cannot support the clauses as proposed. 

Furthermore, the Government has not provided satisfactory evidence that the Law is an impediment to restricting local authorities from improving children’s outcomes through innovation, and that an exemption from children’s social care legislation would create more innovation.

Sign the petition "Protect the rights of vulnerable children and care leavers" now.

http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/protect-the-rights-of-vulnerable-children-and-care-leavers