General debate on children’s social care in England

This debate was sponsored by Tim Loughton MP who proposed a wide-ranging debate to the Backbench Business Committee on 10 July 2018.

PLEASE NOTE: This debate did not take place. It is not known if it will be rescheduled.

This debate pack was prepared in advance of the debate. It outlines the legal and policy contexts of children’s social care in England, including the Government’s strategy and initiatives to drive improvement.

Commentators have identified ongoing concerns with children’s social care services.  The paper briefly summarises some of the key challenges, including: increasing demand for children’s social care; funding pressures; varying thresholds for social care; poor and inadequate services in some areas; and poor outcomes for children in need.

The debate pack also provides a selection of recent news articles, sector comment and parliamentary material on the subject of children’s social care.