The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, which is published today, highlights the urgent need for a ‘total reset’ of children’s social care. I was pleased to respond to the review for Labour from the despatch box.

The review makes 80 recommendations, including on the need to take profit out of the care of children, and bring an end to the scandal of 16 and 17 year olds being left without support in unregistered care homes and private accommodation.

Our most vulnerable children have been failed by more than a decade of Conservative government. Since 2010, the numbers of children in need and entering the care system have soared whilst outcomes for care-experienced young people have worsened. At the heart of this failure is the Government’s erosion of early help support for struggling families, demonstrated most clearly in the closure of 1,300 Sure Start Centres.

This review is a vital opportunity to reset children’s social care and deliver better outcomes for our most vulnerable children and their families.  It is an opportunity that must not be missed.  Labour will always put children first.  We did so in government, and we will do so again.  In the meantime, we will hold the government to account every single day on the urgent need to transform children’s social care. You can see part of my speech here>>