Independent Care Review (England)

The Review 

The Independent Review of Children's Social Care lasted 15-months starting in March 2021 and concluding in May 2022. The Government published their response 'Stable Homes, built on love' in February 2023 and are currently working on the implementation of the commitments they made. We are working with the Government to make sure our members' voices are heard in the implementation process. Our Mockingbird team is continuing to work alongside the recruitment and retention programme to roll out Mockingbird across England.    

Thank you to all our members and young people with care experience for sharing their views with the Care Review team. We are pleased to see the recognition of the issues our members have raised for many years and throughout the review process be included within the report. 

Our previous submissions to the Independent Care Review 

1. Recommendations for a firm foundation
2. Call for ideas
3. Case for change
4. Call for Evidence
5. Unregulated accommodation for children in care

Stable Homes Built on Love 

The Government published their 'Stable Homes, Built on Love' strategy at the beginning of February 2023 in response to the Independent Review of Children's Social Care in England.  

We welcomed the £27 million investment for the retention and recruitment of foster carers which was laid out in this response – for too long foster care has been overlooked and underfunded even though foster carers provide stable and loving homes for 70 per cent of children in care. 

There were positive changes proposed in the Government’s response that the Government have either introduced or are currently exploring. These have all had an immediate impact on foster carers and the children they look after, including our campaign wins:  

• 12.43 per cent increase to the national minimum allowance following our Cost of Fostering campaign.
• The wider roll out of Mockingbird across the country
• Retention to be looked at alongside plans to recruit more foster carers
• Delegated authority by default
• Staying Put extended to 23 

Although we are delighted by the focus on foster care, this investment needs to be seen as a starting point to address the wider issues facing the sector.