The House of Common’s Education Committee has published a report examining the state of children’s social care in England. The inquiry looked at the system as a whole, as well as focusing on key areas including the supply of social care placements; disabled children’s care; keeping children safe; and leaving care. Evidence was gathered from a variety of witnesses including professionals and organisations working within the sector, and care experienced young people. The Committee identified: a rise in need for children’s social care over the past decade; shortages of appropriate placements for children in care; shortages of foster carers; and poor outcomes for care leavers across a range of measures. The Committee makes recommendations to government around: better support for care leavers; funding and early intervention; and better data to fully understand the true prevalence of child abuse and neglect, including the need for a national prevalence survey. The report also calls for the development of a national neglect strategy and for recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) to be taken forward urgently.
Read the report: Children’s social care
Source: Education Committee
Date published: 10 July 2025
