Children’s social care report calls for ‘dramatic reset’

A ‘dramatic whole system reset’ has been recommended as part of a review into children’s social care in the UK.

The independent report compiled by Josh McAlister, founder of the Frontline charity, has now been submitted to Government for their consideration. The report is critical of the current system, stating it is ‘increasingly skewed to crisis intervention with outcomes for children that continue to be unacceptably poor’.

Instead, it states, the system should provide ‘intensive help’ to families in crisis, act ‘decisively in response to abuse’ and put ‘lifelong loving relationships at the heart of the care system’.

A £2billion investment over the next five years (with a ring-fenced annual grant after that) is recommended in order to introduce a Family Help system (to replace targeted early help and child in need work). This service would comprise of teams including family support workers, domestic abuse workers and mental health practitioners as well as social workers. One of the benefits, according to the review team, would be to reduce the number of referrals to different services.

Other recommendations include:

· The introduction of Expert Child Protection Practitioners to oversee decisions where there’s potential for significant harm to the child.

· Better representation for parents going through the child protection process.

· Bringing wider family members and friends into the decision making before a child is placed in care.

· A statutory financial allowance, legal aid and kinship leave for special guardians and kinship carers with a Child Arrangement Order.

· Regional Care Cooperatives to oversee fostering, residential and secure care arrangements in their area.

· Launching a recruitment programme for foster carers.

· Remove barriers which reduce the time social workers can spend with families.

You can read the executive summary of the report here – and the review website contains more information and the full report, as well as background information used to compile the recommendations.

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Founding Director, Michelle, has been awarded an MBE in the Kings Birthday Honours for Family Support and Advocacy.

By PEGS Admin • June 15, 2026

Child to Parent Abuse organisation founder awarded MBE The founder of a social enterprise which has supported thousands of parents impacted by abusive behaviours from their children has been awarded an MBE. Michelle John, originally from Pembrokeshire in Wales but now based in Shropshire, was among the names announced for the prestigious accolade in the King’s Birthday Honours List this year. In 2020, Michelle set up not-for-profit organisation PEGS with the aim of supporting parents and carers, training professionals, influencing local and national policy, and raising awareness of Child to Parent Abuse – which is thought to affect up to one in ten households in the UK. Since then, she has grown a team of experts who have trained police, social workers, teachers and many other professionals to better recognise the signs of CPA, support parents, and signpost to specialist organisations. In addition, Michelle set up a range of parent-focused initiatives including daily practitioner-led online sessions, a Facebook peer support group which now has 3,300 members, and one-to-one offerings for those at highest risk. PEGS launched a CPA Covenant for employers in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions, only the fourth such covenant to be backed by the Government, and Michelle has advised everyone from the Home Office to Channel 4 and the BBC on CPA – the latter for storyline on Hollyoaks and EastEnders. Her work has seen CPA covered by journalists across television news programmes, national newspapers and magazine, and regional press and radio, and she’s received numerous awards both in the UK and internationally. Michelle, whose MBE was awarded for Family Support and Advocacy, said: “This honour is also shared with the parents who have trusted me along the way: they drive me, inspire me and I will always stand with them. “I feel proud, privileged and very grateful – and I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me and PEGS along the way. There is much more to come for PEGS, and we will continue to work every day for the parents and carers who have been or continue to be impacted by CPA. “There is so much to reflect on from the journey of the last six years, and there have been many highlights and challenges along the way. I am sure there will be many more in the future – although being told I’d received an MBE will always remain a truly incredible moment that I’ll remember forever!” For more information about us, visit www.pegsupport.co.uk or search for 'PEGS' on social media!