Blog post. Privatisation, Profit Making and Children’s Services – A Tangled  Web?

The recent removal of procedural safeguards for children in care in England without consultation, via Statutory Instrument 445 (‘SI445’), has reignited concerns about the de-regulation of children’s services in England (Sen, 2020). Linked to questions of de-regulation has been growing consternation about increasing private sector involvement in children’s services provision. This growing involvement is a matter of importance not only for ‘social work’ per se, but for our wider democratic governance and accountability. We suggest there are, at least, three interlinked issues regarding developments in this area which need scrutinising.