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Beverley Hughes has been broadly welcomed as the new children's minister but has been warned she must listen to the social care sector.

Hughes replaces Margaret Hodge, who has become minister for work.

Family Rights Group chief executive Cathy Ashley said Hughes should think again about the "unworkable" children's database and use the money on supporting families to help prevent so many children going into care.

Voice for the Child in Care chief executive John Kemmis said: "I hope she will listen to what young people in the care system and who are locked up have to say and I hope she will listen to the voluntary sector. We look forward to working with her."

Hughes worked as a probation officer in Merseyside in the 1970s before becoming a lecturer at Manchester University's department of social work and social policy where her research interests included child sexual abuse and adoption and fostering.

Both children's charity NCH and youth homelessness charity Centrepoint urged the minister to ensure progress was made on the youth green paper, which was delayed shortly before the election.

British Association of Social Workers director Ian Johnston said he was concerned that the minister for immigration, when proposals resulting in the children of failed asylum seekers being taken into care were announced, should now be minister for children.

President of the Association of Directors of Social Services Tony Hunter said that Hughes's appointment could lead to some changes in this area: "We are looking forward to working with her on child focussed issues around the five outcomes of the Children Act which may place some of the asylum and immigration issues in a better child focused context," he said.

The reshuffle saw former community care minister Stephen Ladyman moved to become a minister in the Department for Transport to the dismay of many in the social care sector. Liam Byrne is set to replace him.
Former City high-flier Byrne, 34, only became an MP last year after a byelection. His website lists his special interest as being "social policy".

John Dixon, co-chair of the ADSS disability committee, and director of social services at West Sussex, said that he was sorry to see Ladyman go. "He has been a great supporter of social care with lots of energy," he said.

Peter Beresford, chair of service user-led organisation Shaping our Lives, said that it seemed that anybody given the brief of social care who performed well was rapidly moved away from the sector, as illustrated by Ladyman and his predecessor Jacqui Smith.

Dixon said that Patricia Hewitt's appointment as secretary of state for health, replacing John Reid, was a positive move. "I think she will be more switched on in terms of social care," he said.

The creation of a second cabinet minister for local government was also highly welcomed.

The Local Government Association said that the appointment of David Miliband to the new post of minister for communities and local government was a "historic opportunity" to channel more power to the public through local government.

Selected ministerial changes at a glance

IN: Minister for community care Liam Byrne; Minister for disabled people, Anne mcguire; Work and Pensions secretary, David Blunkett; health secretary, Patricia Hewitt; minister for communities and local government, David Miliband; minister for schools, Jacqui Smith; under secretary of state for schools, Andrew Adonis. At the Department of Health (as yet unconfirmed portfolios): Minister, Jane Kennedy; minister, Lord Warner; parliamentary secretary, Caroline Flint.

MOVING ON: Stephen Ladyman, was community care minister, now transport minister; Margaret Hodge, was minister for children, now minister for work; Maria Eagle, was minister for disabled people, now under secretary of state for children; Nick Raynsford, was minister for local government, now no longer a minister.