Should social care ministers have a background in the sector?
- Yes, otherwise they wouldn't understand the role. (91%, 1,253 Votes)
- No, background isn't important so long as they have reasonable expertise. (9%, 121 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,374
Loading ...Story updated 12 July
A former children’s social worker has been appointed as a minister in the Department for Education (DfE).
Janet Daby, the Labour MP for Lewisham East, was made a parliamentary under-secretary of state in the department yesterday, working under the new education secretary, Bridget Phillipson.
I am delighted to have been appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in @educationgovuk & to serve alongside @bphillipsonMP, @AnnelieseDodds, @CMcKinnellMP, @Jacqui_Smith1 & @StephenMorganMP
Looking forward to break down the barriers to opportunity across our country.
— Janet Daby MP (@JanetDaby) July 9, 2024
According to her LinkedIn profile, she worked in fostering – as a social worker and then as the registered manager of an independent fostering agency – and then as a social work consultant before becoming a Labour MP in 2018.
She held various shadow ministerial positions while Labour were in opposition, most recently in relation to youth justice.
Though her portfolio is yet to be confirmed, Community Care understands that Daby will take responsibility for children’s social care issues within the DfE, but this is yet to be confirmed.
Her first ministerial visit was to meet a group of kinship carers at national charity Kinship’s offices in London, after which she referenced her past role in children’s social care.
DfE minister Janet Daby meeting a group of kinship carers (photo supplied by Kinship)
“Opportunity starts with a loving, secure home and kinship carers play a crucial role by being the constant support in young people’s otherwise turbulent lives,” said Daby.
“It was a pleasure to meet some amazing people who care for vulnerable children for my first official ministerial visit today to hear about the challenges they face. They often don’t get the recognition or support they deserve.
“I will use my 15 years of frontline social care experience to be a champion for kinship carers and their children – making sure every one of them gets the opportunity they deserve. Today was a brilliant first step.”
We will further update this article when the DfE confirms which minister is responsible for children’s social care and, if this is not Daby, what her portfolio is.
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Surely Josh MacAlister would make sense to be Children’s Minister now that he is a Labour MP?
Correct me if I am wrong, but Josh McAllister has never been a social worker, despite being the author of the Care Review and setting up Frontline. Personally, I would be more comfortable with a Minister for Children who has direct experience of the challenges within Children’s Social Care, which respectfully the new MP for Workington may not.
Fantastic news.
I hope that Isabelle’s pet isn’t installed into that position. Having someone to challenge and support the CSW is vital, rather than someone in cahoots
Since 2002 and up to 2024 there have been a good many “Forced Adoptions” (non-consensual ones) and some good people have lost kids ..I have met many. The perfect storm of over-reactivity after “Baby P” (2007) and “Gagging Laws” on parents at low level proof based Family Courts has seen more increase in both Forced Adoptions and Care Orders spiralling….
Social Workers have been a part of this and so has the harsher ethos deliberately planned by Gove and his servant Trowler (Social Work Reform Board 2011 onward) …
As part of the injured community of all this (an Adoptee child abused INSIDE Adoption) I doubt there’s going to much speedy reform and Adoption with all it’s identity fakery will continue .. There’s a mountain of a bad culture that has been created …..
A good starting point for her would be to look at the relationships DFE have with third sector and be more critical of how they utilise funds. I’ve just left a fostering service who run Mockingbird and the costs to set it up are eye watering. Local government services would likely not use this mockingbird if it wasn’t paid for by central govt. it’s a peer support programme that’s been kicking around for years so why it has to cost so much mystifies me. Surely in the current climate we need something that supports children and foster families as a whole not just those that are cherry picked.
Spot on! DfE’s third party funding seems just throwing money around on projects which Local authorities don’t even hear back or change anything!
Mockingbird sets up two tier fostering – the children are cherry picked’ , it’s a system which is contrary to the social work ethos…
Tell me has anyone got at least some figures on what you are revealing .. I mean a lack of audit on money and it’s effective use is very important for what it can take away from other areas …
Anyone except MacAllister please!
Absolutely agree. A social worker would be better.
Hopefully she will advocate for social workers
I think the appointment of James Timpson in his junior minister role overseeing prisons is genius. His brother, Edward, whilst conservative, was an excellent Children’s Minister. He really cared. I would like a social worker in that role, but what matters by experience is caring and championing. I do think that more SWs are needed in the DfE, rightly there are a number of teachers in the civil service. The role more recently has felt like something of a stepping stone, so hopefully we’ll get a good advocate who can get their heads round the issues in children’s social care.