Sir Martin Narey to lead independent review of children’s residential care
David Cameron has ordered an independent review into children’s homes to ensure those who cannot get adopted have “the best start in life”.
It will be headed up by former Barnardo’s chief executive Sir Martin Narey who the Prime Minister described as an “excellent public servant”.
The move follows Mr Cameron’s Conservative Party conference commitment to improve the care system which “shames our country”.
Answering Tory Michelle Donelan (Chippenham) during Prime Minister’s Questions, the PM said: “The most important thing we can do is to speed up the adoption system so that more children get adopted.
“What we’ve seen since I’ve been Prime Minister is an increase in adoptions but then because of one or two judgments it’s actually slipped backwards a bit and we need to work very hard to make sure more children get adopted.
“But for those who can’t be adopted we need to make sure that our residential care homes are doing the best possible job they can.
“That’s why today I can announce that I have asked the former chief executive of Barnardo’s, Sir Martin Narey, who’s an excellent public servant, who I worked with when he was at the Home Office, to conduct an independent review of children’s residential care, reporting to the Education Secretary and myself so that we can take every possible step to give these children the best start in life.”
Downing Street said the review, which will begin immediately, would look at what kinds of children end up in care, who should be in residential care and how it should be run.
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2015, All Rights Reserved.
