To ask the Minister of Health for an update on the implementation of recommendations relating to his Department included in the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services.

The Report of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services, led by Professor Ray Jones, was published in June 2023 and made 53 recommendations. A Children’s Social Care Services Reform Programme was established in April 2023 in advance of the Review reporting to begin to address the issues that led to the Review.

I accepted 34 of the 53 recommendations made by Professor Jones, although many can only be implemented in full with additional investment. 25 of the accepted recommendations are being progressed by the Reform Programme which is led by my Department and the remaining 9 are assigned directly to my Department to take forward.

Through the Programme, significant and necessary work has been undertaken. The Programme is now moving to a new phase that will be underpinned by a 5-year strategic plan which will provide a clear vision and focus on a small number of strategic priorities for the purpose of driving meaningful and sustainable change across the system.

The key recommendation of the Review was to establish a Children and Families ALB, incorporating not only children’s social care services but also youth justice, youth and relevant education services. 7 of the Review’s recommendations are related to the establishment of an ALB. The Justice Minister and I recently agreed to work together to identify the steps necessary to establish a Regional Children and Families Authority incorporating children’s social care and youth justice services. The Executive has indicated support for the proposed approach and that work is now underway.

Annex A provides a table of updated information on the status and progress of each of the 34 accepted Review recommendations.