Growing up in care makes you 70% more likely to die young. As a Labour MP, I’ll work to change that

Since the election was called in May, it feels like my feet have barely touched the ground. Late-night debates in the House of Commons can feel a very long way from home back up in Cumbria. Being an MP is tiring business, especially entering the job following 14 shambolic years of Conservative failure, but representing (I would say) the most beautiful constituency in the country has been the greatest honour of my life.

Another great perk of the new job has been getting a front row seat to the government making big reforms to children’s social care. Many of the changes followed recommendations I made in my independent review of children’s social care and the new government has got straight to work setting out reforms.

Before being elected, I had worked in the children’s services field for nearly 15 years. I began my career as a teacher and witnessed first-hand the inequality of opportunity faced by children in the care system, made worse by a system shifting away from earlier intervention and failing to account for the importance of loving relationships.

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The extent of the crisis I could see unfolding led to me leaving my job as a teacher and starting the charity Frontline which attracted more graduates into the children’s social care sector and brought around 2,000 social workers into the field during my time there.

In 2020, the government asked me to chair the Independent Review into Children’s Social Care. The review involved thousands of interviews and conversations with people with direct personal or professional experience of the system. From children and parents, to relatives and carers. Deep problems have led to a crisis in our children’s social care sector and resulted in some of the most shocking disadvantages facing the care experienced community. Those who have grown up in care are 70% more likely to die early. Let that sink in.

Early and intensive support for families has been hollowed out. Child protection is overwhelmed. The current system has overlooked family networks like grandparents, aunts and uncles despite them often being the best option to raise a child when parents are struggling. These factors mean that, without action, we’re on course to have 100,000 children in care within a decade in England.

My review made a large number of recommendations for reform, all of them emerging from the voices of people with direct experience of the sector. The new government has announced they plan to implement a lot of them. These range from legislating to give people a right to family group decision-making, to giving Ofsted new powers to oversee and intervene in the children’s social care market. Their plans are bold and extensive and will deliver the shake-up the system badly needs.

What is really encouraging is that the issue is clearly seen as a priority for the government. Prime minister Keir Starmer used time in his party conference speech to announce measures to protect care leavers from homelessness. For too long the sector, and the children and families relying on it, has been overlooked.

The reality is that not looking after vulnerable children and failing to build loving relationships in their lives, leads to more vulnerable adults. Children’s social care has an important role in the Labour government achieving its five missions. Getting it right is fundamental to creating economic growth, making our streets safer, fixing our NHS, and breaking down barriers to opportunity.

So as I approach the Christmas break I am reflecting on my new life as a member of parliament. It has at times been difficult, full of new lessons, late-night debates, and long train journeys. It has also been the honour of my life and I look forward to entering the new year and playing a part in enacting the reforms to children’s social care I have been wanting to see for more than a decade.

Josh MacAlister OBE is the Labour MP for Whitehaven and Workington.

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