Inquiry to examine human rights of children in the social care system

Parliament has launched a major new inquiry to investigate how well the human rights of children in England’s social care system are being upheld.

With over 400,000 children involved with the system at any given time, and nearly 84,000 looked after by local authorities, the inquiry aims to shed light on both legal protections and day-to-day realities faced by some of the most vulnerable children in the country.

Launched by the Joint Committee on Human Rights, the inquiry will focus in particular on children who are formally “in care,” but it will also examine wider elements of the system, such as kinship care arrangements, support available to families with disabled children, and the effectiveness of early intervention services.

Launching the inquiry, Lord David Alton, Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, said the work would examine the legal, strategic, and practical approaches that govern the care of children in England.

“We also want to understand what it is like for those in the children’s social care system. If you have been placed in care, or know friends or relatives who have, please take a moment to complete our online survey.

“Your contributions are invaluable to us in getting a real picture of what is going on.”


He emphasised the importance of hearing from those who have personal experience of the system, urging individuals to participate in the online survey and help the Committee understand what life in care is really like. According to Lord Alton, the voices of those affected are “invaluable” in forming a true picture of how the system operates.

A significant part of the inquiry will focus on whether the existing legal framework offers adequate protection for children’s rights as set out under the European Convention on Human Rights.

This includes an assessment of how well the system upholds the right to family life, the right to liberty and security, access to justice, freedom from discrimination, and the right to education. The Committee will also consider whether incorporating the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into domestic law might strengthen these protections further.

Beyond legal protections, the inquiry will explore a range of practical and systemic issues. These include the quality and suitability of accommodation available to children in care, especially in the case of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

It will consider the challenges posed by both formal and informal kinship care arrangements and look at whether children with care experience are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system, including what factors may be contributing to that trend.

The inquiry will also examine how well public authorities understand and carry out their statutory duties toward children in care. Particular attention will be given to the level of human rights training among social workers and others who support these children.

Another area of focus will be the effectiveness of complaints mechanisms and whether children and families are able to access appropriate remedies when rights are breached.

As part of its efforts to identify areas for improvement, the Committee will also look at examples of good practice from across the UK’s devolved nations and other countries, with the aim of drawing lessons that could help strengthen the system in England.