Care News: Claire Coutinho: New Children’s Minister Pledges Commitment to Social Care Reforms in First Speech

Claire Coutinho has pledged the government's commitment to making “ambitious” changes to children’s social care in her first speech after being named as minister for children, families and wellbeing.

Coutinho, who has been MP for East Surrey since 2019, is the ninth person to hold the brief for children’s social care and early years in the last decade and the fourth since September last year.

She replaces Kelly Tolhurst, who held the role of childhood and schools minister for just one month, however, unlike her predecessor, Coutinho will hold no responsibility for schools.

Government policy briefs for children and young people
Coutinho, who was appointed as a junior minister at the Department for Education by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan last month, has previously worked as under-secretary of state for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

She has also worked for think-tank the Centre for Social Justice in areas including regeneration policy.

She has previously voted against increasing local authority powers but agrees with increasing benefits in line with inflation.

Coutinho has also voted against lowering the voting age to 16 and for a stricter asylum system.

Just hours after her portfolio was announced yesterday (8 November), Coutinho addressed the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for children.

In a short speech at the event run by the National Children's Bureau, she said she “really, really welcomes the Care Review”.

“What we want to do for children's social care is ambitious but we are committed,” she added.

"Please be assured of my commitment to this area and my ambition to do as much as we possibly can."

Ahead of the event, she wrote on Twitter: “I spent a good chunk of my career looking at how we help families and give children the best possible start in life.

“Education is the closest thing we have to a silver bullet for success, so I'm very excited to share that I'm now minister for children, families and wellbeing.”

Responding to her appointment, early years leaders urged Coutinho to ensure that “early years is given the same level of attention as schools.”

Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of National Day Nurseries Association, said: “The minister’s brief is much wider than early education and childcare, which includes special educational needs, social care and family hubs, but it is important that early years is given the same level of attention as schools.

“We have seen seven different children and families ministers in the last five years. The sector now needs stability and continuity.

“With her background in finance, we hope the new minister understands the pressures on providers as they face record inflation and stagnant funding. This sector is vital to children’s development and the economy, enabling parents to work.”

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, added: “There’s no doubt that Ms Coutinho takes on this new responsibility at a particularly difficult time for the early years, with the sector not only dealing with an array of long-term challenges, including underfunding and recruitment, but also the ongoing uncertainty around the outcome of the government’s deregulation proposals.  

“As such, we hope that the new minister will act as a true advocate for our vital sector, and work in partnership with us to fight for greater investment, better recognition of our workforce, and the scrapping of proposals that would actively harm the sector, including plans to relax ratios.  

“For far too long the early years has been an afterthought when it comes to education policy and funding. We hope that Claire Coutinho will strive to support the sector and ensure it rises to the top of the government’s priority list." 

Coutinho’s appointment comes after Robert Halfon was named as skills and apprenticeships minister and Nick Gibb returned to DfE as schools minister.

Youth policy has been split between Stuart Andrews at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Mims Davies at DWP.

Coutinho’s full portfolio includes:

• Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including high needs funding
• Alternative provision
• Children’s social care
• Children in care, children in need and child protection
• Adoption and care leavers
• Early years and childcare
• Family hubs and early childhood support
• Disadvantaged and vulnerable children
• Children and young people’s mental health
• Policy to protect against serious violence
• Freedom of speech in education
• Online safety and preventing bullying in schools

Source:
www.cypnow.co.uk/news

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