BASW England persuades government to drop plans to remove mandatory fostering panels

Lobbying from BASW England and partners pays dividends on key issue raised by members

In a victory for child safeguarding and professional oversight, the UK Government has reversed plans to remove mandatory fostering panels from the initial assessment and first annual review stages, following vocal campaigning from BASW England, our members, and partners across the social work and foster care sectors.

The decision was confirmed in the Department for Education’s response to the consultation launched alongside the Fostering Action Plan in February 2026, "Renewing Fostering: Homes for 10,000 More Children", aimed at tackling the national shortage of foster carers as well as reforming the recruitment process.

BASW England Campaigning

BASW England was one of many organisations to raise concerns about the government's highly controversial proposals via the consultation, where we outlined our opposition following representations made by our members. Read our full response here.

The response from BASW England members was clear that the existing independent, multi-disciplinary scrutiny processes are a vital safeguarding safety and not a bureaucratic hurdle. We argued that removing panels would strip away independent professional challenge, increase the risk of internal bias, and compromise child safety.

Instead, all existing functions of fostering panels will be retained. This means the independent oversight, diverse expertise, and lived experience voices that panels bring to initial assessments will remain protected which marks a major win for BASW England and our members.

A thanks to our members

This outcome stands as a powerful testament to the impact of the collective voice of social workers. By sharing your frontline expertise, we have protected a crucial mechanism that keeps children safe and holds local authorities to account.

The willingness of Government to listen to and take on board the concerns of social workers provides an important reminder that by engaging constructively with the Government, we can influence policy.