BASW England welcomes the Government’s focus on improving children’s wellbeing, safeguarding and multi-agency collaboration through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. The Bill reflects shared ambitions across the social work profession: to strengthen early help, promote joined-up services, and ensure every child has the best possible start in life.
However, serious concerns remain about two key sections of the Bill: Clause 3, relating to mandatory multi-agency child protection teams, and Clause 4, which significantly expands state powers to collect and share children’s data. Without careful reconsideration, these measures risk undermining the very outcomes the Bill seeks to achieve.
Supporting collaboration, not disruption
Social workers understand that strong multi-agency working is central to keeping children safe. Across England, effective local partnerships between social workers, health, education, and police are already delivering positive outcomes.
However, the proposed mandatory structural changes under Clause 3 lack a clear evidence base and risk destabilising these existing arrangements.
Leading experts, including Professor Eileen Munro, author of the 2011 Child Protection Review, have warned that such large-scale reforms could lead to system instability and potential harm to children. The removal of independent child protection conference chairs and increased reliance on non-qualified staff for child in need work would weaken professional accountability and erode the quality of safeguarding decisions.
Moreover, evaluations of the Families First pathfinders have been limited and inconclusive. Reports from local areas have highlighted ongoing challenges around resourcing, partner capacity, and data sharing - yet it is unclear if the sufficient funding required has been identified to support the extensive structural changes the Bill would deliver.
BASW England believes that the objectives of Clause 3 could be achieved more effectively and flexibly through statutory guidance rather than legislation. This would allow learning from ongoing pilots to shape future practice, without imposing rigid structures that risk fragmenting services and weakening relationships that are vital to children’s safety and wellbeing.
Protecting rights and relationships in the digital age
Clause 4 introduces further cause for concern. While the intention to improve data sharing and coordination across services may appear positive, the scale of the proposed “consistent identifier” and the new duty to share information would in effect create a vast national database of all children in England.
Such measures pose serious ethical, privacy, and human rights risks, particularly when paired with the Government’s wider proposals in the Data Use and Access Bill. These combined powers could enable extensive tracking and profiling of children, with little evidence that this improves safeguarding outcomes.
Social workers know that surveillance is not safety. Effective safeguarding depends on trust. Children and families must feel safe to seek support and speak openly to professionals. Expanding data-sharing powers without clear limits or consent risks turning support services into surveillance systems, eroding the confidential relationships that underpin good social work practice.
Furthermore, international evidence shows that automated decision-making and predictive risk systems based on large datasets often produce biased or unreliable outcomes, disproportionately affecting marginalised children and families.
BASW England supports the work being undertaken by Reclaim Rights for Children, you can read their open letter relating to Clause 4 here Open letter on CWS Bill - Reclaim Rights for Children
The Bill is currently at Committee stage in the House of Lords. You can see its full progress here Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill Committee stage - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament
If you want to join efforts to improve this Bill there are three simple but urgent actions you can take:
1. Sign and share the petition: Change.org/No2ChildID
2. Contact MPs: Reclaim Rights for Children are asking people to contact MPs to raise awareness of the risks and urge opposition. A short template and background info can be found here rightsforchildren.uk/dangerousbills
3. Share and amplify: You can help raise awareness by sharing the petition and information across your networks and platforms. Graphics and media resources: rightsforchildren.uk/childrens-bill-media “
A call for reflection, evidence and ethics
BASW England recognises the good intentions behind the Bill and shares its vision for improving children’s wellbeing and safety. But good intentions must be matched by robust evidence, ethical safeguards, and professional integrity.
We are calling on Parliament to:
- Remove or revise Clause 3, embedding multi-agency reforms through statutory guidance and evidence-based evaluation
- Reconsider Clause 4 to ensure children’s rights to privacy, dignity, and trust in professionals are protected
- Include a sunset clause if Clause 3 proceeds, ensuring independent evaluation before any changes become permanent
- Engage fully with the social work profession in designing approaches that are ethical, proportionate, and effective
Children’s rights and wellbeing must be at the heart of all reform. Social workers across England want to see real investment in early help, poverty reduction, and workforce capacity - the proven drivers of better outcomes.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill provides an opportunity to build a stronger foundation for children’s services. To do so, Parliament must take the time to reflect, listen to evidence, and ensure the legislation strengthens, rather than undermines, the trusted relationships that keep children safe.
What has BASW being doing to influence the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill?
Since the Government published the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the BASW England Team and the Children and Families Thematic Group have been working to influence the Bill, the following is a brief outline of key activity.
August 2025
BASW writes to the Rt Hon. Bridget Phillipson MP Secretary of State for Education, Department for Education (see letter below)
May 2025
BASW works with the Alliance for Children in Care and Care Leavers to support a joint briefing to House of Lords Second Reading.
April 2025
BASW provides briefing to Peers (see resource below)
January 2025
BASW provides briefing to MPs (see resource below)
December 24
BASW England gives evidence on children’s social care inquiry | BASW
UK Government publishes Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill | BASW
Our influence has already been evident in the Peers’ deliberations, with notable mentions in the House, including from Baroness Stedman-Scott who outlined why we have supported her amendment to extend family group conferencing to include the voices of 16- and 17-year-olds. We were also pleased to hear Baroness Barran expressing our concerns that the mandating of multi-agency safeguarding teams risks disrupting existing safeguarding principles and undermining the distinct role of social workers.