The children’s social care system in this country is clearly failing vulnerable young people. That is why the Government was right to launch a new strategy to transform the system to ensure that it worked for children.

However, the words of Baroness Morris should ring loud and clear in the ears of everyone in Government.

It is obviously welcome that the Government is looking to fix long standing issues in children’s social care but the fact that its strategy has been found lacking by the House of Lords Public Services Committee should alarm the Department for Education.

While the general direction of travel is to be lauded, the approaches are “too small, and too slow” says Baroness Morris.

Baroness Morris of Yardley ic chair of the House of Lords Public Services Committee. PIC: UK Parliament

No child should be deprived of the right to have a decent start in life and those that usually end up in care do so through no fault of their own.

While it would be unfair to expect reforms to take place overnight, young people, families and staff involved with children’s social care need to feel the benefit soon, not several years from now as the committee warns. The longer it takes to deliver change, the more children will suffer from a disadvantaged start in life. Most importantly, the voices of children and young people need to be heard when decisions are made about their care, too often this is not the case, as the committee’s report highlights.

The Government needs to do much more to ensure that there are enough foster carers across the country to ensure local authorities are able to place young people in suitable care.

This report from the House of Lords Public Services Committee also serves to highlight the importance of the upper house when it comes to democratic oversight. Despite successive Prime Ministers using peerages to reward friends and donors.

Children’s social care needs immediate improvements - The Yorkshire Post says