Reunification is moving to the heart of children’s social care reform. Families First creates an opportunity to treat returning home not as an exit from care, but as a supported permanence pathway. With 20% of reunified children historically re-entering care within a year, councils must strengthen assessment, post-return support and family networks. Success will also depend on workforce stability, multidisciplinary skills, strong supervision and strategic recruitment.

Local government reorganisation isn’t the wrong idea it’s happening in the wrong order. Councils face financial collapse due to four broken systems: children’s social care, SEND, temporary accommodation, and adult social care. This blog argues that structural reform must follow service reform, not precede it. Fix the leaks before reshaping the bath. Discover why sustainability depends on repairing what’s draining local government dry.