In 2016 most children entered the care system under a section 20 voluntary arrangement. Whilst some were subsequently subject to a care order, over a quarter of the 70,440 children in care were subject to a voluntary arrangements.
Concerned about lack of focused guidance from government to practitioners and local authorities on the use of section 20, Family Rights Group launched a ‘Knowledge Inquiry’. The Inquiry aimed to examine the original intention behind section 20, to understand how voluntary arrangements were being used and what might need to change.
Guided by an expert panel of family members, academics, lawyers and social workers, the Inquiry invited contributions from young people, parents, kinship carers, foster carers, social workers, family support workers, lawyers, academics and others.