Government must commit to radical reform of social care system, says report

The author of a landmark report into children’s social care in England has told this programme the government must commit to radical reform of the whole system – a system failing some of the most vulnerable children in care.

Josh MacAlister is chair of The Independent Care Review – he’s put forward a raft of recommendations to overhaul a system few argue is working.

Children in care are far less likely to achieve good GCSEs or go to university. A quarter of the prison population has been in care.

The review’s recommendations will cost an extra £2.6 billion pounds over the next four years.

We’ve been speaking to Casey Armstrong, a young care leaver who has managed to defy the odds but at huge personal cost.