VOYPIC has responded to the Joint Written Statement to the Northern Ireland Assembly from the Minister of Health and the Minister of Justice on Thursday 2 July 2026, in which they confirm their position that “now is not the right time to progress the ALB further”.
The full Ministerial Statement can be read here.
VOYPIC says:
We are deeply disappointed by the decision not to take forward the central recommendation of Prof Ray Jones’ Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services: the creation of a single, regional Children and Families Agency.
As part of the Review, VOYPIC supported the Experts by Experience Reference Group, which brought together young people from across Northern Ireland to share their experiences, views and ideas on how care, and children’s services more widely, could work better for everyone.
This is not just a missed opportunity. It goes against the evidence presented to the Review, including that powerful testimony and clear recommendations of those young people with lived experience of care.
The recommendation for a regional agency came directly from this engagement. Young people were clear that reform is needed to end unacceptable variation and ensure responsibility for children in and leaving care sits within a structure that can be held to account. Their hurt at being let down by this decision is real, and it must be heard.
Budget pressures are often given as a reason not to reform. A long-term approach to investment in reform beyond election cycles is needed if we are serious about improving outcomes for children and families. The NI Executive must work collaboratively and do more collectively to ensure that government departments have the support and commitment of all to improve the lives of children, young people and families.
A Regional Children and Families Authority would move Northern Ireland beyond fragmented services and create single lines of responsibility and accountability. It would provide the structures needed to better meet the needs of children and families in every part of Northern Ireland.
Regional frameworks are important, but without a single regional structure for decision-making, responsibility and accountability, they are limited in what they can achieve. Children and young people should not experience different standards of care depending on where they live.
This decision cannot be the end of the story. The voices of the young people remain clear, urgent and compelling: the system must change. VOYPIC believes a Regional Children and Families Authority remains the best route to delivering the transformation children, young people and families need and deserve.
As we move towards the next mandate of the Northern Ireland Assembly, we remain committed to working with the parties to ensure real change is prioritised.
VOYPIC is a member of the Reimagine Children’s Collective, a coalition of nine children’s sector organisations, alongside: Action for Children, Barnardo’s, Bytes, The Fostering Network, Include Youth, the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) Mencap, and Save the Children.
The collective has released the following statement:
Another missed opportunity to deliver better outcomes for children, young people and families in Northern Ireland.
The Reimagine Children’s Collective is deeply disappointed by the decision of the Minister of Health and the Minister of Justice not to take forward the central recommendation of Professor Ray Jones’ Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services – the creation of a single, regional Children and Families Authority.
This is not simply a missed opportunity. It is a decision that goes directly against the evidence presented to the Review, including the powerful arguments made by children, young people and families with lived experience of children’s services, who were clear that the current system does not work for them. They asked for a system that is easier to navigate, more consistent, better coordinated, and more accountable, right across the region. Meeting challenges of this scale requires ambition. This decision falls short of that ambition.
We strongly reject the view outlined in the Joint Written Statement that these challenges can be addressed without structural reform. Three years after the publication of the Review, children’s social care continues to face rising demand, increasing complexity of need and record numbers of children in care. Despite sustained reform programme activity during this period, these pressures continue to grow, demonstrating that the current approach does not match the scale or complexity of the challenge.
Transformational change is needed in how children’s social care is delivered. A Regional Children and Families Authority provides the opportunity to move beyond fragmented services and build a system that works better for children, young people and families across Northern Ireland. Without structural change at a regional level, there is little realistic chance of delivering the improvements that children and young people have repeatedly told us they need.
We believe a Regional Children and Families Authority would deliver:
- Clear leadership and accountability;
- Better coordination across services;
- More consistent access to support for children and families;
- Less duplication between Trusts;
- Better use of staff and resources;
- An end to the postcode lottery.
We recognise the work that has taken place through the Children’s Services Reform Programme Board, and we welcome the energy that new programmes, such as Together for Families, can bring. However, these initiatives still operate within the existing system and are relatively short-term in nature. They are not a substitute for a long-term regional solution to the delivery of children’s services.
Budget pressures are often given as a reason not to reform the system. However, the current system is also expensive, inefficient and too often unable to respond early enough to the needs of children and families. A long-term approach to invest in reform beyond election cycles is essential if we are serious about improving outcomes for children and families.
The decision by the Ministers not to move forward with a Regional Children and Families Authority at this time does not end this conversation. The voices of children, young people and families gathered through the Review cannot be forgotten: the system must change. Without structural reform, that change cannot be delivered.
We believe a Regional Children and Families Authority is the best route to delivering the transformational change children, young people and families need and deserve.
We are committed to working with all political parties to ensure that the establishment of a Regional Children and Families Authority is prioritised in the next mandate.