Multi-agency child protection teams: regulation-making powers
The government issued a policy paper on the 7th January 2026 setting out how they intend to regulate for multi-agency child protection teams (MACPTs) which are being bought into being as part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. The document sets out that there had been concerns raised in the process of the bill through the Lords around the operation of these teams and the level of prescription that the government were going to provide.
The rationale for the MACPTs is that whilst there is a strong child protection system in place, it is not consistent and the government is aiming for a system that is decisive and practitioners have the expertise, experience, time and support to identify and take effective action in relation to significant harm. The aim is that MCAPTs will become “a local centre of excellence for multi-agency practitioners”, with the need for such teams being evidence through a number of reviews that identified ineffective multi-agency information sharing, decision-making and co-ordinated action.
It is intended that MACPTs will not only link with the local “front-door” system, but also local Violence Reduction Units, Youth Offending Teams, as well as MAPPA and MARAC systems. The teams will support the local authority to discharge their child protection duties under s47 of the Children Act 1989. The teams will consist of a social worker, police representative, healthcare professional and person with educational experience as a minimum, with other agencies being required to at least co-operate with MACPTs if they are not providing staff. The regulations will set out the minimum qualifications and experience that postholders in the MACPTs should have.
The policy paper sets out the intention that MACPTs will be required to deliver what could be seen as “traditional” child protection functions, from convening strategy meetings and leading on s47 enquiries to development and oversight of child protection plans and provision of case consultation. It also appears that the MACPTs will take a wider, strategic view of patterns of harm in their local area which can then inform agency responses. The aim is that there is a “robust and consistent application of the significant harm threshold”. The policy paper suggests that this process will not be in isolation of practitioners who know the child and family. In relation to child protection case conferences, the intention is that MACPTs work with the Family Help lead practitioner who will co-ordinate the required support.
At present this remains a policy paper, but it is proposed that there will be further engagement with sectors, use of evidence from current practice and pathfinder areas, and parliamentary scrutiny, with the aim for the regulations to come into force in late 2027, subject to Royal Assent.
What does this mean for me?
Currently this is more about setting out the government’s intentions, however you may see local work being undertaken to scope out how the practicalities of MACPTs may work, how they will interface with current processes whilst meeting these proposed requirements.
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