Every Child Matters: ‘tinkering' or ‘reforming'

The story behind the development of the Children Act (2004) makes uncomfortable reading for politicians, children’s service managers, practitioners and academics alike. For the momentum behind the Act, i.e. the Every Child Matters agenda (Department for Education and Skills [DfES], 2003), was born out of the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Victoria Climbié (Department of Health [DoH], 2003) and numerous other child abuse inquiries. This article is concerned not only to highlight the serious shortcomings of previous attempts to safeguard children, but also to focus on key messages for practice for those directly involved in education of the young.