Since the tragic death of Victoria Climbié in 2000, the child protection system has been subject to constant public and political scrutiny. Laming's damning indictment that there was ‘widespread organisational malaise’ (Laming, 2003) led to new legislation and a fundamental overhaul, with the creation of children's services, local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs) and procedural reform, including the publication of interagency guidance Working together to safeguard children (DfE, 2010). These changes had barely begun to be implemented when further proposals were made by another inquiry following the death of Baby Peter in 2007. The emphasis was more on workforce reform in order ‘to translate policy, legislation and guidance into day-to-day practice on the frontline of every service’ (Laming, 2009). It was expected that these reforms would be given some opportunity to bed down. But this wasn't to be.

In May 2010, the Coalition government appointed a children's minister, Tim Loughton, with a keen interest in the child protection system. In opposition, he had set up a Commission on the Future of British Social Workers which reported to the second Laming Inquiry that ‘no amount of reforms and procedures will succeed unless they free up properly trained, motivated and resourced social workers and other key professionals to get on with their job of working with families at the “sharp end”, based on maximising quality face to face time with the vulnerable families’ (Conservative Party, 2009). In government, Loughton has instigated a significant policy shift on the basis that ongoing reforms borne out of tragedy have not helped frontline child protection workers do their job better. Instead, they have hindered them:

Not surprisingly, shortly after taking office, Loughton asked Professor Eileen Munro to undertake a further independent review of the child protection system.