Hundreds of local authority duties to young people could be removed as the Government seeks to ‘radically alter children's social care,' industry professionals have warned.

In a letter to a national newspaper, the experts said clauses 15 to 19 of the children and social work bill introduced a ‘fast-track process for the removal of many of hundreds of local authority duties to children, young people and families'.

The bill, which is being scrutinised by the House of Lords today, will enable a local authority or the secretary of state to draft regulations removing any children's social care requirements in most of the Children Act 1989 and all of the Children Act 2004.

It will make it possible to remove children's social care requirements for up to six years, the 16 experts and professionals who signed the letter argue.

The letter read: ‘Innovation is vital and welcome, but the scale of the legal requirements threatened by this bill is enormous, encompassing social care duties in respect of child protection, children in need, children in care, care leavers and disabled children.

‘We urge peers to reject clauses 15 to 19, and call on the Government to consult on its vision and plan for children's social care,' the letter concluded.