Asked by: Baroness Barran (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how the Department of Health and Social Care monitors the performance of its responsibilities, as set out in legislation, to protect children subject to deprivation of liberty orders.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold these specific statutory duties, as local authorities have statutory responsibility for protecting children subject to deprivation of liberty orders. The Government has responsibility for ensuring that all deprivation of liberty schemes are compliant with Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights to ensure strict safeguards are in place for children who are, or who will be, deprived of their liberty.
The Department for Education is responsible for children’s services policy, while health services have broad child safeguarding duties and specific duties in relation to the health needs of children looked after by local authorities.
We know that children who are subject to deprivation of liberty orders are highly vulnerable, with poor life outcomes, and we recognise the challenges local authorities face, and the need for system-wide reform. That is why, since July 2023, the Department for Education and NHS England have been jointly leading cross-Government work to improve the provision of integrated health and care services for children who are in complex situations and are currently, or are at risk of, being deprived of their liberty.
Asked by: Baroness Barran (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what specific statutory duties the Department of Health and Social Care has for protecting children subject to deprivation of liberty orders.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold these specific statutory duties, as local authorities have statutory responsibility for protecting children subject to deprivation of liberty orders. The Government has responsibility for ensuring that all deprivation of liberty schemes are compliant with Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights to ensure strict safeguards are in place for children who are, or who will be, deprived of their liberty.
The Department for Education is responsible for children’s services policy, while health services have broad child safeguarding duties and specific duties in relation to the health needs of children looked after by local authorities.
We know that children who are subject to deprivation of liberty orders are highly vulnerable, with poor life outcomes, and we recognise the challenges local authorities face, and the need for system-wide reform. That is why, since July 2023, the Department for Education and NHS England have been jointly leading cross-Government work to improve the provision of integrated health and care services for children who are in complex situations and are currently, or are at risk of, being deprived of their liberty.
Asked by: Baroness Barran (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to commit to specific targets and a timeframe for growing the social care workforce; and if so, when.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the scale of the reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth and improve the retention of the domestic workforce. We want it to be regarded as a profession, and for the people who work in care to be respected as professionals.
Asked by: Baroness Barran (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to retain the policy set out in the Women's Health Strategy for England, published by the Department of Health and Social Care on 30 August 2022, to ensure that there is appropriate use of sex-specific language in health communications and guidance that relate to women’s individual health issues and biological needs.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government understands the need for health information to be as clear as possible and to use language that appropriately reflects sex, as defined as a protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010. The Government expects the National Health Service to deliver health services in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, having appropriate regard to protected characteristics as defined in the Act where relevant.
Asked by: Baroness Barran (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 7 August (HL344), how many staff in the Department for Health and Social Care are permitted to undertake diversity-related network time during core working hours; what is the percentage of overall working time they are permitted to spend on such network activity; how many hours are allocated in total; what are the names of each of the networks being funded; and whether they have any plans to increase or reduce such funding.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Diversity staff network chairs and committee members are permitted to use up to 10% of their work time for network activity, this was introduced as part of the Network Deal which was published internally in October 2023. Currently, the Department has 22 networks which fall within the diversity category, with 41 colleagues acting as chair or committee member. In addition, the chairs and committee members of those networks related to disability, race and ethnicity, and social mobility can request up to 15% of their working time for these activities. This is in recognition of these areas' alignment with the Civil Service Diversity & Inclusion Strategy and is subject to line manager discretion.
Because the Department offers working time for diversity staff network activity as a percentage of overall work time for each individual, the number of hours allocated in total will depend on an individual’s working pattern, such as part time or full time, alongside line manager discretion.
The Department does not currently offer funding for diversity staff network activity, except for those networks related to disability. This is in line with the recent Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance published on 14 May 2024 in an online-only format. The Department’s disability network is named EnABLE.
The Department does not currently plan to increase or reduce funding for diversity staff networks.