Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Children looked after in England including adoption: 2016 to 2017 statistics published in September 2017, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the number of looked-after children who were removed from their placement at the request of their carer due to their behaviour rose from 940 to 1,370 between March 2016 and March 2017.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Information on the reasons looked after children were removed from their placements is published as experimental statistics in the statistical first release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption’. This information was collected for the first time in 2016 and so comparisons between years should be treated with caution.
The information shows that in 2016, 940 placements in secure units, children’s homes and semi-independent living accommodation were identified as changing because the carer requested the change due to the child’s behaviour. In 2017, this figure was 1,370 but in the same year we saw a drop in placements of that type which ended due to “other” reasons. Feedback from local authorities has identified improved recording of the reasons for placement changes so that more placements are coded under their correct reason rather than “other”. The evidence does not necessarily point to a real increase in the number of placements ending either at the request of the carer due to the child’s behaviour or at the request of the child.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Children looked after in England including adoption: 2016 to 2017 statistics published in September 2017, what assessment he has made of reasons for the increase in the number of looked after children placed in care homes, secure units and hostels who were removed from their placement at the request of the child between March 2016 to March 2017.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Information on the reasons looked after children were removed from their placements is published as experimental statistics in the statistical first release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption’. This information was collected for the first time in 2016 and so comparisons between years should be treated with caution.
The information shows that in 2016, 940 placements in secure units, children’s homes and semi-independent living accommodation were identified as changing because the carer requested the change due to the child’s behaviour. In 2017, this figure was 1,370 but in the same year we saw a drop in placements of that type which ended due to “other” reasons. Feedback from local authorities has identified improved recording of the reasons for placement changes so that more placements are coded under their correct reason rather than “other”. The evidence does not necessarily point to a real increase in the number of placements ending either at the request of the carer due to the child’s behaviour or at the request of the child.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to respond to Greater Manchester Combined Authority's bid for funding from the Children's Social Care Innovation Programme.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has submitted a request to the department for innovation funding, separate to the Innovation Programme bidding process. Their proposals are part of discussions linked to their Devolution Deal and the commitment they made to a full review of their children’s services across the ten local authorities. Minsters will make a decision based on the potential for improved outcomes for children, value for money, and genuine innovation. GMCA will be informed of the minister’s decision in due course.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2017 to Question 6504, what assessment she has made of the reasons why the number of looked after children placed in care homes, secure units and hostels outside their council boundary in England increased from 2,610 in March 2012 to 4,020 in March 2016.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The government is clear that the needs of the child are vital when making decisions about the right care placement. Local authorities have a statutory duty to consider the right placement for the child and take into account a number of factors, one of which is placement area.
Sometimes circumstances make it the right decision for a local authority to identify a placement outside of the child’s local area. For example, when a child is at risk from child sexual exploitation, trafficking or gang violence or when they need very specialist care. Out of area placements require approval from the Director of Children’s Services, and Ofsted monitors all placement decisions including out of area placements and challenges local authorities that need to improve. We are setting up a Residential Care Leadership Board, which will bring together representatives from local authorities and providers to explore how to improve commissioning of children’s residential placements. As part of this work, we expect the Board to assess data on the use of out of area placements.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2017 to Question 6504, what assessment she has made of the reasons why 50 per cent of looked after children who are reported missing are children placed in residential accommodation.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Annual data recorded to 31 March 2017 showed that 50% of missing incidents were by children placed across a range of residential accommodation, including secure units, children’s homes or semi-independent living accommodation.
Local authorities are improving data collections to include all incidents of missing and so the numbers recorded are increasing (although the data is still categorised as experimental). We will continue to assess data quality.
Many residential settings do important work to provide placements and support for children with complex histories of going missing. In 2015, the government introduced Quality Standards to improve the care in homes and strengthened regulations. We have also placed a duty on local authorities to report all incidences of children going missing from care. Children’s homes must have policies to stop children going missing; and when children do go missing, they must respond in line with local police protocols.
The government considers this an important issue. The Missing Children and Adults strategy, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/missing-children-and-adults-strategy which focuses primarily on vulnerable people who go missing within England and Wales, provides a core framework in which we can all work to deliver collectively the best protection possible for missing children, adults and their families.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she expects the Residential Care Leadership Board to report on progress in implementing Sir Martin Narey's recommendations in his report Residential Care in England.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Department is committed to setting up a Residential Care Leadership Board to drive significant improvements in the children’s residential care system in England. We have already advertised for the position of chair and the board will be up and running in the New Year (2018).
The board will initially focus on Sir Martin Narey’s recommendations for improving commissioning practices and developing ways of “Staying Close” for care leavers after they move out of residential homes.
Any plans for reporting on progress will be discussed with the chair on appointment.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) local authority, (b) private and (c) other care homes in England have been rated as requires improvement by Ofsted by provider for every year for the past five years for which information is available since the publication of the Children's Home Data Pack in 2014.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
I am sorry, but the information requested is held by Ofsted, the regulator for children’s social care. The Chief Inspector of Ofsted will write to you with this information. A copy of the letter will be placed in the House libraries.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authority children's care homes in England have closed in each region in each year for which information is available since the publication of the Children's Home Data Pack in 2014.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
I am sorry, but the information requested is held by Ofsted, the regulator for children’s social care. The Chief Inspector of Ofsted will write to you with this information. A copy of the letter will be placed in the House libraries.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children's homes in England are (a) local authority-owned, (b) privately-owned and (c) other for each year for which data is available since the publication of the Children's Homes Data Pack in 2014.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
I am sorry, but the information requested is held by Ofsted, the regulator for children’s social care. The Chief Inspector of Ofsted will write to you with this information. A copy of the letter will be placed in the House libraries.
Asked by: Ann Coffey (The Independent Group for Change - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of looked-after children were in out of borough placements in (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) Stockport for each year since 2011.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The information requested is provided in the table below.
Numbers and percentages of children looked after at 31 March who were placed outside local authority boundary1, 2, 3
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
Numbers |
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England | 23,120 | 23,700 | 24,480 | 26,840 | 27,720 | 28,290 |
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North West | 3,620 | 3,570 | 3,850 | 4,370 | 4,550 | 4,510 |
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Stockport | 75 | 65 | 70 | 90 | 80 | 85 |
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Percentages |
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England | 35 | 35 | 36 | 39 | 40 | 40 |
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North West | 32 | 31 | 33 | 36 | 36 | 36 |
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Stockport | 25 | 23 | 24 | 30 | 27 | 29 |
Source: SSDA903
1. England and regional totals have been rounded to the nearest 10. Local authority numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5. Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
2. Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements children whose LA of placement is not known.
3. Percentages are based on the total number of children looked after at 31 March.