Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to analysis from the Child Poverty Action Group published on 9 June 2022, what he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of that organisations finding that 800,000 children living in poverty are not eligible for free school meals.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Through the provision of free school means (FSM), together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through the Universal Infant Free School Meal policy, the greatest ever proportion of school children, 37.5%, are now provided with a free meal at lunchtime, at a cost of over £1 billion a year.
The department continues to monitor the situation surrounding the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue. We do not have any plans to extend universal provision, but we will continue to review free school meal eligibility, to ensure that these meals are supporting the most disadvantaged, those out of work or on the lowest incomes. In setting a threshold, the department believes that the current level – which enables children to benefit, while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools – is the right one. Extending FSM eligibility to all pupils would carry a significant financial cost.
The department is also providing over £200 million per year for the next three years to provide healthy food in the holidays via our Holiday Activities and Food programme, providing breakfast clubs in thousands of schools, as well as delivering the School Fruit and Vegetable scheme and wider government schemes such as Healthy Start vouchers.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to help women on maternity leave return to work in the event that they are finding it difficult to meet childcare costs.
Answered by Will Quince
The cost of childcare is a key concern for parents, which is why the government has made an investment in childcare over the past decade, with over £3.5 billion spent in each of the past three years on the department’s early education entitlements.
The department has also introduced Tax-Free Childcare, which is available for working parents of children aged 0-11 (or up to 16 if their child has a disability). This scheme can save parents up to £2,000 per year (or up to £4,000 for children with disabilities) from their childcare costs.
Working parents on a low income, including those returning from maternity leave, may also be eligible for help with up to 85% of their childcare costs through the childcare element of Universal Credit. This is subject to a monthly limit of £646 for one child or £1108 for two or more children aged 0-16.
The government’s range of childcare offers includes 15 hours free early education for all three- and four-year-olds, regardless of parental income or working status. This helps children to develop social skills and prepare them for school, regardless of their background.
Working parents of three- and four-year-olds may also be eligible for an additional 15 hours of free childcare, known as 30 hours free childcare. To be eligible for 30 hours free childcare, a lone parent must earn from just over £7,400 a year, and a couple, where both parents are working, from just over £14,800 per year, to access 30 hours.
Parents can usually continue accessing, and applying for, 30 hours free childcare if they are on paid maternity leave. If parents are on unpaid maternity leave, they can apply for 30 hours free childcare (for their 3- or 4-year-old) 31 days before their expected return to work date.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to help ensure (a) collaboration and (b) information sharing between (i) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), (ii) GPs and (iii) adoption support workers providing care to children with mental health issues.
Answered by Will Quince
Foster parents and adoptive parents receive support in different ways, as their roles and responsibilities differ. Foster parents look after children on behalf of a local authority, and decision-making for the child is shared. Adopters become the child’s new permanent legal parents and make all parental decisions.
We are committed to ensuring foster parents get appropriate recognition, support and training. In July 2018, we published ‘Fostering Better Outcomes’, which sets out our ambitions and priorities for improving the outcomes and experiences of children in foster care.
The government’s adoption strategy, ‘Achieving Excellence Everywhere’ (July 2021), sets out a vision to support Regional Adoption Agency leaders to secure adopters who are well-prepared to meet the needs of children waiting for adoption. It also commits to the development of national standards for adoption support services.
Adoptive parents can access medical support and treatment for mental health conditions from mainstream NHS services. The Adoption Support Fund (ASF) provides support to help adoptive children and families overcome earlier trauma, such as through psychotherapy, family and creative therapies. The ASF has supported nearly 40,000 children to date, and we are investing a further £144 million over the next 3 years.
Most children are adopted before they reach school age, but we recognise the need to support children both before and after adoption. We are seeking to improve mental health and wellbeing support in schools and colleges and have committed to fund training for all senior mental health leads by 2025.
Looked-after children of school age going through the adoption process are also entitled to support from designated teachers and the local authority virtual school heads. The child’s Personal Education Plan (PEP) will include support when a child has a plan for permanence, such as through adoption. The PEP will identify developmental needs, including any related to attachment and past trauma, and outline support for any mental health needs.
The adoption strategy sets out an ambition that all Regional Adoption Agencies will have strong education policies, working with local virtual school heads and designated teachers to use the best practice to drive high quality support for adopted children in schools across the country.
To support better collaboration and information sharing between health services and local authorities, the adoption strategy sets out a commitment to build on the success of the two current Regional Adoption Agency Centres of Excellence. We will be providing funding to other Regional Adoption Agencies to develop Centres that provide joined up assessment and packages of support across children’s social care, education, and health, including better access to children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
Ofsted is responsible for independent inspection of the effectiveness of local authority children’s social care services. Ofsted’s inspection framework includes consideration of permanence arrangements for children who are looked after, including adoption. Ofsted also reviews the effectiveness of leadership and management, and the quality of professional practice.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department provides to schools on providing (a) social, (b) emotional and (c) mental health support to children going through the adoption process.
Answered by Will Quince
Foster parents and adoptive parents receive support in different ways, as their roles and responsibilities differ. Foster parents look after children on behalf of a local authority, and decision-making for the child is shared. Adopters become the child’s new permanent legal parents and make all parental decisions.
We are committed to ensuring foster parents get appropriate recognition, support and training. In July 2018, we published ‘Fostering Better Outcomes’, which sets out our ambitions and priorities for improving the outcomes and experiences of children in foster care.
The government’s adoption strategy, ‘Achieving Excellence Everywhere’ (July 2021), sets out a vision to support Regional Adoption Agency leaders to secure adopters who are well-prepared to meet the needs of children waiting for adoption. It also commits to the development of national standards for adoption support services.
Adoptive parents can access medical support and treatment for mental health conditions from mainstream NHS services. The Adoption Support Fund (ASF) provides support to help adoptive children and families overcome earlier trauma, such as through psychotherapy, family and creative therapies. The ASF has supported nearly 40,000 children to date, and we are investing a further £144 million over the next 3 years.
Most children are adopted before they reach school age, but we recognise the need to support children both before and after adoption. We are seeking to improve mental health and wellbeing support in schools and colleges and have committed to fund training for all senior mental health leads by 2025.
Looked-after children of school age going through the adoption process are also entitled to support from designated teachers and the local authority virtual school heads. The child’s Personal Education Plan (PEP) will include support when a child has a plan for permanence, such as through adoption. The PEP will identify developmental needs, including any related to attachment and past trauma, and outline support for any mental health needs.
The adoption strategy sets out an ambition that all Regional Adoption Agencies will have strong education policies, working with local virtual school heads and designated teachers to use the best practice to drive high quality support for adopted children in schools across the country.
To support better collaboration and information sharing between health services and local authorities, the adoption strategy sets out a commitment to build on the success of the two current Regional Adoption Agency Centres of Excellence. We will be providing funding to other Regional Adoption Agencies to develop Centres that provide joined up assessment and packages of support across children’s social care, education, and health, including better access to children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
Ofsted is responsible for independent inspection of the effectiveness of local authority children’s social care services. Ofsted’s inspection framework includes consideration of permanence arrangements for children who are looked after, including adoption. Ofsted also reviews the effectiveness of leadership and management, and the quality of professional practice.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent body to investigate the conduct of local authorities during the adoption process.
Answered by Will Quince
Foster parents and adoptive parents receive support in different ways, as their roles and responsibilities differ. Foster parents look after children on behalf of a local authority, and decision-making for the child is shared. Adopters become the child’s new permanent legal parents and make all parental decisions.
We are committed to ensuring foster parents get appropriate recognition, support and training. In July 2018, we published ‘Fostering Better Outcomes’, which sets out our ambitions and priorities for improving the outcomes and experiences of children in foster care.
The government’s adoption strategy, ‘Achieving Excellence Everywhere’ (July 2021), sets out a vision to support Regional Adoption Agency leaders to secure adopters who are well-prepared to meet the needs of children waiting for adoption. It also commits to the development of national standards for adoption support services.
Adoptive parents can access medical support and treatment for mental health conditions from mainstream NHS services. The Adoption Support Fund (ASF) provides support to help adoptive children and families overcome earlier trauma, such as through psychotherapy, family and creative therapies. The ASF has supported nearly 40,000 children to date, and we are investing a further £144 million over the next 3 years.
Most children are adopted before they reach school age, but we recognise the need to support children both before and after adoption. We are seeking to improve mental health and wellbeing support in schools and colleges and have committed to fund training for all senior mental health leads by 2025.
Looked-after children of school age going through the adoption process are also entitled to support from designated teachers and the local authority virtual school heads. The child’s Personal Education Plan (PEP) will include support when a child has a plan for permanence, such as through adoption. The PEP will identify developmental needs, including any related to attachment and past trauma, and outline support for any mental health needs.
The adoption strategy sets out an ambition that all Regional Adoption Agencies will have strong education policies, working with local virtual school heads and designated teachers to use the best practice to drive high quality support for adopted children in schools across the country.
To support better collaboration and information sharing between health services and local authorities, the adoption strategy sets out a commitment to build on the success of the two current Regional Adoption Agency Centres of Excellence. We will be providing funding to other Regional Adoption Agencies to develop Centres that provide joined up assessment and packages of support across children’s social care, education, and health, including better access to children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
Ofsted is responsible for independent inspection of the effectiveness of local authority children’s social care services. Ofsted’s inspection framework includes consideration of permanence arrangements for children who are looked after, including adoption. Ofsted also reviews the effectiveness of leadership and management, and the quality of professional practice.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to enable adopted children to access medical support and treatment for mental health conditions.
Answered by Will Quince
Foster parents and adoptive parents receive support in different ways, as their roles and responsibilities differ. Foster parents look after children on behalf of a local authority, and decision-making for the child is shared. Adopters become the child’s new permanent legal parents and make all parental decisions.
We are committed to ensuring foster parents get appropriate recognition, support and training. In July 2018, we published ‘Fostering Better Outcomes’, which sets out our ambitions and priorities for improving the outcomes and experiences of children in foster care.
The government’s adoption strategy, ‘Achieving Excellence Everywhere’ (July 2021), sets out a vision to support Regional Adoption Agency leaders to secure adopters who are well-prepared to meet the needs of children waiting for adoption. It also commits to the development of national standards for adoption support services.
Adoptive parents can access medical support and treatment for mental health conditions from mainstream NHS services. The Adoption Support Fund (ASF) provides support to help adoptive children and families overcome earlier trauma, such as through psychotherapy, family and creative therapies. The ASF has supported nearly 40,000 children to date, and we are investing a further £144 million over the next 3 years.
Most children are adopted before they reach school age, but we recognise the need to support children both before and after adoption. We are seeking to improve mental health and wellbeing support in schools and colleges and have committed to fund training for all senior mental health leads by 2025.
Looked-after children of school age going through the adoption process are also entitled to support from designated teachers and the local authority virtual school heads. The child’s Personal Education Plan (PEP) will include support when a child has a plan for permanence, such as through adoption. The PEP will identify developmental needs, including any related to attachment and past trauma, and outline support for any mental health needs.
The adoption strategy sets out an ambition that all Regional Adoption Agencies will have strong education policies, working with local virtual school heads and designated teachers to use the best practice to drive high quality support for adopted children in schools across the country.
To support better collaboration and information sharing between health services and local authorities, the adoption strategy sets out a commitment to build on the success of the two current Regional Adoption Agency Centres of Excellence. We will be providing funding to other Regional Adoption Agencies to develop Centres that provide joined up assessment and packages of support across children’s social care, education, and health, including better access to children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
Ofsted is responsible for independent inspection of the effectiveness of local authority children’s social care services. Ofsted’s inspection framework includes consideration of permanence arrangements for children who are looked after, including adoption. Ofsted also reviews the effectiveness of leadership and management, and the quality of professional practice.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to help ensure adoptive parents can access medical support and treatment for mental health conditions.
Answered by Will Quince
Foster parents and adoptive parents receive support in different ways, as their roles and responsibilities differ. Foster parents look after children on behalf of a local authority, and decision-making for the child is shared. Adopters become the child’s new permanent legal parents and make all parental decisions.
We are committed to ensuring foster parents get appropriate recognition, support and training. In July 2018, we published ‘Fostering Better Outcomes’, which sets out our ambitions and priorities for improving the outcomes and experiences of children in foster care.
The government’s adoption strategy, ‘Achieving Excellence Everywhere’ (July 2021), sets out a vision to support Regional Adoption Agency leaders to secure adopters who are well-prepared to meet the needs of children waiting for adoption. It also commits to the development of national standards for adoption support services.
Adoptive parents can access medical support and treatment for mental health conditions from mainstream NHS services. The Adoption Support Fund (ASF) provides support to help adoptive children and families overcome earlier trauma, such as through psychotherapy, family and creative therapies. The ASF has supported nearly 40,000 children to date, and we are investing a further £144 million over the next 3 years.
Most children are adopted before they reach school age, but we recognise the need to support children both before and after adoption. We are seeking to improve mental health and wellbeing support in schools and colleges and have committed to fund training for all senior mental health leads by 2025.
Looked-after children of school age going through the adoption process are also entitled to support from designated teachers and the local authority virtual school heads. The child’s Personal Education Plan (PEP) will include support when a child has a plan for permanence, such as through adoption. The PEP will identify developmental needs, including any related to attachment and past trauma, and outline support for any mental health needs.
The adoption strategy sets out an ambition that all Regional Adoption Agencies will have strong education policies, working with local virtual school heads and designated teachers to use the best practice to drive high quality support for adopted children in schools across the country.
To support better collaboration and information sharing between health services and local authorities, the adoption strategy sets out a commitment to build on the success of the two current Regional Adoption Agency Centres of Excellence. We will be providing funding to other Regional Adoption Agencies to develop Centres that provide joined up assessment and packages of support across children’s social care, education, and health, including better access to children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
Ofsted is responsible for independent inspection of the effectiveness of local authority children’s social care services. Ofsted’s inspection framework includes consideration of permanence arrangements for children who are looked after, including adoption. Ofsted also reviews the effectiveness of leadership and management, and the quality of professional practice.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to provide equal support to foster parents and adoptive parents including through provision of (a) training, (b) respite and (c) financial support.
Answered by Will Quince
Foster parents and adoptive parents receive support in different ways, as their roles and responsibilities differ. Foster parents look after children on behalf of a local authority, and decision-making for the child is shared. Adopters become the child’s new permanent legal parents and make all parental decisions.
We are committed to ensuring foster parents get appropriate recognition, support and training. In July 2018, we published ‘Fostering Better Outcomes’, which sets out our ambitions and priorities for improving the outcomes and experiences of children in foster care.
The government’s adoption strategy, ‘Achieving Excellence Everywhere’ (July 2021), sets out a vision to support Regional Adoption Agency leaders to secure adopters who are well-prepared to meet the needs of children waiting for adoption. It also commits to the development of national standards for adoption support services.
Adoptive parents can access medical support and treatment for mental health conditions from mainstream NHS services. The Adoption Support Fund (ASF) provides support to help adoptive children and families overcome earlier trauma, such as through psychotherapy, family and creative therapies. The ASF has supported nearly 40,000 children to date, and we are investing a further £144 million over the next 3 years.
Most children are adopted before they reach school age, but we recognise the need to support children both before and after adoption. We are seeking to improve mental health and wellbeing support in schools and colleges and have committed to fund training for all senior mental health leads by 2025.
Looked-after children of school age going through the adoption process are also entitled to support from designated teachers and the local authority virtual school heads. The child’s Personal Education Plan (PEP) will include support when a child has a plan for permanence, such as through adoption. The PEP will identify developmental needs, including any related to attachment and past trauma, and outline support for any mental health needs.
The adoption strategy sets out an ambition that all Regional Adoption Agencies will have strong education policies, working with local virtual school heads and designated teachers to use the best practice to drive high quality support for adopted children in schools across the country.
To support better collaboration and information sharing between health services and local authorities, the adoption strategy sets out a commitment to build on the success of the two current Regional Adoption Agency Centres of Excellence. We will be providing funding to other Regional Adoption Agencies to develop Centres that provide joined up assessment and packages of support across children’s social care, education, and health, including better access to children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
Ofsted is responsible for independent inspection of the effectiveness of local authority children’s social care services. Ofsted’s inspection framework includes consideration of permanence arrangements for children who are looked after, including adoption. Ofsted also reviews the effectiveness of leadership and management, and the quality of professional practice.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will takes steps to help ensure local authority accountability in cases where full mental health information is not disclosed to adoptive parents prior to adoption.
Answered by Will Quince
Adoption regulations, supported by statutory guidance, provide for a full range of information to be gathered about a child where adoption is considered to be the most appropriate permanence option. The child’s permanence report, which is shared with prospective adopters, must include a summary of the child’s current physical and mental health written by the relevant medical adviser. It is in the best interests of children that all accurate information, where known, is shared with adoptive families.
Where an adopter believes that this has not happened, they can make a complaint under the local authority published complaints procedure. If someone is dissatisfied with the response they get from their local authority they can refer the matter to the Local Government Ombudsman.
As part of the implementation of the government’s adoption strategy, achieving excellence everywhere, the department will work with regional adoption agencies to ensure all adopters are given all the health information about the child they will be adopting.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that parents in higher education are eligible for childcare grants through Student Finance England.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
The government recognises the value of parents continuing in, or returning to education, and provides support to those enrolled in recognised education courses. Eligible student parents may be able to claim for the Childcare Grant, which offers parents support with up to 85% of their childcare costs depending on their household income.
The maximum Childcare Grant for the 2021/22 academic year is: