Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham Yardley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding is planned to be allocated to each placement of Staying Put.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The government keeps the Staying Put policy under constant review, including through monitoring data from local authorities on take-up by young people, engagement with the sector, and reviewing information from Ofsted inspections of local authorities. Staying Put was also considered as part of the independent fostering review undertaken by Sir Martin Narey and Mark Owers, published in February 2018. Staying Put has helped thousands of care leavers to transition more smoothly from care to independence, and provides continuity of relationships and care arrangements. The latest data shows that increasing numbers of care leavers are living in Staying Put arrangements. In the year ending March 2018, 55% of 18 year olds chose to Stay Put, which is an increase of 4% compared to 2017.
The government does not believe that introducing a national minimum allowance for Staying Put carers is the right way forward. Unlike children in foster care, young people in Staying Put arrangements are adults and may be in work, or claiming benefits. These financial sources can be used to contribute to the cost of providing the Staying Put arrangement, in a similar way that young people who are still living at home with their parents may contribute to the cost of running the household.
The amount of funding the government has provided to local authorities in 2018/19 to implement Staying Put is £23.30 million, with a further £23.77 million committed for 2019/20. Decisions on funding beyond March 2020 will be subject to the outcome of the next Spending Review.
The level of financial support local authorities provide for each Staying Put arrangement depends on individual needs and circumstances, with the amount that the carer receives negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Statutory guidance makes clear that local authorities must give careful consideration to the impact of the Staying Put arrangement on the family’s financial position. Local authorities must consider all the factors relating to each local Staying Put arrangement, with the current arrangements allowing local authorities to cover all reasonable costs that may support the care leaver to remain living with their former foster carer.
The government does not believe that a foster carer’s approval should automatically lapse after 12 months if they are a Staying Put carer and will communicate this message to the sector.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham Yardley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the November 2018 Fostering Network report entitled Staying Put: An Unfulfilled Promise, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a national minimum Staying Put allowance.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The government keeps the Staying Put policy under constant review, including through monitoring data from local authorities on take-up by young people, engagement with the sector, and reviewing information from Ofsted inspections of local authorities. Staying Put was also considered as part of the independent fostering review undertaken by Sir Martin Narey and Mark Owers, published in February 2018. Staying Put has helped thousands of care leavers to transition more smoothly from care to independence, and provides continuity of relationships and care arrangements. The latest data shows that increasing numbers of care leavers are living in Staying Put arrangements. In the year ending March 2018, 55% of 18 year olds chose to Stay Put, which is an increase of 4% compared to 2017.
The government does not believe that introducing a national minimum allowance for Staying Put carers is the right way forward. Unlike children in foster care, young people in Staying Put arrangements are adults and may be in work, or claiming benefits. These financial sources can be used to contribute to the cost of providing the Staying Put arrangement, in a similar way that young people who are still living at home with their parents may contribute to the cost of running the household.
The amount of funding the government has provided to local authorities in 2018/19 to implement Staying Put is £23.30 million, with a further £23.77 million committed for 2019/20. Decisions on funding beyond March 2020 will be subject to the outcome of the next Spending Review.
The level of financial support local authorities provide for each Staying Put arrangement depends on individual needs and circumstances, with the amount that the carer receives negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Statutory guidance makes clear that local authorities must give careful consideration to the impact of the Staying Put arrangement on the family’s financial position. Local authorities must consider all the factors relating to each local Staying Put arrangement, with the current arrangements allowing local authorities to cover all reasonable costs that may support the care leaver to remain living with their former foster carer.
The government does not believe that a foster carer’s approval should automatically lapse after 12 months if they are a Staying Put carer and will communicate this message to the sector.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham Yardley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the 2016 strategy entitled Keep on caring: supporting young people from care to independence, when the Government plans to review the implementation of the Staying Put duty.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The government keeps the Staying Put policy under constant review, including through monitoring data from local authorities on take-up by young people, engagement with the sector, and reviewing information from Ofsted inspections of local authorities. Staying Put was also considered as part of the independent fostering review undertaken by Sir Martin Narey and Mark Owers, published in February 2018. Staying Put has helped thousands of care leavers to transition more smoothly from care to independence, and provides continuity of relationships and care arrangements. The latest data shows that increasing numbers of care leavers are living in Staying Put arrangements. In the year ending March 2018, 55% of 18 year olds chose to Stay Put, which is an increase of 4% compared to 2017.
The government does not believe that introducing a national minimum allowance for Staying Put carers is the right way forward. Unlike children in foster care, young people in Staying Put arrangements are adults and may be in work, or claiming benefits. These financial sources can be used to contribute to the cost of providing the Staying Put arrangement, in a similar way that young people who are still living at home with their parents may contribute to the cost of running the household.
The amount of funding the government has provided to local authorities in 2018/19 to implement Staying Put is £23.30 million, with a further £23.77 million committed for 2019/20. Decisions on funding beyond March 2020 will be subject to the outcome of the next Spending Review.
The level of financial support local authorities provide for each Staying Put arrangement depends on individual needs and circumstances, with the amount that the carer receives negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Statutory guidance makes clear that local authorities must give careful consideration to the impact of the Staying Put arrangement on the family’s financial position. Local authorities must consider all the factors relating to each local Staying Put arrangement, with the current arrangements allowing local authorities to cover all reasonable costs that may support the care leaver to remain living with their former foster carer.
The government does not believe that a foster carer’s approval should automatically lapse after 12 months if they are a Staying Put carer and will communicate this message to the sector.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham Yardley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the likely demand for children’s services in Birmingham in (a) 2018-19, (b) 2019-20, and (c) 2020/21.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Information on every local authority’s demand and spend in children’s services are published in the department’s statistical first releases and brought together in our local authority interactive tool: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait.
Birmingham’s core spending power for 2018 to 2019 is £888.3 million and is rising to £888.6 million in 2019 to 2020.
My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer have agreed that all long-term spending decisions are for the Spending Review, which will take place later this year.
The department is working alongside the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the sector as part of the fair funding review of relative needs and resources to develop a robust, up-to-date approach to funding distribution for children's services, which will determine new baseline funding allocations for local authorities in England in 2020 to 2021.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham Yardley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of level of funding from the public purse required by Birmingham City Council to deliver children’s services in (a) 2018-19, (b) 2019-20, and (c) 2020-21.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Information on every local authority’s demand and spend in children’s services are published in the department’s statistical first releases and brought together in our local authority interactive tool: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait.
Birmingham’s core spending power for 2018 to 2019 is £888.3 million and is rising to £888.6 million in 2019 to 2020.
My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer have agreed that all long-term spending decisions are for the Spending Review, which will take place later this year.
The department is working alongside the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the sector as part of the fair funding review of relative needs and resources to develop a robust, up-to-date approach to funding distribution for children's services, which will determine new baseline funding allocations for local authorities in England in 2020 to 2021.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham Yardley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the timetable is for the publication of the Student Loans Company's annual report for 2016-17.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The Student Loans Company has agreed an extended deadline of 31 March 2018 with Companies House and will file its annual report and accounts for 2016/17 before then. Copies will also be placed in the Libraries of both Houses at the same time.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham Yardley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether any Ministers in his Department attended the Presidents Club Charity Dinner run by the Meller Educatonal Trust in an official capacity.
Answered by Anne Milton
No Department for Education ministers attended the Presidents Club Charity Dinner in an official capacity. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Minister Zahawi, attended the event in a private capacity.