Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) evaluate the free period products scheme.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The period products scheme launched in January 2020, and has most recently been extended until July 2024. Take up of the scheme is monitored regularly by the department and our supplier, phs. Within the first two years of the scheme, 94% of secondary schools and 90% of post-16 organisations had ordered at least once. These organisations have older students and therefore are more likely to have a higher proportion of students in scope, compared to primary schools.
The department publishes statistics regarding the scheme’s operation, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/period-products-scheme-management-information.
The department is considering opportunities to publish further management information in the future, as well as the need for further research into the scheme to evaluate its impact.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has plans to evaluate the impact of the free period products scheme in schools and colleges on the availability of those products in those settings.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The period products scheme launched in January 2020 and has most recently been extended until July 2024. Take up of the scheme is monitored regularly by the department and our supplier, phs. Within the first two years of the scheme, 94% of secondary schools and 90% of post-16 organisations had ordered at least once. These organisations have older students and therefore are more likely to have a higher proportion of students in scope, compared to primary schools.
The department is considering opportunities to publish further management information in the future, as well as the need for further research into the scheme to evaluate its impact.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what digital support her Department will provide as part of her family hubs offer.
Answered by Will Quince
Through the ‘Family Hubs – Growing Up Well’ digital project, we are partnering with five local authorities in England to develop digital and data solutions that solve problems faced by local authorities in delivering accessible, inter-connected education, health, and social care services for families.
The solutions will focus on improving how information is shared between professionals across a range of services in a Family Hub Network, and how families access and navigate services. These are key to strengthening the practical implementation of Family Hub Networks and levelling up outcomes for vulnerable and disadvantaged families.
Subject to standard agile digital delivery methodology, the solutions will enter beta testing in the 2022/23 financial year.
We anticipate that they will be available for participating local authorities in England in 2023.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the Government will make an assessment of the implications for its policies of Action for Children’s report entitled Brighter Future Ahead? Comparing three generations of childhood.
Answered by Will Quince
The department welcomes Action for Children’s report.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
With almost 1.32 million vacancies across the UK, the department's focus is on supporting parents into, and to progress in, work wherever possible. The department's approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of parental employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of poverty. The expanded Plan for Jobs continues to help people across the UK to find work and to boost their wages and prospects.
In the 2021 Budget, the government announced a £500 million package for families. This includes a £200 million uplift to the Supporting Families programme taking total planned investment across the next 3 years to £695 million. This funding will help up to 300,000 more families facing multiple, interconnected issues to access effective support and improve their life outcomes.
£300 million of funding will be used to transform ‘Start for Life’ services and create a network of family hubs in half of council areas in England. This includes funding for a network of Family Hubs (£82 million) and parenting programs (£50 million). The government is committed to family hubs and will robustly evaluate the impact of the investment to gather best practice and inform future funding decisions.
The report also recommends a legal duty for early help. The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care is due to set out its final recommendations this spring, and the government will consider those relevant to early help to inform any next steps.