Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February to Question 125796, on vulnerable children, which professionals, schools and other experts have been consulted as part of the Government's scoping exercise; and what evidence has assessed during that work.

The department’s work in scoping a review of the outcomes of and support for Children in Need consulted a range of organisations and individuals, including from: sector representatives, children’s charities, local children’s services departments, primary and secondary schools, research organisations and related cross-government teams. This involved speaking to over 120 individuals, including more than 25 social workers, around 40 social worker leaders and around 40 school leaders. This engagement took the form of individual meetings, roundtables, participation in cross-government events and deep dive visits to local services in Birmingham, Solihull and Blackpool, as areas with different profiles of need.

In addition to the evidence provided by this direct consultation, the department considered emerging learning from projects funded through the Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme, reviewed academic literature, and assessed data collected through the annual Children in Need census.