Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that all local authorities are fully briefed about her plans for reforming Children's Social Care; and whether authorities outside of the formal pilot areas will be able to trial these reforms.

The department actively engages with local authority stakeholders, including the Local Government Association and Association of Directors of Children’s Services, through our Regions Group and wider stakeholder teams to ensure policy reforms are developed and implemented collaboratively. This will continue throughout the 14 week consultation period for Stable Homes, Built on Love. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/childrens-social-care-stable-homes-built-on-love.

One aspect of the reform programme is laying the foundations for future reform, through Pathfinders. The department is also taking wide ranging actions to address urgent issues in the system nationally and help all areas move in the direction of our reforms. For instance, we will consult on new Multi-Agency Child Protection Standards in spring 2023 and provide £24 million to expand our recruitment and retention programme for foster carers so that foster care is available for more children who need it.

The department does not want local authorities and partners to feel the need to wait for permission to act now and the Implementation Strategy gives examples of actions that areas can take now to move in the direction of reform. The Children’s Social Care National Framework, published for consultation alongside the strategy, also sets in one place principles for practice and outcomes that should be achieved so children, young people and families can thrive.