Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Government response to recommendations 7 and 8 of the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published in May 2023, CP 844, what progress she has made on implementing the commitment to explore proposals for professional registration of the residential childcare workforce made in the Government’s response to the Care Review’s Final Report, Stable Homes, Built on Love published in February 2023; and if she will make a statement. .

The government recognises the important contribution of the residential childcare workforce in caring for some of the most vulnerable children in our society. It is vital that we ensure they have the skills required to safeguard, support and care for them.

The department accepts in principle that staff working in care roles in children's homes should be registered, as recommended by both the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (recommendation 7) and the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care. The department is progressing our consideration of how best to take this forward alongside work to develop a programme to support improvements in the quality of leadership and management in the children’s homes sector. The department will announce further details in due course.

In response to recommendation 8 of the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, the government has accepted the need for registration of staff in young offender institutions and secure training centres, noting that an internal register would be the most appropriate for the relatively small workforce. The department is currently exploring proposals and is still exploring with key stakeholders how it may operate.