Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps he has taken to strengthen the Independent Reviewing Officer service for children in care.

In Fostering Better Outcomes, published in July 2018, we committed to working with organisations representing Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) and local authorities to consider how the role of IROs can be put to best effect in the current system and under existing legislation. My officials have been in regular conversations with both the National Association of Independent Reviewing Officers and the National Independent Reviewing Officers Manager’s Partnership to discuss how the role of IROs can be strengthened. Both organisations have worked with their members to develop proposals. We will continue to offer support and challenge to both these organisations as they move forward in introducing practice improvements.