Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the recommendation in the Children's Commissioner's report, Far less than they deserve, on replacing the Transforming care programme, if he will (a) introduce and (b) fund a new strategy for children in care.

‘Building the right support’, published in 2015 by NHS England, the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services is the national plan in England for reducing the number of people with learning disabilities or autistic people who are inpatients in mental health hospitals. It set out a clear framework for commissioners to reduce inpatient capacity by developing more community services for people with learning disabilities or autistic people with behaviour considered challenging.

The NHS Long Term Plan prioritises services for children and young people and commits to achieving at least a 50% reduction in the number of people with a learning disability or autism who are inpatients, compared to the figure in 2015, by the end of 2023/24.

Developing new models of care for those at the highest risk of being subject to restrictive practice was one of the recommendations made by the Care Quality Commission in the interim report of its thematic review of restraint, seclusion and segregation. We have accepted the report’s recommendations in full. We want a system that works for all people with learning disabilities and/or autism and provides the best possible care and treatment.