Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to monitor the performance of private companies that are overseeing local fostering services.

The government is committed to ensuring a fostering system that meets the needs of children and young people and works for everyone involved. The department has clear regulations and rigorous inspection frameworks to ensure that our high standards are achieved. All private sector independent fostering agencies must meet the legal requirements set out in the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011.

Independent fostering agencies are regulated and inspected by Ofsted. As of 31 March 2021, 93% of independent fostering agencies were rated as good or outstanding. All Ofsted inspection reports are publicly available and available at: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/. Local authorities can use these reports when making decisions about which external agencies they use.