Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he is taking steps to end the use of unregulated care settings for children aged 16 and 17.

Following the department’s ongoing reforms, all placements accommodating looked-after children and care leavers up to age 18 will be regulated by Ofsted.

Some older children aged 16 and 17 live in supported accommodation, sometimes referred to as unregulated provision, as it is not currently subject to Ofsted registration and inspection.

The department is clear that supported accommodation can be the right option for some older children where it is high quality, meets their needs and keeps them safe. However, we know that the standard of this provision is not consistently high. For this reason, the department is investing over £142 million across the next three years to fund the introduction of new mandatory national standards, Ofsted registration, and inspection for providers of supported accommodation.

Regulation will ensure that local authorities can be confident when making placements in this provision, enable Ofsted’s ability to take action against poor providers and ensure children live in safe and high-quality accommodation that meets their needs. Further information on the department’s plans to reform this area is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/transformational-investment-in-childrens-social-care-placements.