Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021, what steps his Department is taking to measure the progress of the restoration of disabled children’s social care services to pre-pandemic levels.

From day one of the COVID-19 outbreak, the government’s priority for vulnerable children has been to keep them safe, protect their welfare and put their best interests at the heart of every decision.

This is why we kept schools open for children with a social worker and children with special educational needs and disabilities, ensured that social workers observe those that do not attend, and that children needing social care support have continued to be identified. The government also provided more than £6 billion in non-ringfenced funding directly to councils during COVID-19 to support them with the immediate and longer-term impacts of COVID-19 spending pressures, including children’s social care, further to their core spending power.

Local authorities set their own children’s services budget from this core spending power, based on local need and priorities. This year, councils have access to £51.3 billion for their services, including a £1.7 billion grant for social care.

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced at Spending Review 2021 that the government will provide local authorities with £4.8 billion of new grant funding over the next Spending Review period, which is intended to help meet the costs of delivering care for our most vulnerable children. This will enable the sector to maintain vital frontline services, including disabled children’s social care services.