Children in Care

(asked on 16th July 2015) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to reduce the number of children in care placed out of their home local authority area.


Answered by
Edward Timpson Portrait
Edward Timpson
This question was answered on 21st July 2015

Looked-after children should only be placed far from home where this is in their best interests. To improve practice in this area the Government has amended regulations so that:

  • the Director of Children’s Services must approve that the decision to place a child at a distance from their home is the best decision for the child and that there will be ongoing support for them;
  • the local authority making the placement must consult with the authority in which the home is located before making the decision to place the child there. This consultation should include the quality of the home and the services available for the child.
Reticulating Splines