Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that children in the social care system receive no delay in receiving (a) trauma care and (b) other health interventions.

‘Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked after children: Statutory guidance for local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and NHS England’ sets out the arrangements for the planning, commissioning and delivery of health services for children in the social care system, which is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1100188/Promoting_the_health_and_well-being_of_looked-after_children_August_2022_update.pdf

Local authorities’ corporate parenting responsibilities include a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of looked-after children. This includes the promotion of children’s physical, emotional and mental health and acting on any early signs of health issues. In addition, local authorities, integrated care boards and NHS England must cooperate to commission health services for children in the relevant area and the health needs of looked-after children should be taken into account in developing local Joint Strategic Needs Assessments.