Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings in the report by the Children's Commissioner Unaccompanied children in need of care, published 16 November, on the level of safeguarding for unaccompanied children who arrived by boat and were placed in hotels since 2021; and what steps they intend to take to ensure such children are properly safeguarded.

The Children’s Commissioners’ report on ‘Unaccompanied children in need of care’ was published on 29^th November. The Home Office are reviewing the report and will respond directly to the Children’s Commissioner in due course.

Hotel accommodation was an emergency response to Kent’s position on newly arriving unaccompanied children in July 2021. The high number of UASC arriving via small boats also placed significant pressure on the National Transfer Scheme (NTS), which resulted in the use of hotels continuing for longer than our short-term ambition. Out of necessity, the Home Office have accommodated UASC on an emergency and temporary basis while placements with local authorities have been vigorously pursued.

Those who have been accommodated in hotels are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further support is provided on site by teams of social workers and nurses. Staff, including contractors, receive a number of briefings and guidance on how to safeguard children. All children receive a welfare interview; this includes a series of questions specifically designed to understand whether there are any potential indicators of trafficking or particular safeguarding issues.

The High Court recently ruled that the routine and systematic use of hotels to accommodate UASC is unlawful. We are working at pace with Kent County Council, other government departments, and local authorities across the UK, to ensure suitable local authority placements are provided for UASC urgently and sustainably.

The High Court has upheld that local authorities have a statutory duty to care for all children including UASC. Local authorities are also under a mandated obligation to comply with the National Transfer Scheme. The Home Office have always maintained that the best place for UASC to be accommodated is within a local authority.