To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.

View sample alert

Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Scottish Parliament Written Question
S6W-27624
Thursday 30th May 2024

Asked by: McCall, Roz (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Mid Scotland and Fife)

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to including a specified foster care allowance rate for young people in continuing care.

Answered by Don, Natalie - Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise

The Scottish Recommended Allowance (SRA) currently applies to placements of children in foster care and eligible kinship care. Continuing care rates are for each individual local authority to determine.

We are considering a range of issues that impact young people and their carers as young care experienced people prepare to move on from care into adulthood.

We will launch a public consultation in Summer 2024 which will ask for views on the support required to help young people as they move on from care. This will include questions on the improvements which can be made to the provision of Continuing Care.

Departmental Publication (Policy and Engagement)
HM Treasury

May. 29 2024

Source Page: Treasury Minutes progress report – May 2024
Document: (PDF)

Found: from the Committee Adult social care includes social work, personal care and practical support for

Departmental Publication (Policy and Engagement)
HM Treasury

May. 29 2024

Source Page: Treasury Minutes progress report – May 2024
Document: (PDF)

Found: from the Committee Adult social care includes social work, personal care and practical support for

Scottish Parliament Debate - Committee
Child-friendly Complaints Handling Principles - Wed 29 May 2024

Mentions:
1: None A good example is some of the complaints that we have had on kinship care allowance, where we have managed - Speech Link

Scottish Parliament Select Committee
Annual Report of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee 2023 to 2024

Report May. 29 2024

Committee: Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Found: Thematic evidence sessions Kinship care 40. 41. 42.I can confirm that were a facility , of the type described

Scottish Parliament Select Committee
A letter from the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, 28 May 2024
 Scottish Public Services Ombudsman update

Correspondence May. 28 2024

Committee: Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Found: just one example, we have managed to ensure payments of several thousands of pounds for a number of kinship

Select Committee
Formal Minutes 2023-24

Formal Minutes May. 24 2024

Committee: Education Committee (Department: Department for Education)

Found: Migrant Children's Consortium [CSC0022] Contact [CSC0023] Leonie Cowen & Associates [CSC0024] Kinship

Select Committee
Correspondence to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children, Families and Wellbeing on the Committee's inquiry into Children's social care

Correspondence May. 24 2024

Committee: Education Committee (Department: Department for Education)

Found: Under-Secretary of State for Children, Families and Wellbeing on the Committee's inquiry into Children's social care

Written Question
Carers
Friday 24th May 2024

Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's Kinship Care Strategy published on 15 December 2023, what criteria is used to allocate children's social care services; and what steps her Department is taking to support kinship carers.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Written Question
Children: Social Services
Friday 24th May 2024

Asked by: Lord Bishop of Newcastle (Bishops - Bishops)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase investment in children’s services and provide updated funding formulae to (1) direct resources according to deprivation-based need, and (2) account for changing levels of deprivation.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is aware the costs of delivering children’s social care are rising, which is why the department has already taken action and announced a series of additional measures:

  • In January 2024, the government set out a support package for local government worth £600 million, including £500 million of ringfenced funding for children’s and adults’ social care services distributed through the Social Care Grant. Councils were advised to invest in areas that will help place children’s social care services on a sustainable financial footing. This includes investment in expanding family help and targeted early intervention, expanding kinship care and boosting the number of foster carers.

  • Over financial year 2024/25, a total of £5 billion will be distributed to local authorities through the Social Care Grant, including a £1.2 billion increase from financial year 2023/24.

  • Councils in England will see an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £4.5 billion in financial year 2024/25, or 7.5% in cash terms, an above inflation increase, rising from £60.2 billion in 2023/24 to £64.7 billion in 2024/25.

This additional funding illustrates our commitment to support councils in continuing to deliver high-quality services to vulnerable children and families.

But the department knows that rising costs are unsustainable and that whole system reform is needed. It is more important than ever that the department continues with the plans to improve and stabilise the children’s social care system. The department's ambitious strategy, set out in ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’ will bring about fundamental reform, rebalancing local authority spending from costly acute services to effective earlier intervention, thereby improving outcomes for children and families. More information can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/642460653d885d000fdade73/Children_s_social_care_stable_homes_consultation_February_2023.pdf.

When ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’ was published, the department announced an additional £200 million funding for implementation. However, this is only part of the wider picture of spending on children’s social care reform. In total, across the department's programmes, almost £700 million has been committed to start delivering the reforms.

In ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’, the department committed to work with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to update, publish and consult on a new funding distribution formula. Departmental officials are working in partnership towards implementing an updated approach to distributing available funding for children and young people’s services, based on an up-to-date assessment of relative need in local authorities.

Whilst the government is not able to implement funding reform in this spending period, the department remain committed to updating the funding formula for children’s services to better direct resources to where they are most needed, and work will continue across government to that end.