Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Adoption UK The Adoption Barometer: A stocktake of adoption in the UK, published in June, and, in particular, (1) the recommendation for a 10-year commitment to the Adoption Support Fund in England, (2) their finding that only 54 per cent of respondents felt the process for accessing the Adoption Support Fund was clear and only 51 per cent felt it was completed in a timely fashion, (3) the recommendation that all education and health professionals are trained in early childhood trauma, and (4) the recommendation that adoption support should be extended to at least the age of 26.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
Improving adoption is a manifesto commitment and Adoption UK’s Adoption Barometer report is a valuable resource for informing policy debate. We will be considering the report carefully as part of our planning for funding for future years.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the (a) implications for his policies of the finding of Adoption UK’s report entitled Adoption Barometer Report 2021 that only 45 per cent of respondents felt their child’s teachers had a good understanding of the needs of care-experienced children and (b) potential merits of giving education and health professionals statutory training in early childhood trauma and associated conditions.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Improving adoption is a manifesto commitment, and Adoption UK’s Adoption Barometer report is a valuable resource for informing policy debate. We will be considering the report carefully as part of our planning for funding for future years.
We will also continue to work with regional adoption agencies and voluntary adoption agencies to ensure that services are delivered to the same high standard and quality across the country. Agencies are already working together closely to improve and standardise the front door service for prospective adopters.
With reference to the Adoption Support Fund, the department sets budgets through the Spending Review process. The 2020 Spending Review set departmental budgets for the financial year 2021-22. We will set out plans for future years funding in due course.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that the training provided to senior leadership teams in schools on how to support students after a terrorist attack close to their school or home is (a) appropriate to the (i) age and (ii) development and social understanding and (b) sensitive to the religious needs of those students.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
High-quality professional development is important for teachers and leaders at all stages of their careers to ensure they receive appropriate support and to enable them to constantly improve their practice. Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rightly rest with schools, headteachers and teachers themselves as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements. We recommend that all Continuous Professional Development is underpinned by the 'Standard for teachers' professional development'.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for School Standards, gave on 4 November to questions 7039, 7040, 7041, 7042 and 7632. These answers emphasised the department’s commitment to supporting schools and colleges in promoting good mental wellbeing, providing a supportive environment for pupils experiencing problems and secure access to more specialist help for those who need it, which can be especially important for children who have experienced trauma.
These answers given by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for School Standards, referred to the fact that, in November 2018, the department updated its advice on mental health and behaviour in schools. This advice directs schools towards information on how trauma and adverse childhood experiences, such as bereavement, can affect individual children. The advice also explains how schools can adapt their approach to support these pupils within the context of a school environment that sets clear expectations of behaviour and clear routines.
Schools also need to be able to have access to specialist mental health support where pupils need it. We are taking forward the proposals set out in our Green Paper ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision’. There are 3 core commitments that are intended to support local areas to support children and young people’s mental health as quickly as possible.
The commitments will incentivise all schools and colleges to identify and train a Senior Mental Health Lead; to fund new Mental Health Support Teams (which will be supervised by NHS Children and Young People’s Mental Health staff) and the piloting of a 4-week waiting time for access to specialist NHS children and young people’s mental health services.
As part of the Green Paper proposals, the government also committed to provide mental health awareness training for a member of staff from all state-funded secondary schools in England by March 2020. This programme is funded and managed by the Department of Health and Social Care. The Green Paper can be accessed via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision-a-green-paper.
The department works closely with the cross-government Victims of Terrorism Unit to ensure the guidance they provide is accurate and includes the most relevant, up to date material, including material from the Department for Health in relation to mental health support. The Victims of Terrorism guidance also includes resources for teachers to use in the immediate aftermath of a terrorist incident.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he is taking steps to ensure that training and support guidance provided to senior leadership teams in schools after a terrorist attack close to the school or homes of their students is empirically tested to ensure that it meets the needs of teachers and students; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
High-quality professional development is important for teachers and leaders at all stages of their careers to ensure they receive appropriate support and to enable them to constantly improve their practice. Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rightly rest with schools, headteachers and teachers themselves as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements. We recommend that all Continuous Professional Development is underpinned by the 'Standard for teachers' professional development'.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for School Standards, gave on 4 November to questions 7039, 7040, 7041, 7042 and 7632. These answers emphasised the department’s commitment to supporting schools and colleges in promoting good mental wellbeing, providing a supportive environment for pupils experiencing problems and secure access to more specialist help for those who need it, which can be especially important for children who have experienced trauma.
These answers given by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for School Standards, referred to the fact that, in November 2018, the department updated its advice on mental health and behaviour in schools. This advice directs schools towards information on how trauma and adverse childhood experiences, such as bereavement, can affect individual children. The advice also explains how schools can adapt their approach to support these pupils within the context of a school environment that sets clear expectations of behaviour and clear routines.
Schools also need to be able to have access to specialist mental health support where pupils need it. We are taking forward the proposals set out in our Green Paper ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision’. There are 3 core commitments that are intended to support local areas to support children and young people’s mental health as quickly as possible.
The commitments will incentivise all schools and colleges to identify and train a Senior Mental Health Lead; to fund new Mental Health Support Teams (which will be supervised by NHS Children and Young People’s Mental Health staff) and the piloting of a 4-week waiting time for access to specialist NHS children and young people’s mental health services.
As part of the Green Paper proposals, the government also committed to provide mental health awareness training for a member of staff from all state-funded secondary schools in England by March 2020. This programme is funded and managed by the Department of Health and Social Care. The Green Paper can be accessed via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision-a-green-paper.
The department works closely with the cross-government Victims of Terrorism Unit to ensure the guidance they provide is accurate and includes the most relevant, up to date material, including material from the Department for Health in relation to mental health support. The Victims of Terrorism guidance also includes resources for teachers to use in the immediate aftermath of a terrorist incident.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to ensure that training and support provided to senior leadership teams in schools situated close to where a terrorist attack took place is informed by the work of psychologists or trained professionals.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
High-quality professional development is important for teachers and leaders at all stages of their careers to ensure they receive appropriate support and to enable them to constantly improve their practice. Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rightly rest with schools, headteachers and teachers themselves as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements. We recommend that all Continuous Professional Development is underpinned by the 'Standard for teachers' professional development'.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for School Standards, gave on 4 November to questions 7039, 7040, 7041, 7042 and 7632. These answers emphasised the department’s commitment to supporting schools and colleges in promoting good mental wellbeing, providing a supportive environment for pupils experiencing problems and secure access to more specialist help for those who need it, which can be especially important for children who have experienced trauma.
These answers given by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for School Standards, referred to the fact that, in November 2018, the department updated its advice on mental health and behaviour in schools. This advice directs schools towards information on how trauma and adverse childhood experiences, such as bereavement, can affect individual children. The advice also explains how schools can adapt their approach to support these pupils within the context of a school environment that sets clear expectations of behaviour and clear routines.
Schools also need to be able to have access to specialist mental health support where pupils need it. We are taking forward the proposals set out in our Green Paper ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision’. There are 3 core commitments that are intended to support local areas to support children and young people’s mental health as quickly as possible.
The commitments will incentivise all schools and colleges to identify and train a Senior Mental Health Lead; to fund new Mental Health Support Teams (which will be supervised by NHS Children and Young People’s Mental Health staff) and the piloting of a 4-week waiting time for access to specialist NHS children and young people’s mental health services.
As part of the Green Paper proposals, the government also committed to provide mental health awareness training for a member of staff from all state-funded secondary schools in England by March 2020. This programme is funded and managed by the Department of Health and Social Care. The Green Paper can be accessed via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision-a-green-paper.
The department works closely with the cross-government Victims of Terrorism Unit to ensure the guidance they provide is accurate and includes the most relevant, up to date material, including material from the Department for Health in relation to mental health support. The Victims of Terrorism guidance also includes resources for teachers to use in the immediate aftermath of a terrorist incident.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that the (a) emotional, (b) organisational and (c) training needs of teachers are met when they support students who are (i) vulnerable and (ii) experiencing mental health issues as a result of terrorist incidents near their school or home.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is committed to supporting schools to promote good mental wellbeing, provide a supportive environment for pupils experiencing problems and secure access to more specialist help for those who need it. This can be especially important for children who have experienced trauma. In November 2018, the Department updated its advice on Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools. It directs schools towards information on how trauma and adverse childhood experiences such as bereavement can affect individual children and how schools can adapt their approach to support these pupils within the context of a school environment which sets clear expectations of behaviour and clear routines. It also highlights the importance of continuous professional development to ensure staff have the knowledge and confidence to identify the early signs of mental health problems.
The Department is taking forward the proposals set out in our green paper ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision’. There are three core commitments, which are intended to support local areas to support children and young people’s mental health as quickly as possible.
The commitments will incentivise all schools and colleges to identify and train a Senior Mental Health Lead; to fund new Mental Health Support Teams (which will be supervised by NHS children and young people’s mental health staff) and the piloting of a four-week waiting time for access to specialist NHS children and young people’s mental health services. As part of the Green Paper proposals, the Government also committed to provide Mental Health Awareness Training for a member of staff from all state funded secondary schools in England by March 2020. This programme is funded and managed by DHSC.
The Department provides support for schools to help them manage their security effectively so that they can meet their obligations and ensure they have in place sensible and proportionate security policies and plans, covering various scenarios – including terrorism. As part of our regular review, the Department has been working with educational institutions and local authorities to better understand what role it should play in supporting institutions to better prepare for and respond to a terrorist incident that affects the sector. As a result, the Department has developed incident response guidance. This guidance signposts resources and highlights areas for consideration in the immediate aftermath and the days and weeks following a terrorist incident that affects pupils, students or staff. A key part of the guidance is signposting resources for those experiencing mental health issues as a result of terrorist incidents near their school or home. The Department works closely with the cross-government Victims of Terrorism Unit to ensure the guidance we provide is accurate and includes the most relevant, up to date material. We expect to publish this in November.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to train and support senior leadership teams in schools to support their students after a terrorist attack close to the school or homes of their students.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is committed to supporting schools to promote good mental wellbeing, provide a supportive environment for pupils experiencing problems and secure access to more specialist help for those who need it. This can be especially important for children who have experienced trauma. In November 2018, the Department updated its advice on Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools. It directs schools towards information on how trauma and adverse childhood experiences such as bereavement can affect individual children and how schools can adapt their approach to support these pupils within the context of a school environment which sets clear expectations of behaviour and clear routines. It also highlights the importance of continuous professional development to ensure staff have the knowledge and confidence to identify the early signs of mental health problems.
The Department is taking forward the proposals set out in our green paper ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision’. There are three core commitments, which are intended to support local areas to support children and young people’s mental health as quickly as possible.
The commitments will incentivise all schools and colleges to identify and train a Senior Mental Health Lead; to fund new Mental Health Support Teams (which will be supervised by NHS children and young people’s mental health staff) and the piloting of a four-week waiting time for access to specialist NHS children and young people’s mental health services. As part of the Green Paper proposals, the Government also committed to provide Mental Health Awareness Training for a member of staff from all state funded secondary schools in England by March 2020. This programme is funded and managed by DHSC.
The Department provides support for schools to help them manage their security effectively so that they can meet their obligations and ensure they have in place sensible and proportionate security policies and plans, covering various scenarios – including terrorism. As part of our regular review, the Department has been working with educational institutions and local authorities to better understand what role it should play in supporting institutions to better prepare for and respond to a terrorist incident that affects the sector. As a result, the Department has developed incident response guidance. This guidance signposts resources and highlights areas for consideration in the immediate aftermath and the days and weeks following a terrorist incident that affects pupils, students or staff. A key part of the guidance is signposting resources for those experiencing mental health issues as a result of terrorist incidents near their school or home. The Department works closely with the cross-government Victims of Terrorism Unit to ensure the guidance we provide is accurate and includes the most relevant, up to date material. We expect to publish this in November.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the mental health of (a) children under 12 and (b) young people under 18 of terrorist attacks near their school or home.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is committed to supporting schools to promote good mental wellbeing, provide a supportive environment for pupils experiencing problems and secure access to more specialist help for those who need it. This can be especially important for children who have experienced trauma. In November 2018, the Department updated its advice on Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools. It directs schools towards information on how trauma and adverse childhood experiences such as bereavement can affect individual children and how schools can adapt their approach to support these pupils within the context of a school environment which sets clear expectations of behaviour and clear routines. It also highlights the importance of continuous professional development to ensure staff have the knowledge and confidence to identify the early signs of mental health problems.
The Department is taking forward the proposals set out in our green paper ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision’. There are three core commitments, which are intended to support local areas to support children and young people’s mental health as quickly as possible.
The commitments will incentivise all schools and colleges to identify and train a Senior Mental Health Lead; to fund new Mental Health Support Teams (which will be supervised by NHS children and young people’s mental health staff) and the piloting of a four-week waiting time for access to specialist NHS children and young people’s mental health services. As part of the Green Paper proposals, the Government also committed to provide Mental Health Awareness Training for a member of staff from all state funded secondary schools in England by March 2020. This programme is funded and managed by DHSC.
The Department provides support for schools to help them manage their security effectively so that they can meet their obligations and ensure they have in place sensible and proportionate security policies and plans, covering various scenarios – including terrorism. As part of our regular review, the Department has been working with educational institutions and local authorities to better understand what role it should play in supporting institutions to better prepare for and respond to a terrorist incident that affects the sector. As a result, the Department has developed incident response guidance. This guidance signposts resources and highlights areas for consideration in the immediate aftermath and the days and weeks following a terrorist incident that affects pupils, students or staff. A key part of the guidance is signposting resources for those experiencing mental health issues as a result of terrorist incidents near their school or home. The Department works closely with the cross-government Victims of Terrorism Unit to ensure the guidance we provide is accurate and includes the most relevant, up to date material. We expect to publish this in November.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of terrorist attacks on the academic progression of (a) children under 12 and (b) young people under 18 who live near to the place an attack happened.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is committed to supporting schools to promote good mental wellbeing, provide a supportive environment for pupils experiencing problems and secure access to more specialist help for those who need it. This can be especially important for children who have experienced trauma. In November 2018, the Department updated its advice on Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools. It directs schools towards information on how trauma and adverse childhood experiences such as bereavement can affect individual children and how schools can adapt their approach to support these pupils within the context of a school environment which sets clear expectations of behaviour and clear routines. It also highlights the importance of continuous professional development to ensure staff have the knowledge and confidence to identify the early signs of mental health problems.
The Department is taking forward the proposals set out in our green paper ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision’. There are three core commitments, which are intended to support local areas to support children and young people’s mental health as quickly as possible.
The commitments will incentivise all schools and colleges to identify and train a Senior Mental Health Lead; to fund new Mental Health Support Teams (which will be supervised by NHS children and young people’s mental health staff) and the piloting of a four-week waiting time for access to specialist NHS children and young people’s mental health services. As part of the Green Paper proposals, the Government also committed to provide Mental Health Awareness Training for a member of staff from all state funded secondary schools in England by March 2020. This programme is funded and managed by DHSC.
The Department provides support for schools to help them manage their security effectively so that they can meet their obligations and ensure they have in place sensible and proportionate security policies and plans, covering various scenarios – including terrorism. As part of our regular review, the Department has been working with educational institutions and local authorities to better understand what role it should play in supporting institutions to better prepare for and respond to a terrorist incident that affects the sector. As a result, the Department has developed incident response guidance. This guidance signposts resources and highlights areas for consideration in the immediate aftermath and the days and weeks following a terrorist incident that affects pupils, students or staff. A key part of the guidance is signposting resources for those experiencing mental health issues as a result of terrorist incidents near their school or home. The Department works closely with the cross-government Victims of Terrorism Unit to ensure the guidance we provide is accurate and includes the most relevant, up to date material. We expect to publish this in November.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the practice of contested adoption on the well-being of the child.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The information requested is not held centrally. Individual decisions on adoption are ultimately taken by an independent judge based on the evidence presented.
Adverse childhood experiences such as neglect or abuse often cause lifelong problems. In most cases, local authorities will provide support so that children can remain with their birth families. However, for those children who cannot live with their birth parents, it is vital we find them permanent new homes as quickly as possible, whether that be by adoption, special guardianship or long-term fostering. Adoption can be transformative for many children and can provide them with the stability and care they need to recover from the trauma they may have experienced in early life.