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391401

registered interest
date	20/07/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Foster Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to review (a) standards of foster care and (b) criteria for becoming a foster carer.
tabling member constituency	Clacton
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Carswell
uin	7903
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2015 answer text <p>Ofsted is responsible for the regulation and inspection of all independent fostering services and includes local authority fostering services within their wider inspection protocol.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In 2013, the government streamlined and strengthened the assessment and approval process for foster carers. All foster carers continue to undergo a full and comprehensive assessment before they are approved by a fostering service. Supporting the recruitment and retention of foster carers is a priority - it is through the skills and dedication of these foster carers and those who work with them that we will improve outcomes for looked-after children. From 2013 to 2015, the government also invested £750,000 to support four local authority regional consortia to develop innovative strategies to help them recruit and retain the foster carers they need in their local area. In April 2015, the government also amended regulations to introduce ‘long term foster care’ as a distinct placement type. In cases such as these, statutory guidance is clear that the local authority should assess the ability of the identified foster carer to care for the child (this may be the foster carers currently looking after the child, or new carers who are best able to meet the child’s needs).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson grouped question UIN 7904 question first answered 07/09/2015 15:38:23 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	1527 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Carswell

385395

registered interest
date	24/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Foster Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2015 to Question 334, what plans her Department has to issue new guidance to local authorities on timeframes for visits to privately fostered children.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	3949
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2015 answer text <p>The statutory guidance for local authorities, which sets out duties under the Private Fostering Regulations (England) 2005 including timeframes to visits of privately fostered children, remains current. There are no plans to update it. The guidance is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-act-1989-private-fostering" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-act-1989-private-fostering</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 01/07/2015 15:13:59 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

381811

registered interest
date	17/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Foster Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 26 March 2015 to Question 228386, what steps her Department plans to take in relation to the four authorities found to be in breach of visiting timescales for children in private fostering arrangements.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	2986
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2015 answer text <p>I have issued statutory directions or improvement notices in the case of all four authorities found to be in breach of visiting timescales for children privately fostered, requiring improvements to be made. Each has a tailored intervention programme designed to address the weaknesses in children’s services highlighted by Ofsted.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 25/06/2015 12:47:44 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

348612

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Foster Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the provisions of the Education and Adoption Bill will address the interests of children in fostering and other arrangements.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	1161
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>The legislation that the Department for Education is bringing forward in the Education and Adoption Bill relates to adoption. It will ensure that, once the decision is made that adoption is the best outcome for a child, children are found loving homes without delay. If local authorities wish to pursue other permanence services as well as adoption services, they have the freedom to do so.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 10/06/2015 15:58:56 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

347318

registered interest
date	28/05/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Foster Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2015 to Question 228386, what specific weaknesses were found in the timelines of visits to children who are privately fostered.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	334
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2015 answer text <p>According to our records, examined in March 2015, Ofsted found that in five authorities - Birmingham, Blackpool, Calderdale, Coventry and Swindon - visits to privately fostered children were not always made within statutory timeframes as set out in the Private Fostering Regulations (England) 2005.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As set out in response to PQ 228386, four of the five authorities - all bar Swindon - are subject to formal intervention measures. The Department for Education drew this information from 45 Ofsted inspection reports of local authority children’s social care published under the single inspection framework.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 04/06/2015 15:53:15 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe