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1682854

registered interest
date	17/01/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care: Mental Health Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's planned update to the statutory guidance on Promoting the Health and Wellbeing of Looked After Children, if he will include a (a) specific focus on mental health services for that group as part of that update and (b) strategy for delivering those services in a culturally sensitive manner.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
uin	10002
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>The government gave a commitment to update the statutory guidance, ‘Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children’ and extend it to care leavers up to age 25, in the ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’ strategy for the reform of children’s social care. The update forms part of the wider mission in the strategy, to reduce the disparities in long-term mental and physical health outcomes and improve wellbeing for care-experienced people.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care are taking forward this update together, and work is underway to understand how the current guidance is working in practice and where changes are necessary. This includes consideration of whether there is a need to include further guidance regarding mental health support for looked-after children and care leavers, as well as consideration of whether there is a need to include further guidance relating to cohorts with particular characteristics.</p><p> </p><p>The department will work with a wide range of stakeholders with a diversity of professional and personal experience to ensure that the guidance is sensitive to the health and wellbeing needs of all looked-after children and care leavers, including those with protected characteristics as part of government’s duty under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 22/01/2024 17:44:08 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts

1677565

registered interest
date	12/12/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care: Mental Health Services
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what is their timetable for updating the Statutory Guidance on Promoting the Health and Well-being of Looked After Children, published in March 2015; whether there will be a specific focus on mental health services for this group; and how they plan to deliver updated guidance in a culturally sensitive way.
tabling member printed	Lord Carlile of Berriew
uin	HL1094
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2023 answer text <p>The government gave a commitment to update the statutory guidance, ‘Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children’ and extend it to care leavers up to the age of 25, in the ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’ strategy for the reform of children’s social care. The update forms part of the wider mission in the strategy, ‘to reduce the disparities in long-term mental and physical health outcomes and improve wellbeing for care-experienced people’.</p><p>This commitment was reaffirmed in September 2023, but a timeframe for completing the update has not been set. However, the department and the Department of Health and Social Care continue to work together on this update and will work with a wide range of stakeholders with a diversity of professional and lived experience to ensure that the guidance is sensitive to the health and wellbeing needs of all looked-after children and care leavers.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 21/12/2023 15:47:02 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	1138 label Biography information for Lord Carlile of Berriew

752967

registered interest
date	17/07/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care: Mental Health Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to introduce the pilot scheme to assess the mental health of children entering the care system.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	5605
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2017 answer text <p>We plan to begin the pilots in the new year.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 25/07/2017 16:29:52 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

662848

registered interest
date	20/12/2016
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care: Mental Health Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the mental health assessment pilots for looked-after children announced by her Department in November 2016 will cover both children in care and care leavers.
tabling member constituency	Gateshead
tabling member printed	Ian Mearns
uin	58370
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2017 answer text <p>Care leavers’ experiences before care mean that as a group they have poorer outcomes than other young people. While the Department does not collect data on the relationship between mental health needs and outcomes, our cross-government care leaver strategy, published in July 2016, is based around five issues care leavers identified as barriers to success, including improved access to health support. We also know from our consultations with care leavers that they often find it difficult to access the right mental health support when they leave care which impacts on other areas of their lives. This includes their engagement in education, employment and training.</p><p> </p><p>The Department of Health is represented on a senior Whitehall officials group on care leavers. The Department is working closely with the Department for Health, NHS England and the Expert Working Group to develop the scope of the mental health assessment pilots announced by Lord Nash on 23 November. No decisions have yet been made on the precise scope of the pilots and whether they will cover children in care and care leavers. The terms of reference of the Expert Working Group to develop mental health care pathways for looked after children explicitly include care leavers. We will act on the findings from the Expert Working Group and the mental health assessment pilots.</p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson grouped question UIN 58371 58376 58380 question first answered 11/01/2017 15:08:58 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4000 label Biography information for Ian Mearns

662849

registered interest
date	20/12/2016
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care: Mental Health Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Expert Working Group for looked-after children's mental health plans to publish recommendations on mental health assessments for both looked-after children and care leavers.
tabling member constituency	Gateshead
tabling member printed	Ian Mearns
uin	58371
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2017 answer text <p>Care leavers’ experiences before care mean that as a group they have poorer outcomes than other young people. While the Department does not collect data on the relationship between mental health needs and outcomes, our cross-government care leaver strategy, published in July 2016, is based around five issues care leavers identified as barriers to success, including improved access to health support. We also know from our consultations with care leavers that they often find it difficult to access the right mental health support when they leave care which impacts on other areas of their lives. This includes their engagement in education, employment and training.</p><p> </p><p>The Department of Health is represented on a senior Whitehall officials group on care leavers. The Department is working closely with the Department for Health, NHS England and the Expert Working Group to develop the scope of the mental health assessment pilots announced by Lord Nash on 23 November. No decisions have yet been made on the precise scope of the pilots and whether they will cover children in care and care leavers. The terms of reference of the Expert Working Group to develop mental health care pathways for looked after children explicitly include care leavers. We will act on the findings from the Expert Working Group and the mental health assessment pilots.</p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson grouped question UIN 58370 58376 58380 question first answered 11/01/2017 15:08:58 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4000 label Biography information for Ian Mearns

514426

registered interest
date	20/04/2016
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care: Mental Health Services
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 11 April 2016 to Question 32295, what progress has been made on undertaking a psychological assessment for every child who enters the UK care system.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	34919
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2016 answer text <p>The number and percentage of children looked after who had an SDQ score that suggested their emotional and behavioural health was considered ‘normal’, ‘borderline’ and ‘cause for concern’ is published in national table I5b of the Statistical First Release ‘<em>Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers), year ending 31 March 2015’</em>. This is available at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2014-to-2015" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2014-to-2015</a> .</p><p>The statutory guidance <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-looked-after-children--2" target="_blank">Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children</a> suggests that there should be further investigation by triangulating SDQs completed by the carer and other professionals, where a score indicates the emotional and behavioural health is ‘borderline’ or ‘cause for concern’. Where that confirms the ‘borderline’ or ‘cause for concern’ score there is consideration of a more diagnostic assessment.</p><p>Local authorities, as the corporate parent with responsibility for care planning along with their health partners, will establish whether a looked-after child needs a psychological assessment. The Department does not prescribe whether such an assessment should take place. The Departments of Education and Health are working jointly with NHS England, and others, with an expert group to develop care pathways to better meet the mental health needs of looked-after children. Alison O’Sullivan and Professor Peter Fonagy have just been appointed as co-chairs of the group, whose work will consider the range of assessments needed.</p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson grouped question UIN 34956 question first answered 25/04/2016 16:54:16 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

457736

registered interest
date	04/03/2016
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care: Mental Health Services
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 24 February 2016 to Question 27312, what steps she has taken to reduce the proportion of children and young people entering the care system who have not had their Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire score submitted.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	29816
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2016 answer text <p>The Department for Education and Department of Health strengthened the statutory guidance <em>Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked after children[1]</em> in March 2015 to include information on how Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQs) should be used. The Department wrote to local authorities in 2014 and 2015 to remind them about the purpose and importance of SDQs. Ahead of this year’s data collection (published in September 2016), the Department will also write to Virtual School Heads and Independent Reviewing Officers about the use of SDQs for looked-after children. In addition we are considering how to utilise best practice from local authorities that have had consistently good return rates for SDQ scores in their annual children looked after data returns to the Department.</p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-looked-after-children--2" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-looked-after-children--2</a></p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson grouped question UIN 29817 question first answered 11/03/2016 17:30:45 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

453170

registered interest
date	19/02/2016
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care: Mental Health Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the access to therapeutic services for children who enter the care system.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	27343
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2016 answer text <p>Local authorities are required to comply with a robust care planning framework which clearly sets out their duties in meeting the needs of looked-after children. This includes the assessment of a child’s emotional and mental health and requires the local authority to set out how they will address any needs.</p><p>This framework should ensure that every looked-after child can access the support and services they need. At the Education Select Committee hearing on the mental health and wellbeing of looked-after children on 3 February 2016, the Minister for Community and Social Care announced that the Departments of Health and Education will be setting up an expert group working with NHS England, Health Education England, and sector partners to develop care pathways to support an integrated approach to meeting the needs of looked-after children with mental health difficulties. The experts will be drawn from across the health, social care and education sectors, with input from children, young people, carers and families with experience of the care system.</p><p>In addition, the Department for Education’s £100 million Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme currently supports 53 projects in the development, testing and spreading of more effective ways of supporting children and families who need help. This includes projects focused on providing therapeutic services to improve outcomes for young people, including those looked-after and on the edge of care. The projects are being independently evaluated.</p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 24/02/2016 14:52:16 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

453172

registered interest
date	19/02/2016
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care: Mental Health Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire in assessing the wellbeing of children and young people when they enter the care system.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	27344
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2016 answer text <p>This Government is committed to supporting children in care and the unique challenges that they often face. That is why we’ve put in place a comprehensive package of support, including the introduction of the Pupil Premium Plus and compulsory Virtual School Heads to champion the attainment of children in care. We’ve also changed the rules so foster children can remain at home until 21 and have recognised long-term fostering as a placement in its own right, providing young people with greater stability as they prepare for independence and adult life.</p><p>The Department collects Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores for children looked-after for at least 12 months. The data returned by local authorities are based on questionnaires completed by the child’s main carer. SDQs should inform a looked-after child’s annual health assessment.</p><p>In England, 72% of 5-16 year olds, looked after for at least 12 months, have had an SDQ score submitted. In Birmingham, 85% of these children have had an SDQ score submitted. These figures are correct as of 31 March 2015. More information can be found in the Department’s <em>Statistical First Release Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England at 31 March 2015</em>[1].</p><p>The SDQ is an internationally validated screening tool that provides information about the behavioural and emotional health of children. It has been part of the Department’s statistical collection for looked-after children since 2008. Where the SDQ score from the main carer suggests there may be a problem, the statutory guidance <em>Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children</em>[2]<em>,</em> which is issued jointly by the Department for Education and Department for Health, makes clear that consideration should be given to further assessment.</p><p>The Department recently supported the research undertaken by the Rees Centre at the University of Oxford on <em>The Educational Progress of Looked-After Children in England: Linking Care and Education Data</em>[3]. This research demonstrates that having a high SDQ score was strongly predictive of poor GCSE outcomes. We are discussing the implications of this research with local authority Virtual School Heads.</p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2014-to-2015" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2014-to-2015</a></p><p>[2] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-looked-after-children--2" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-looked-after-children--2</a></p><p>[3]<a href="http://reescentre.education.ox.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EducationalProgressLookedAfterChildrenOverviewReport_Nov2015.pdf" target="_blank"> http://reescentre.education.ox.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EducationalProgressLookedAfterChildrenOverviewReport_Nov2015.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson grouped question UIN 27312 question first answered 24/02/2016 14:51:03 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe