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1140212

registered interest
date	18/07/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the proportion of looked-after children that have (a) run away and (b) gone missing from homes and hostels not subject to the children’s homes regulations since 2014.
tabling member constituency	Bedford
tabling member printed	Mohammad Yasin
uin	279124
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>Information on the proportion of looked after children who ‘run away’ from homes and hostels, not subject to children’s home regulations, is not collected and categorised under this definition. The information that is collected is the number of looked after children who go missing from residential homes or hostels not bound by children homes regulations. The definition of ‘missing’ is defined as a looked after child who is not at their placement or a place they are expected to be, such as a school, and their whereabouts is not known.</p><p>The table presents the proportion of the number of children who had been looked after at some point during this year in this same type of placement. As these statistics are experimental statistics and based on data collected for the first time in 2015, the figures are not comparable between years. Some authorities have informed the department that they do not record any incidents as 'away without authorisation' but instead report all incidents as 'missing' information. We estimate that around 1 in 3 local authorities record this data this way. We will continue to assess whether the figures are considered robust enough to be classed as national statistics, rather than experimental.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><p><strong>Number and percentage of children who went missing from residential homes<strong>[1]</strong> not subject to Children's homes regulations<strong>[2]</strong> <strong>[3]</strong> <strong>[4]</strong> </strong><strong>(Years ending 31 March 2015 to 2018)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>All children looked after during the year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Children who had a missing incident during the year<strong>[5]</strong></strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Percentage</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>4,690</p></td><td><p>1,460</p></td><td><p>31</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>4,310</p></td><td><p>1,170</p></td><td><p>27</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>3,970</p></td><td><p>840</p></td><td><p>21</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>3,000</p></td><td><p>440</p></td><td><p>15</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The information provided does not mean that the number of children going missing is increasing in the volumes indicated in the table. All figures on the overall number of children who were looked after during the year - who were missing are still classified as experimental statistics. This is the fourth year these statistics have been collected in this way, and local authorities have reported some variation over recent years in how these incidents are recorded.</p><p>For more information, the latest national figures on looked after children who go missing and the number of incidents are published in Table G1 of the statistical release, Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018, which is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018</a>.</p><p>1. Residential accommodation not subject to the Children’s Homes Regulations, but where some supervisory or advice staff are employed (although they do not have to live on the premises). This placement code includes hostels, foyers, YMCAs. Also includes lodgings, flats and bedsits where supervisory staff or advice workers are specifically employed and available to provide advice and support to the residents.</p><p>2. Missing is defined as a looked after child who is not at their placement or a place they are expected to be (e.g. school) and their whereabouts is not known.</p><p>3. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number. See the looked after children statistics guide for more information on rounding.</p><p>4. Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short-term placements.</p><p>5. Includes children who were missing on 1 April, therefore carried over from previous years. Some very young looked after children may go missing with their mothers who may well be looked after themselves.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 23/07/2019 17:11:14 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4598 label Biography information for Mohammad Yasin

1137154

registered interest
date	05/07/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of looked-after children who were taken into care as a result of their mother receiving a custodial sentence in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Stockport
tabling member printed	Ann Coffey
uin	273741
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 12/07/2019 13:04:46 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	458 label Biography information for Ann Coffey

1132854

registered interest
date	18/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in 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 Children and Social Work Act 2017, when he plans to update the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	266173
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>It remains our intention to undertake a review of the regulations, as committed to during the passage of the Children and Social Work Bill, as soon as resources permit. In the meantime, we are clear that allowing reasonable contact between looked-after children and their siblings is absolutely right where this is in the best interests of the children involved and the Children Act (1989) already provides for this.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 24/06/2019 12:41:17 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

1132885

registered interest
date	18/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) quality and (b) provision of accommodation for 16 and 17 year old children in care.
tabling member constituency	North East Bedfordshire
tabling member printed	Alistair Burt
uin	266105
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>Local authorities have a duty to consider the placement for each child and are required to ensure that children in care are provided with suitable accommodation that meets their needs.</p><p> </p><p>Many children in care aged 16 and 17 live in foster care or children’s homes, which are inspected by Ofsted. Data from Ofsted’s latest annual report (2017/18) show that 84% of providers are judged as good or outstanding and 2% are inadequate.</p><p> </p><p>We are supporting local authorities to increase sufficiency of fostering, secure and non-secure residential placements and ensure that placements meet children’s needs. This includes investing £5 million in an innovation programme funding 3 projects to increase councils residential care capacity and improve commissioning practice.</p><p> </p><p>In fostering, we have invited local authorities and their partners to bid for seed funding to conduct feasibility studies into new or expanded collaborative approaches. This is across sufficiency planning, commissioning, recruitment and training of foster parents. In addition, arrangements for young people preparing to step up to, or down from residential care, or return home from foster care. The department is also increasing the number of secure children’s homes beds through our £40 million capital grants programme. In addition, the department has invested nearly £6 million in a pilot programme called Staying Close, which will provide further support for young people leaving residential care.</p><p> </p><p>Where it is judged to be in the child’s best interests, local authorities can also accommodate children in care and care leavers aged 16 or 17 in suitable unregulated provision.</p><p>Suitable accommodation is defined in regulations in the Children Act Volume 2 statutory guidance, a copy of which is available at the following link: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441643/Children_Act_Guidance_2015.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441643/Children_Act_Guidance_2015.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Unregulated accommodation can be the right option for some older children in care and care leavers aged 16 or 17, providing a stepping-stone towards living as an independent adult. In some cases, the quality of accommodation provided may not be reaching the standards we would expect, so I have asked Sir Alan Wood, the Chair of the Residential Care Leadership Board, to collect evidence to help us understand where improvements might be needed.</p><p> </p><p>In light of Sir Alan Wood’s findings, we will consider whether further steps need to be taken to ensure that all children in care aged 16 or 17 are living in settings that are safe and provide the wrap-around support that they need.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 24/06/2019 11:55:45 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt

1129685

registered interest
date	04/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on accommodation standards for 16 and 17 year olds in care.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	259860
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>Local authorities are responsible for commissioning sufficient accommodation to meet the needs of children in care and care leavers; and to ensure that this accommodation is ‘suitable’.</p><p> </p><p>Suitable accommodation is defined in the Children Act Volume 2 guidance, which states that settings used to accommodate children in care should:</p><p> </p><ul><li>be suitable for the child in light of their needs, including their health needs;</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>ensure the responsible authority has satisfied itself as to the character and suitability of the landlord or other provider;</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>comply with health and safety requirements relating to rented accommodation; and</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>ensure the responsible authority has, so far as reasonably practicable, taken into account the child’s: wishes and feelings; and education, training or employment needs.</li></ul><p> </p><p>A copy of the guidance is available at the following link: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441643/Children_Act_Guidance_2015.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441643/Children_Act_Guidance_2015.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p>This definition of suitable accommodation also applies to settings used to accommodate care leavers aged 16 or 17.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 10/06/2019 16:49:14 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1127816

registered interest
date	21/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of children in unregistered children's homes in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Ashton-under-Lyne
tabling member printed	Angela Rayner
uin	257079
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally.</p><p>Information on the placements of children looked-after is collected annually and published in the statistical release “Children looked after in England (including adoptions): 2017 to 2018”. The latest release is available on the department’s statistical web page at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018</a>. Previous releases can be located here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children</a>.</p><p>Any child specifically placed in unregistered provision could be reported across a number of placement categories, but not exclusively in any, so we can not estimate the number of children placed within unregistered homes.</p><p>Unregulated accommodation can be the right option for some older children in care and care leavers aged 16 or 17, providing a stepping-stone towards moving into an independent tenancy.</p><p>However, I want a better understanding of the use of this type of provision and have commissioned a piece of research to understand the issues related to the use of unregistered and unregulated provision. Sir Alan Wood, in his role as chair of the Residential Care Leadership Board, will oversee this work, which will develop our understanding of the reasons for local authorities placing children in these settings and their quality. I visited some unregulated provision on 23 May to further my knowledge of this type of accommodation.</p><p>In May, I wrote to all Directors of Children’s Services asking them to ensure that the accommodation they use is suitable; and to ensure that young people are getting the support they need.</p><p>I take providing appropriate support to young people in care and leaving care very seriously. That is why the government is funding local authorities to implement ‘Staying Put’, which allows care leavers to stay with their foster carer up to the age of 21, and piloting ‘Staying Closer’ in 8 local authorities, which provides an enhanced support offer for young people leaving residential care.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 04/06/2019 13:06:05 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4356 label Biography information for Angela Rayner

1125713

registered interest
date	09/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) number of and (b) reasons for children being taken into care.
tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
tabling member printed	Tim Farron
uin	252568
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>Information on the number of children who started to be looked after during the year by reason is published in Table C1 in the statistical release ‘Children Looked After in England including Adoption’ at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018</a>. Information for children taken into care is shown in the attached tabled.</p><p>The government wants every child to be in a stable, loving home that is right for them. One of the key principles of the legislation which underpins the UK’s child protection system, is that children are best looked after within their families. However, that is not always possible and, as a last resort, local authorities can apply to the courts for a care or supervision order where the child is suffering, or is at risk of suffering, significant harm. In making their decisions, the courts must be satisfied that the threshold for significant harm has been met and that taking the child from his or her family’s care will be in the child’s best interests.</p><p> </p><p>Where a child cannot live at home, we must make sure they are safe and receive the highest quality care, which is why we are working hard to improve the social care support for children across England through our reform programme, Putting Children First. We have also established the Children’s Social Care What Works Centre, whose initial research priority focuses on ‘what works in safely reducing the need for children to enter care’.</p><p> </p><p>In the Autumn Budget, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced an additional £410 million for adult and children’s social care in 2019-20. A further £84 million is also being invested over the next 5 years through the Strengthening Families, Protecting Children programme. This programme will support up to 20 local authorities with high or rising demand for children’s social care services to improve the support offered to vulnerable children and their families. Through this, we aim to enable more children to stay at home thriving in stable family environments, and safely reduce the number of children entering care.</p><p> </p><p>Across the government, we are also tackling the problems that cause children to be in need in the first place. This includes better supporting those with alcohol-dependent parents, the introduction of landmark legislation for those affected by domestic abuse, preventing young people being drawn into serious violence, and unprecedented investment in early years education and support for children and young people’s mental health.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 252574 question first answered 14/05/2019 15:46:32 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi attachment 1 file name 252568_252574_Children_In_Care_Table.doc title 252568_252574_Table
tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

1125743

registered interest
date	09/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he has taken to reduce the number of children being taken into care; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of measures implemented by his Department to support that aim.
tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
tabling member printed	Tim Farron
uin	252574
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>Information on the number of children who started to be looked after during the year by reason is published in Table C1 in the statistical release ‘Children Looked After in England including Adoption’ at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018</a>. Information for children taken into care is shown in the attached tabled.</p><p>The government wants every child to be in a stable, loving home that is right for them. One of the key principles of the legislation which underpins the UK’s child protection system, is that children are best looked after within their families. However, that is not always possible and, as a last resort, local authorities can apply to the courts for a care or supervision order where the child is suffering, or is at risk of suffering, significant harm. In making their decisions, the courts must be satisfied that the threshold for significant harm has been met and that taking the child from his or her family’s care will be in the child’s best interests.</p><p> </p><p>Where a child cannot live at home, we must make sure they are safe and receive the highest quality care, which is why we are working hard to improve the social care support for children across England through our reform programme, Putting Children First. We have also established the Children’s Social Care What Works Centre, whose initial research priority focuses on ‘what works in safely reducing the need for children to enter care’.</p><p> </p><p>In the Autumn Budget, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced an additional £410 million for adult and children’s social care in 2019-20. A further £84 million is also being invested over the next 5 years through the Strengthening Families, Protecting Children programme. This programme will support up to 20 local authorities with high or rising demand for children’s social care services to improve the support offered to vulnerable children and their families. Through this, we aim to enable more children to stay at home thriving in stable family environments, and safely reduce the number of children entering care.</p><p> </p><p>Across the government, we are also tackling the problems that cause children to be in need in the first place. This includes better supporting those with alcohol-dependent parents, the introduction of landmark legislation for those affected by domestic abuse, preventing young people being drawn into serious violence, and unprecedented investment in early years education and support for children and young people’s mental health.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 252568 question first answered 14/05/2019 15:46:32 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi attachment 1 file name 252568_252574_Children_In_Care_Table.doc title 252568_252574_Table
tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

1125436

registered interest
date	08/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data his Department holds on the number of children of offenders currently in the care system.
tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
uin	252096
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>​The department does not collect information specifically on the number of children of offenders taken into care and the costs associated with this.</p><p>Information is collected on the main category of need for which a child is looked-after, including low income, family in acute stress or family dysfunction, but within those categories offending by a parent is not identified separately as a reason for a child to be looked-after. The main category of need is dependent on an individual child’s circumstances; not solely a shared characteristic of parental offending. Children who are in need simply because a parent has been imprisoned but the reason for imprisonment bears no relation to the child being in need can be included as in need under the category of absent parenting.</p><p>The cost of support and care placements varies across individual children. Local authorities are required to submit their spending on children in care to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, which is published annually. We also publish information on the average weekly unit costs of looked after children, by local authority, in the Local Authority Interactive Tool.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 252107 question first answered 14/05/2019 10:00:16 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1125449

registered interest
date	08/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an assessment of the cost to the public purse of children of offenders taken into care in the latest period for which data is available.
tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
uin	252107
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>​The department does not collect information specifically on the number of children of offenders taken into care and the costs associated with this.</p><p>Information is collected on the main category of need for which a child is looked-after, including low income, family in acute stress or family dysfunction, but within those categories offending by a parent is not identified separately as a reason for a child to be looked-after. The main category of need is dependent on an individual child’s circumstances; not solely a shared characteristic of parental offending. Children who are in need simply because a parent has been imprisoned but the reason for imprisonment bears no relation to the child being in need can be included as in need under the category of absent parenting.</p><p>The cost of support and care placements varies across individual children. Local authorities are required to submit their spending on children in care to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, which is published annually. We also publish information on the average weekly unit costs of looked after children, by local authority, in the Local Authority Interactive Tool.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 252096 question first answered 14/05/2019 10:00:16 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft