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<p>The Department collects Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores for
children looked-after for at least 12 months. In March 2015, The Department for Education
and Department of Health strengthened the statutory guidance 'Promoting the health
and wellbeing of looked after children'[1] to include information on how Strengths
and Difficulties Questionnaires 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.</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>
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