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834023

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adoption
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on the time taken to place children in need of adoption with a family under adoption scorecards.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	125780
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2018 answer text <p>The Adoption Scorecards show the three year average figures on adoption timeliness and are published here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-scorecards" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-scorecards</a>.</p><p>The latest figures show the average time between a child entering care and moving in with their adoptive family, for children who have been adopted between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2016.</p><p>The department’s main source of information on adoption timeliness is the Children looked after in England including adoption statistical first release published 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> and Table E2 of the national tables found in the link, shows annual figures on adoption timeliness.</p><p><strong><br> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 02/02/2018 14:51:48 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

834336

	registered interest
	date	31/01/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adoption
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress is being made on the regionalisation of local authority adoption teams.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	125956
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2018 answer text <p>There are currently six live Regional Adoption Agencies covering 31 local authorities. Another 12 Regional Adoption Agencies are working towards going live. We are working with the remaining local authorities on their plans to form a Regional Adoption Agency.</p><p>The government is committed to regionalising the adoption system to ensure those children, for whom adoption is the right path, are given the best chance of finding a loving family as quickly as possible. All local authorities should be part of a Regional Adoption Agency by 2020.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 05/02/2018 16:59:24 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

834337

	registered interest
	date	31/01/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adoption
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the current number of adopters is in England; and how many children are awaiting adoption.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	125957
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2018 answer text <p>The department’s main source of information on adoption is the Children looked after in England including adoption statistical first release published here:</p><p><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>Table E4 of the national tables shows that there were 2,580 children waiting with a placement order who were not yet placed for adoption at 31 March 2017.</p><p>The Adoption Leadership Board (ALB) quarterly survey shows further information on adopters recruited by local authorities and voluntary adoption agencies in England. The reports are published here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/adoption-system-performance" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/adoption-system-performance</a>.</p><p>The latest quarterly data shows that there were 2,800 approved adoptive families waiting to be matched with children at 30 September 2016.</p><p><strong><br> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 05/02/2018 16:54:02 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

824420

	registered interest
	date	17/01/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Disadvantaged
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has plans to conduct a review of support available for vulnerable children.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	123221
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2018 answer text <p>The department has committed to undertake a review into children in need, to understand the challenges these children face and the support available to meet these challenges through schools and children’s social care. This commitment was made in the ‘Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential’ Social Mobility Action Plan in December 2017. The action plan is viewable here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/667690/Social_Mobility_Action_Plan_-_for_printing.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/667690/Social_Mobility_Action_Plan_-_for_printing.pdf</a>.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 22/01/2018 17:53:36 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

834039

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Disadvantaged
	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 22 January 2018 to Question 123221, when his Department plans to begin its review of children in need.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	125796
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2018 answer text <p>The department has committed to undertake a review into children in need, to understand the needs of these vulnerable children.</p><p>Already, we are building an evidence base, including to address a critical challenge around how far children in need are currently supported through targeted and effective practice to reduce risk within families and prevent harm from escalating. To this end, the department has invested £6 million from the Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme specifically to test targeted support for children in need.</p><p>Work has been underway within the department in order to scope the review, including through looking at the current evidence available and speaking to professionals in children’s social care and schools, and other experts.</p><p>We intend to complete this scoping exercise before beginning the review.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 02/02/2018 14:56:03 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

821512

	registered interest
	date	12/01/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Social Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which local authorities' children’s services departments are now (a) independent trusts and (b) community interest companies; and what the associated costs were of setting up each of those trusts and companies.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	122430
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/01/2018 answer text <p>There are currently two independent trusts established with support from this department: the Doncaster Children’s Service Trust (established in October 2014) and Slough Children’s Services Trust (established in September 2015). The department paid £2.9 million and £3.3 million towards set up costs for Doncaster and Slough respectively.</p><p> </p><p>Sunderland County Council established a community interest company, Together for Children, in April 2017. The department’s contribution to the set up costs for this company was £2.5 million.</p><p> </p><p>‘Achieving for Children’ (AfC) is also a community interest company that was established in 2014 to provide services for Richmond and Kingston. It was established independently from the department and we did not contribute to its set up. AfC receive money through the Partners In Practice programme and has recently expanded into a third local authority (Windsor and Maidenhead).</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 17/01/2018 17:29:30 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

822834

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Social Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which local authorities children's services departments are exempt from statutory guidance; what those exemptions are; and what steps his Department takes to monitor and review those exemptions.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	122517
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2018 answer text <p>Six local authorities are currently exempt from statutory guidance. These are:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Hackney;</li><li>Hammersmith &amp; Fulham;</li><li>Hartlepool;</li><li>Kensington &amp; Chelsea;</li><li>Wandsworth; and</li><li>Westminster.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p>These local authorities are testing a more flexible assessment process with the aim of delivering improved outcomes and focussed interventions for children and families. Each local authority is subject to conditions including if any concerns arise about the safety of children, the flexibility may be withdrawn. These exemptions relate to the following timescales from ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ statutory guidance:</p><ul><li>45 working days for completion of social work assessments;</li><li>15 working days between the strategy discussion and the initial child protection conference; and</li><li>10 working days from the initial child protection conference to the first core group meeting if a child becomes the subject of a child protection plan.</li></ul><p>Exemption from these timescales allow for local authority innovation in service delivery and empower social workers and their managers to determine the complex balance between ‘thoroughness and depth’ and the ‘timeliness and proportionality’ of each assessment.</p><p>These trials were instigated post the 2011 Munro Review of Child Protection.</p><p>All local authorities are monitored through regular Ofsted inspection regimes.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 18/01/2018 15:23:02 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

823096

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Social Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average cost was to a local authority of preparing for and supporting Ofsted in conducting the Single Inspection Framework for Children's Services in 2017.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	122779
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2018 answer text <p>This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to you and a copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 122781 122783 question first answered 18/01/2018 15:19:50 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

823098

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Social Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what duty is placed on inspectors under the Single Inspection Framework for Local Authority Children's Services to (a) observe social workers in practice and (b) speak with (i) children, (ii) parents and (iii) carers inclusive of foster carers.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	122781
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2018 answer text <p>This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to you and a copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 122779 122783 question first answered 18/01/2018 15:19:50 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

823100

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Social Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether an external evaluation has been completed on the Single Inspection Framework for local authority children's services departments; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	122783
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2018 answer text <p>This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to you and a copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 122779 122781 question first answered 18/01/2018 15:19:50 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck