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The needs of the child are paramount when deciding the right care placement. The Children\u2019s Act 1989 places a duty on local authorities to make sure that there is sufficient provision in their area to meet the needs of children in their care and ensure placements safeguard and promote the child\u2019s welfare. Further, the guidance is clear that the child\u2019s allocated social worker, supported by local authority management and resources, should do everything possible to minimise disruption to the child\u2019s education and, where a child is in key stage 4, a move should only be made in exceptional circumstances. Responsibility for looked-after children sits with the local authority. The guidance and regulations of the Children Act 1989 can be found attached.<\/p>

<\/p>

Every local authority must appoint a Virtual School Head (VSH), who has a statutory duty to promote the educational attainment of all children in their care. All maintained schools and academies must appoint a designated teacher to act as a source of advice and expertise about the needs of the looked-after children on the school\u2019s roll. Looked-after children also have top priority in school admissions and attract Pupil Premium Plus funding of £2,570 per child, up to age 16. This is managed by the VSH, who works with the child\u2019s education setting to deliver objectives in the child\u2019s personal education plan.<\/p>

<\/p>

Whilst the number of placements experienced by looked after children in a one year period has remained broadly stable over the past 5 years, the government recognises there are issues with finding stable placements. That is why the government has announced over £400 million in capital funding to help local authorities create more beds in their local areas which will aim to further reduce the number of children experiencing multiple placements.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4703", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Barran"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Barran"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1714604/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "HL4152 HL4153 attachment - The Children Act 1989 guidance and regulations.pdf"} , "title" : "HL4152 HL4153 Attachment"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-05-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL4153"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-05-14T11:55:13.817Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-04-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Children in Care"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reduce the number of children in care experiencing multiple placements.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2079", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Laming"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Laming"} ], "uin" : "HL4152"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1714605", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1714605/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

The needs of the child are paramount when deciding the right care placement. The Children\u2019s Act 1989 places a duty on local authorities to make sure that there is sufficient provision in their area to meet the needs of children in their care and ensure placements safeguard and promote the child\u2019s welfare. Further, the guidance is clear that the child\u2019s allocated social worker, supported by local authority management and resources, should do everything possible to minimise disruption to the child\u2019s education and, where a child is in key stage 4, a move should only be made in exceptional circumstances. Responsibility for looked-after children sits with the local authority. The guidance and regulations of the Children Act 1989 can be found attached.<\/p>

<\/p>

Every local authority must appoint a Virtual School Head (VSH), who has a statutory duty to promote the educational attainment of all children in their care. All maintained schools and academies must appoint a designated teacher to act as a source of advice and expertise about the needs of the looked-after children on the school\u2019s roll. Looked-after children also have top priority in school admissions and attract Pupil Premium Plus funding of £2,570 per child, up to age 16. This is managed by the VSH, who works with the child\u2019s education setting to deliver objectives in the child\u2019s personal education plan.<\/p>

<\/p>

Whilst the number of placements experienced by looked after children in a one year period has remained broadly stable over the past 5 years, the government recognises there are issues with finding stable placements. That is why the government has announced over £400 million in capital funding to help local authorities create more beds in their local areas which will aim to further reduce the number of children experiencing multiple placements.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4703", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Barran"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Barran"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1714605/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "HL4152 HL4153 attachment - The Children Act 1989 guidance and regulations.pdf"} , "title" : "HL4152 HL4153 Attachment"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-05-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL4152"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-05-14T11:55:13.867Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-04-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Children in Care: Schools"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the number of times children in care must change school.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2079", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Laming"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Laming"} ], "uin" : "HL4153"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1714607", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1714607/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

The government is committed to ensuring that looked-after children are supported to succeed in education and achieve positive outcomes. Every local authority must appoint a virtual school head (VSH), who has a statutory duty to promote the educational attainment of all children in their care. All maintained schools and academies must appoint a designated teacher to act as a source of advice and expertise about the needs of the looked-after children on the school\u2019s roll. Looked-after children also have top priority in school admissions and attract pupil premium plus funding of £2,570 per child, up to age 16. This is managed by the VSH, who works with the child\u2019s education setting to deliver objectives in the child\u2019s Personal Education Plan.<\/p>

<\/p>

In February 2023, the department announced the national rollout of £24 million of pupil premium plus style funding to looked-after children and care leavers at post-16 for the next two years, from 2023/24. This funding, which builds on an initial £8 million pilot that launched in October 2021, gives VHSs the financial levers to positively impact the educational outcomes of looked-after children and care leavers in post-16 education.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4703", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Barran"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Barran"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-05-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-05-09T16:18:13.57Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-04-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Children in Care: Education"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to improve the education of children in care.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2079", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Laming"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Laming"} ], "uin" : "HL4154"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1687676", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1687676/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

The number of looked-after children in the care of their local authority has increased by 2% to 83,840 at 31 March 2023 from 82,080 last year. The number of children in children\u2019s homes has increased by 16% since 2019.<\/p>

The department knows that the care system does not currently work for every child and that there are not enough of the right homes in the right places for children in care, resulting in some children living far from where they call home. Moving a child away is not a decision to be taken lightly and there are legislative safeguards around this. Directors of Children\u2019s Services are required to sign off each decision and Ofsted can challenge where they believe poor decisions are being made. This is to encourage local authorities to place children locally wherever possible.<\/p>

As the Competition and Markets Authority found in their 2022 market study, the largest private providers are making materially higher profits and charging materially higher prices than would be expected if the market was functioning effectively. The department recognises these issues, particularly around large providers with complex ownership structures, and agrees that sometimes placement costs can be too high.<\/p>

In February 2023, the department published \u2018Stable Homes, Built on Love\u2019, which sets out a broad, system-wide transformation. This can be accessed attached. As part of this strategy, the department is:<\/p>