The department is continuing to listen to the views of care experienced individuals as part of its response to the Independent Review of Children\u2019s Social Care. Three individuals with experience of the children\u2019s social care system will sit on the National Implementation Board and provide advice and challenge on the government\u2019s overall plan to reform children\u2019s social care. The department is also committed to hearing from care experienced individuals on specific policy areas including on a new National Framework for Children\u2019s Social Care.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4487", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rochester and Strood"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kelly Tolhurst"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-10-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-10-17T14:19:49.237Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-10-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Children's Social Care Independent Review"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report of the Independent Review of children's social care published on 23 May 2022, whether the Department for Education will take steps to prioritise listening to care-experienced young people in implementing the sections of that report which relate to its work.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4864", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Olivia Blake"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sheffield, Hallam"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Olivia Blake"} ], "uin" : "58931"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1518860", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1518860/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Social Work England\u2019s budget has been set in discussion with HM Treasury as part of the department\u2019s Spending Review settlement for the three-year period 2022/23 to 2024/25.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4487", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rochester and Strood"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kelly Tolhurst"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-10-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-10-21T16:15:54.077Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-10-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Social Work England"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Government's proposals to reduce the number of government agencies, what discussions he has had with (a) HM Treasury and (b) Social Work England on that body's future (i) operation and (ii) budget; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4046", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Bridget Phillipson"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Houghton and Sunderland South"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Bridget Phillipson"} ], "uin" : "58937"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1518868", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1518868/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The department does not have plans to make changes to Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility. However, we continue to monitor the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue. The department will continue to keep FSM eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them.<\/p>
In setting a threshold, the government believes that the current level, which enables children to benefit from FSM, while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools, is the right one.<\/p>
The latest published statistics show that around 1.9 million pupils are claiming FSM. This equates to 22.5% of all pupils, up from 20.8% in 2021. Together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through the Universal Infant Free School Meal policy, the greatest ever proportion of school children, 37.5%, are now provided with FSM.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4487", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rochester and Strood"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kelly Tolhurst"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-10-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-10-21T16:18:25.463Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-10-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Free School Meals"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to analysis by Child Poverty Action Group and its finding that 800,000 children in poverty do not qualify for free school meals, published on 9 June 2022, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of this analysis.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4769", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Daisy Cooper"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "St Albans"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Daisy Cooper"} ], "uin" : "58974"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1518894", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1518894/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The department will be publishing a detailed and ambitious implementation strategy in due course, which will set out our approach to reforming children\u2019s social care. We thank Barnardo\u2019s for their ongoing engagement on children\u2019s social care reform with officials in the department and welcome the opportunity to meet with the hon. Member for Sheffield Hallam and Barnardo\u2019s later this year, following the publication of the implementation strategy.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4487", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rochester and Strood"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kelly Tolhurst"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-10-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-10-17T14:00:17.247Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-10-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Children: Social Services"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report of the Independent Review of children's social care published on 23 May 2022, if he will meet with the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam and Barnardo's to discuss (a) prioritising early intervention in children's social services and (b) improving outcomes for children in the care system.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4864", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Olivia Blake"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sheffield, Hallam"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Olivia Blake"} ], "uin" : "59058"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1519058", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1519058/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The department does not collect teaching assistant vacancy numbers as part of the school workforce census, nor does it monitor vacancies within schools.<\/p>
Schools can recruit teaching assistants according to their own circumstances. In the last two years, schools have recruited 10,000 more teaching assistants, taking the headcount to the highest on record. The department is committed to helping schools with their recruitment and provides guidance on the use and training of teaching assistants in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision Green Paper, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-review-right-support-right-place-right-time<\/a>. The department has also provided guidance on the use of support staff in schools in the school resource management guidance, which can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-excellent-school-resource-management<\/a>.<\/p> The department has funded the development of a number of good practice guidance documents through its SEND schools\u2019 workforce contracts, including a Teaching Assistant Deployment Review Guide, which can be accessed at: https://www.sendgateway.org.uk/resources/teaching-assistant-deployment-review-guide<\/a>.<\/p>