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<p>The department has not made an assessment in this area. Where possible, local authorities
should provide accommodation that is within their local area as moving a child away
from their home area is not a decision to be taken lightly. There are clear statutory
requirements in place to safeguard young people, and it is the responsibility of the
placing local authority and Directors of Children’s Services who must approve all
distant placements.</p><p>Statistically, the department collects data on placement
type, reason for placement change and three separate pieces of information in relation
to the locality of placements. The location data includes:</p><ul><li>information
about the distance the child is placed away from their home postcode</li><li>whether
the placement is located inside or outside their responsible local authority</li><li>the
country of the placement (England, UK or otherwise).</li></ul><p>Figures on placements,
distance from the home placement and the location of the placement, inside or outside
the council boundary, were published in the underlying data ‘National - children looked
after at 31 March by placement type, distance of placement and locality of placement’
of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2019
to 2020’ at: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2020"
target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2020</a>.</p>
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