Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 9
9
Acknowledged
Activities to support vulnerable adolescents cut across at least seven different government departments.16 The Department...
Conclusion
Activities to support vulnerable adolescents cut across at least seven different government departments.16 The Department for Education confirmed to us that it is ultimately responsible for ‘holding the ring’ on vulnerable adolescents and has an overarching responsibility for children and young people.17 It told us its overarching responsibility should not translate into to a single system nor single definition of vulnerability, but rather it tries to get a sense of the co-ordinated picture of support through the Vulnerable Children and Young People Strategy Board.18 We were told this board, which had evolved from an earlier COVID-19 focused board, had met once in September and would meet again in December. The Department for Education said the board is a cross-government officials’ group chaired by Department for Education focused on bringing together government’s understanding of the most complex children and young people.19 The Department for Education told us Ministers would be brought together on particular topics but there was no equivalent ministerial level board.20 The NAO found that local bodies implementing policies led by different departments are navigating complex requirements which can lead to confusion at a local level. It also found that the multiple programmes from government often impact the same local authority teams who themselves are then in some cases working with the same young people.21
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges its leadership role through the Vulnerable Children and Families Strategy Board, which aims to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 2.2 The government is committed to ensuring that at-risk children and young people, including vulnerable adolescents, receive high quality and effective support as soon as a need is identified. 2.3 The DfE exercises its leadership and strategic oversight role through the Vulnerable Children and Families Strategy Board for which it acts as the chair and secretariat. The Board acts as the key forum to bring departments together that are working to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and young people, by joining-up oversight on strategy and agreeing and co-ordinating cross-cutting responses. 2.4 The standing membership has been designed to ensure that representatives from all accountable departments and arms-length bodies are able to contribute to discussion and bring items requiring cross-government input. This includes representatives from Department of Health and Social Care, Home Office, Department for Culture Media and Sport, Department for Levelling-Up Housing and Communities, Department for Work and Pensions, Ofsted, NHS England, Cabinet Office, Ministry of Justice and HM Treasury. 2.5 There is a reasoned basis for not giving any single department leadership responsibility for the needs all adolescents at risk (or indeed any age group at risk). Single needs are best met, by and large, through services with one area of focus overseen by the relevant department. For individuals with multiple overlapping needs, systems and programmes are put in place to enable join up. This includes Children’s Social Care, Family Hubs and targeted programmes like Supporting Families.