Recommendations & Conclusions
59 items
1
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
We were highly concerned to be told by the Department that their most up-to-date data on characteristics of children in children’s homes is from an ad-hoc 2016 data release—now seven years out of date.
Government response. Data is of critical importance to having a clear picture and understanding of the experiences and outcomes of looked-after children. We will publish the recommended breakdowns in the 2023 releases.
Department for Education
2
Recommendation
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Accepted
The Department must annually publish statistics on looked-after children, disaggregated by placement type, including key metrics on gender, ethnicity, age, special educational needs, and rates of out-of-area placements. (Paragraph 6) Overcoming the odds: education outcomes and the lack of post-16 funding
Government response. The Department will publish the recommended breakdowns in the 2023 releases, in conjunction with the department’s policy on confidentiality. They have committed to publishing additional stability analysis in November 2022.
Department for Education
3
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The Department’s data on the educational outcomes of children in care does not distinguish between placement type. Existing data is not good enough, it does not provide the visibility into the education of children in care that we would expect to see. The poor-quality data is a barrier to scrutiny …
Government response. Data is of critical importance to having a clear picture and understanding of the experiences and outcomes of looked-after children. We will publish the recommended breakdowns in the 2023 releases. Improving data was one of the government’s commitments made in …
Department for Education
4
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The Department must urgently tackle the black hole of data on the educational outcomes of children in children’s homes. It must commit to annual data publication through a data dashboard on outcomes for looked-after children which is disaggregated by care placement type, including flagging when the child is living in …
Government response. Data is of critical importance to having a clear picture and understanding of the experiences and outcomes of looked-after children. We will publish the recommended breakdowns in the 2023 releases. Improving data was one of the government’s commitments made in …
Department for Education
5
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
It is welcome that the Department has announced a further year of funding for the extension of Virtual School Head duties to include all children with a social worker. Children with a social worker face significant barriers to education, but unlike looked-after children, have not had the benefit of a …
Government response. The extended role of the Virtual School Head (VSH) was a key recommendation and commitment from the government’s 2019 Review of Children in Need13–a recommendation made all the more important given the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on this group …
Department for Education
6
Recommendation
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Deferred
The new Virtual School Head duty to promote the education of children with a social worker must be given a statutory footing by 2023, with statutory guidance to accompany this. The statutory powers of Directors of Children’s Services towards the education of children with a social worker should be delegated …
Government response. Longer-term plans for the extended role of the Virtual School Head, including whether to put it on a statutory footing, are under active consideration and will be informed by the work of their independent research partner, the Rees Centre at …
Department for Education
7
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Processes to scrutinise how local authorities are spending their Pupil Premium Plus grant are insufficient. There must be strengthened accountability with clear penalties for local authorities who are not properly spending the grant on raising the educational attainment of looked-after children. (Paragraph 30) Educational poverty: how children in residential care …
Government response. The department’s statutory guidance Promoting the education of looked-after children and previously looked-after children,15 is clear about Pupil Premium Plus (PP+), stating that, “VSHs, working with education settings, should implement PP+ arrangements for all looked-after children,” and “All VSHs should …
Department for Education
8
Recommendation
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Accepted in Part
Local authorities must annually report to Ofsted, accounting for how every penny of their Pupil Premium Plus grant is being spent. The Department must strengthen its guidance on the grant, stipulating that all funding must be allocated via the Virtual School Head, and the Virtual School Head be awarded powers …
Government response. The department will consider further changes to the guidance and specifically whether it should stipulate that the VSH must sign-off on all use of the funding and whether more detailed financial information should be included in the Virtual School Annual …
Department for Education
9
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
There is a cliff-edge in Pupil Premium Plus funding when a looked-after pupil turns
Government response. There is a cliff-edge in Pupil Premium Plus funding when a looked-after pupil turns
Department for Education
16
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The needs of looked-after pupils do not suddenly cease to exist when they turn
Department for Education
10
Recommendation
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Deferred
The case for extending Premium Plus is clear. The Department must extend Pupil Premium Plus funding beyond age 16 to ensure looked-after pupils are receiving the support they deserve to succeed throughout their education.
Government response. The Department ran a pilot to extend Pupil Premium Plus style funding to looked-after children and care leavers in further education, and the evaluation will inform next steps. Further details about the continuation of the funding will be provided in …
Department for Education
11
Recommendation
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Deferred
When rolled out nationally, post-16 Pupil Premium Plus funding must be calculated using the same funding formula as for the pre-16 cohort. Virtual School Heads must ensure Post-16 Pupil Premium Plus funding is used on specific, evidence- based interventions to improve progress and outcomes of looked-after pupils. Given that 41% …
Government response. The Department ran a pilot to extend Pupil Premium Plus style funding to looked-after children and care leavers in further education, and the evaluation will inform next steps. Further details about the continuation of the funding will be provided in …
Department for Education
12
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The School Admissions Code is not working in the interests of looked-after children. The admissions system is weighted in favour of schools, and against the interests of looked-after pupils. The absence of sanctions means it is a risk-free process for schools to refuse to admit a looked-after child. This enables …
Government response. As set out in the response to other recommendations above, looked-after children have priority in school admissions and statutory guidance for VSHs states that, when arranging a looked after child’s education placement, schools judged by Ofsted to be ‘Good’ or …
Department for Education
13
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The Department must take greater responsibility for policing the school admissions system to ensure it is working in the interests of looked-after children. There must be a clear sanctions mechanism in place for schools who consistently refuse or delay admissions of looked-after children. The lever for this accountability should be …
Government response. 107. As set out in the response to other recommendations above, looked-after children have priority in school admissions and statutory guidance for VSHs states that, when arranging a looked after child’s education placement, schools judged by Ofsted to be ‘Good’ …
Department for Education
14
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Under section 497 of the Education Act 1996, the Secretary of State has the power to take legal action against local authorities who are not meeting their statutory duties 46 Educational poverty: how children in residential care have been let down and what to do about it relating to the …
Department for Education
15
Recommendation
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The Schools White Paper sets out a new backstop power for local authorities to direct trusts to admit children. This is a very welcome step forward. It would enable the local authority to immediately secure an education place for the looked-after child, putting the onus on the school to justify …
Department for Education
17
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The Department must introduce a reporting and accountability requirement for local authorities to provide data on how many admissions of looked-after children have been contested or refused by schools. It should be made mandatory for local authorities to report all instances of schools blocking admissions to Office of the Schools …
Department for Education
18
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Much more needs to be done to speed up school admissions for looked-after children. We heard from Ofsted that it can take “many months” for a local authority to go through the admissions adjudications process.
Department for Education
19
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Where the involvement of the Schools Adjudicator is required for admissions decisions for looked-after children, these decisions must be made within a maximum 20-day timeframe.
Department for Education
20
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
All too often children in care face a David versus Goliath battle to gain admission to their local good or outstanding school. Despite the law clearly stating that good and outstanding schools should be prioritised for looked-after children, children in children’s homes are in fact less likely to attend the …
Government response. As set out in the response to other recommendations above, looked-after children have priority in school admissions and statutory guidance for VSHs states that, when arranging a looked after child’s education placement, schools judged by Ofsted to be ‘Good’ or …
Department for Education
21
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Responsibility and accountability for getting looked-after children into their most appropriate local good or outstanding school should lie with the Virtual School Head.
Government response. As set out in the response to other recommendations above, looked-after children have priority in school admissions and statutory guidance for VSHs states that, when arranging a looked after child’s education placement, schools judged by Ofsted to be ‘Good’ or …
Department for Education
22
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
We have highlighted the need for clear sanctions for schools who refuse to admit looked-after pupils, enforced through the impact on the school’s Ofsted judgement. We have also highlighted the need for much quicker decisions to be made by the Schools Adjudicator when the admissions code is breached. And the …
Department for Education
23
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Ofsted must make outcomes for looked-after children a limiting judgement on a school. If a school is not delivering good or outstanding progress and outcomes for looked- after pupils, it should not be able to gain a good or outstanding judgement. Ofsted should amend its education inspection framework to reflect …
Department for Education
24
Recommendation
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Access to specialist mental health support is essential in supporting children in care, and the Government must commit to funding specialist mental health support for every school. It must also invest targeted funding to fully level-up spend per-child on mental health, and to reduce mental health waiting lists to no …
Department for Education
25
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Research by Ofsted has identified that of a sample of 2,600 children living in children’s homes, 9% of children in residential care are receiving ‘education’ in unregulated settings, and a further 6% are not in education, employment or training. The true picture may be even worse. We’ve heard concerns that …
Government response. Data is of critical importance to having a clear picture and understanding of the experiences and outcomes of looked-after children. We will publish the recommended breakdowns in the 2023 releases.
Department for Education
26
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
All looked-after children should be receiving full-time education in a DfE registered school—it is unacceptable for local authorities to settle for unregulated education provision as an alternative.
Government response. Accept in principle. The department agrees with the principle that all children should receive the best possible education and that unregulated provision should only be used in very limited circumstances. However, we need to be assured that such a move …
Department for Education
27
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The 2022 Schools White Paper proposes a new statutory framework to govern children’s movements to ensure that education placements are made in the child’s best interests, especially where the child is vulnerable. Looked-after children, who are particularly at risk of moving between schools and missing education, must be prioritised within …
Government response. Accept in principle. The department recognises the instability that placement moves can cause for looked-after children and that these children would particularly benefit from the proposals in the Schools White Paper. Proposals in the Schools White Paper will ensure that …
Department for Education
28
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The 2022 Schools Bill sets out a new duty for local authorities to maintain a register of children not in school. Alongside this, the Department must issue guidance to clearly outline how it will hold Directors of Children’s Services to account where the looked- after children they are responsible for …
Government response. Accept in principle. The department recognises the need to hold Directors of Children’s Services (DCSs) to account in terms of looked-after children not in school and failing to receive the education they deserve. This will be considered as part of …
Department for Education
29
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
As part of the proposed register of children not in school, the Department must set out how it will collect and publish data on how many looked-after children are falling through the gaps by missing education or being ‘educated’ in unregulated education provision. This data should form part of a …
Government response. Accept in principle. The department recognises the need for more detailed data in terms of looked-after children who are missing education. This will be considered as part of our wider work to develop an implementation strategy to the care review.
Department for Education
30
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 places a duty on local authorities to provide children with suitable full-time education. However, there is no Departmental guidance outlining how this responsibility should be implemented, and no clear consequences for non-compliance. Given that Ofsted has identified that 9% of a sample of …
Government response. Accept in principle. The department recognises the need for local authorities to be fully discharging their duties in terms of providing suitable full-time education for children in care, including robust guidance to support them in doing so. This will be …
Department for Education
31
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Before the start of the next academic year—at the very latest—the Department should issue robust guidance on how the section 19 duty on local authorities to provide children with a suitable full-time education should be fulfilled by local authorities. Where local authorities are failing to discharge this duty, the sanction …
Government response. We agree with the Committee on the importance of this issue. On 6 July, we laid regulations that mean that no child under the age of 16 can be placed in unregulated accommodation. These regulations came into force on 9 …
Department for Education
32
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The Department has banned unregulated accommodation for children under 16. We hold deep concerns that children aged 16 and 17 can still be placed in unsafe, unsuitable accommodation without care or oversight. No looked-after child should be living in a setting without some form of regulation by Ofsted. It is …
Government response. The government recognises that a balance needs to be struck between children having the ability to live in accommodation that best suits their needs, and safeguarding concerns. The department also understands concerns regarding placement sufficiency across the country, including the …
Department for Education
33
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The Department must aim towards banning unregulated provision for looked-after children once it has addressed placement sufficiency issues using the mechanisms outlined by The independent review of children’s social care. In the meantime, while these reforms are being undertaken, the new set of standards for unregulated provision should be implemented …
Government response. The department recognises that placement moves can have a significantly destabilising impact on looked-after children, and is committed to improving the placement system. This will be considered as part of our wider work to develop an implementation strategy to the …
Department for Education
34
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
41% of looked-after children are placed outside of their local area, and 8,098 children had at least two placement moves over 12 months. A system that is working well does not boast these numbers. Frequent placement moves are destabilising for the child, and all too often result in missed education, …
Government response. The department wants all looked-after children to be cared for in placements that best suit their individual needs, and recognises the importance of those placements being as close to their home area as possible–so they can remain close to their …
Department for Education
35
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Where this is in the child’s best interest, every looked-after child should be cared for in a local care placement, receiving their education at a good or outstanding local school. The Department must take greater responsibility for overseeing the placements system and for driving funded system change to reduce the …
Government response. Accept in principle. The department recognises the need for more detailed data in terms of looked-after children who are missing education. This will be considered as part of our wider work to develop an implementation strategy to the care review.
Department for Education
36
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Current national-level data is not available to illustrate the scale of gaps in education for looked-after children. It should be a priority for the Department to ensure this data is collected and published, so that responsible parties can be held to account when looked-after children are missing education.
Government response. Accept in principle. The department recognises the need for more detailed data in terms of looked-after children who are missing education. This will be considered as part of our wider work to develop an implementation strategy to the care review.
Department for Education
37
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The Department must make it a priority to collect and publish national data on how often school places are not being provided within the statutory 20 school days timeframe for looked-after children under an emergency care order. The lack of data means there is currently no visibility into the scale …
Government response. Accept in principle. The department recognises the need for more detailed data in terms of looked-after children who are missing education. This will be considered as part of our wider work to develop an implementation strategy to the care review.
Department for Education
38
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The Department has set out a new legal requirement for local authorities to maintain registers of children not in school. The Department must issue clear guidance to local authorities on the definition of a child missing education, to ensure that all looked- after children not in the roll of a …
Government response. Accept in principle. The department recognises the need to hold local authorities to account in terms of looked-after children not in school and failing to receive the education they deserve. This will be considered as part of our wider work …
Department for Education
39
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The Department must take overall responsibility for monitoring the register of children not in school, and must set out clear and robust accountability for local authorities who fail to secure full-time places at good or outstanding DfE registered schools for the children they are responsible for looking after.
Government response. 107. As set out in the response to other recommendations above, looked-after children have priority in school admissions and statutory guidance for VSHs states that, when arranging a looked after child’s education placement, schools judged by Ofsted to be ‘Good’ …
Department for Education
40
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The Department must ensure looked-after children are quickly able to access vital mental health support services in a timely way despite being placed out-of-area or moved around. The child must not be disadvantaged in terms of waiting times if they are placed out-of-area, and consideration must be given to maintaining …
Government response. The Department must ensure looked-after children are quickly able to access vital mental health support services in a timely way despite being placed out-of-area or moved around. The child must not be disadvantaged in terms of waiting times if they …
Department for Education
41
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The Government’s SEND reforms must move towards a less adversarial system that places less strain on children and families.
Government response. The Government’s SEND reforms must move towards a less adversarial system that places less strain on children and families.
Department for Education
42
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Over 90% of SEND tribunal decisions are made in favour of the parent and child. But where a child with SEND lives in residential care, and does not have a school place or Education, Health and Care plan that meets their needs, they may effectively have no right of appeal …
Government response. Over 90% of SEND tribunal decisions are made in favour of the parent and child. But where a child with SEND lives in residential care, and does not have a school place or Education, Health and Care plan that meets …
Department for Education
43
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
All looked-after children must have an independent advocate whose function is to champion their best interests, ensuring they are admitted to the best, most appropriate schools, and that they are fully supported to appeal to SEND tribunals where their Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan does not meet their needs. …
Government response. The department agrees that looked-after children need access to a trusted individual who will ensure that their needs are properly met, and it is the role of VSHs to provide this advocacy in respect of looked-after children’s education. Statutory guidance35 …
Department for Education
44
Recommendation
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The Government’s 2022 SEND Green Paper sets out proposals for a more inclusive education system with enhanced mainstream provision for learners with special educational needs. As these reforms are taken forward, the Government must set out its plan to ensure greater numbers of children in residential care—who are currently 20 …
Government response. The SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper is a cornerstone in a suite of reforms. With the Schools White Paper and wider reforms to health and social care, we seek to create a coherent education, health and care system that …
Department for Education
45
Recommendation
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The Government must also increase its investment in SEND provision to ensure that children in care, alongside all pupils with SEND, get the support they need to thrive in education. Children in care are more likely to have experienced educational disruption compared with children not in care. We recognise that …
Government response. We recognise the need for all pupils with SEND to get the support they need to thrive in education. The government is making an unprecedented level of investment into the SEND system: revenue funding in high needs increased by more …
Department for Education
46
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
41% of care leavers aged 19–21 are not in education, employment or training, up from 39% in 2020. This is a shameful reflection of an education and careers system that routinely—and without consequences—fails far too many looked-after children. Too often, the potential of care leavers is not being realised. With …
Government response. 41% of care leavers aged 19–21 are not in education, employment or training, up from 39% in 2020. This is a shameful reflection of an education and careers system that routinely—and without consequences—fails far too many looked-after children. Too often, …
Department for Education
47
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The Department must publish education, employment and training outcomes data disaggregated by care placement type. The absence of disaggregated data is a barrier to scrutiny and accountability and hinders the development of targeted, evidence- based interventions.
Government response. Data is of critical importance to having a clear picture and understanding of the experiences and outcomes of looked-after children. We will publish the recommended breakdowns in the 2023 releases. Improving data was one of the government’s commitments made in …
Department for Education
48
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Careers and employability outcomes for care-experienced young people up to age 25 should be a core part of the Virtual School Head remit. Every Virtual School should have a designated careers lead whose function is to promote and support the career outcomes of looked-after young people. This should be done …
Government response. The Children Act 1989 sets out a statutory duty on local authorities to ensure that all children in care have an effective and regularly reviewed Personal Education Plan (PEP) as part of their Care Plan. The PEP is dedicated to …
Department for Education
49
Recommendation
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
The Government must expand existing the existing Civil Service care leaver internship scheme and other employment schemes, increasing the number of places so that more care leavers can take advantage of, and benefit from, these opportunities.
Government response. The Civil Service care leaver internship scheme has enabled around 700 care leavers to take up posts in over 20 government departments across the UK. The government is committed to continuing to develop the scheme and each year all departments …
Department for Education
50
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Acknowledged
Just 2% of care leavers go on to do an apprenticeship. The apprenticeship wage rate— £4.81 per hour for apprentices aged 16–18 or aged 19 and over and in the first year of their apprenticeship—is prohibitive for young care leavers living independently. This rate is not designed with the needs …
Government response. The government recognizes that care leavers face additional barriers to apprenticeships, which is why they introduced the £1,000 bursary for care leavers, but believes employers should pay apprentices wages.
Department for Education
51
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Rejected
Just 2% of care leavers go on to do an apprenticeship. To address this, the Department must strategically weigh the apprenticeship levy in favour of care-experienced young apprentices under age 25. Too much of the levy is going unspent, the Department reports that £250 million was unspent in 2020/21. Unspent …
Government response. The government acknowledges the barriers faced by care leavers in apprenticeships and describes existing bursaries and employer incentives. However, it rejects weighing the apprenticeship levy in favor of care-experienced young apprentices and increasing the apprentice minimum wage, stating that employers …
Department for Education
52
Recommendation
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Rejected
Where a care leaver is over 25, and an apprenticeship would be their first qualification since leaving compulsory education, the Department must raise the age limit for receipt of the £1,000 apprenticeship bursary from age 25 to age 30. This would recognise that some looked-after children take longer to fulfil …
Government response. The government believes that 25 is a reasonable point of transition and that targeting support on care leavers aged 18–24 to help them as they move to independent living is the best use of resources, so they will not raise …
Department for Education
53
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Accepted
The current lack of statutory support for young people leaving residential care is deeply unjust. The Department’s own evidence rightly acknowledges the “cliff- edge” transition from residential care to independent living at age 18. Staying Close offers a chance to fix this and the pilot has shown promising results including …
Government response. The government has announced funding of £36 million over the next 3 years to extend the Staying Close programme and has asked the What Work’s Centre for Children’s Social Care (WWCSC) to evaluate its effectiveness.
Department for Education
54
Recommendation
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Deferred
The Minister for Children and Families agrees that the Staying Close pilot has produced “very, very good evidence”. Without further delay, the Department must roll out Staying Close nationally as a statutory entitlement. Care leavers must have the right to opt-out of participating in Staying Close if they wish. Ahead …
Government response. The government has announced funding to extend the Staying Close programme and has asked WWCSC to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme to inform further roll-out. The government will respond to the recommendation that Staying Close should be a legal …
Department for Education
55
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Acknowledged
A record 80,850 children are in care. Early intervention is key to tackling the needs of vulnerable families and children before they escalate. The record rise of children in care cannot be disconnected from the 48% reduction in early intervention spending over the last decade. Short-changing early intervention is a …
Government response. The government acknowledges the rising number of children in care and the reduction in early intervention spending. They reiterate existing investments in local services and vulnerable families but maintain that councils are best placed to decide how to spend their …
Department for Education
56
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Acknowledged
Local authorities must tackle the imbalance between the 48% reduction in early intervention spending, and the 34% rise in spending on costlier downstream interventions over the last decade. Local authorities cannot simply achieve this by reshuffling spending priorities and reducing essential support for children at the crisis end. The independent …
Government response. The government acknowledges the imbalance between early intervention and downstream spending and reiterates existing investments in local services and vulnerable families. They state that local councils are best placed to decide how to spend their available funding.
Department for Education
57
Recommendation
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Acknowledged
The Department must set out their response to the £2 billion expenditure proposed by The independent review of children’s social care, indicating how much additional funding they believe is necessary to ensure the care system is fit for purpose, how the additional funding would be deployed and the longer-term cost-benefit …
Government response. The government states that it is carefully assessing the recommendations of the care review, including the recommendation to introduce a new funding formula for children's and young people's services, but provides no specifics on the funding request.
Department for Education
58
Recommendation
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Acknowledged
For far too long, some private providers have extracted significant profits from the public purse, operating under a monopoly market. At the same time, they have not demonstrated equivalent value for taxpayer money in terms of improved outcomes for the vulnerable children they care for. The Government must consider whether …
Government response. The government shares concerns that some providers are making excessive profits and are investing £259 million of capital funding to increase the number of places in open and secure children’s homes run by local authorities. The government will present the …
Department for Education
59
Conclusion
Second Report - Educational poverty: ho…
Acknowledged
We continue to be extremely concerned by media reports of children’s homes— including the recent case of Calcot Services for Children—failing to meet the needs or ensure the safety of the vulnerable children in their care. In the case of Calcot, their children’s homes had been rated good or outstanding …
Government response. The government acknowledges concerns about children's homes and states that the Minister met with Ofsted to discuss actions being taken. Ofsted will write to the Committee separately on the issue.
Department for Education