Select Committee · Education Committee

Children’s social care

Status: Closed Opened: 22 Nov 2024 Closed: 2 Feb 2026 14 recommendations 64 conclusions 1 report

In December 2023, the previous Education Committee began an important inquiry into the state of children's social care in England. Unfortunately, this work was interrupted by the General Election and the dissolution of Parliament on 30 May 2024, which meant all select committees were disbanded. Recognising the critical nature of this subject, the new Education … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
4th Report - Children’s social care HC 430 10 Jul 2025 78 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
9 Conclusion 4th Report - Children’s social care Rejected

Clarify specific family group decision-making model within statutory guidance for consistent practice.

The Department should clarify the specific model of FGDM in statutory guidance to ensure that best practice is followed in all local authorities. (Recommendation, Paragraph 22)

Government response AI summary
The government states it does not prescribe a specific model of Family Group Decision Making (FGDM), leaving the decision to local authorities, but will provide general statutory and best practice guidance to support delivery.
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Department for Education
19 Conclusion 4th Report - Children’s social care Rejected

Publish national children's social care sufficiency strategy and mandate local out-of-area placement reduction plans.

The Department for Education must publish a national sufficiency strategy for children’s social care as a matter of urgency and publish data on the extent to which sufficiency requirements are being met on an annual basis. It should also require all local authorities to develop and publish strategies for reducing … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects publishing a national sufficiency strategy, stating that local authorities are best placed for sufficiency planning. Instead, they are supporting regional collaboration through Regional Care Cooperatives and investing £560 million to expand local authority placements.
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Department for Education
36 Conclusion 4th Report - Children’s social care Rejected

Extend Pupil Premium Plus and priority school admissions to all kinship care children.

The Department for Education should extend Pupil Premium Plus funding and priority school admissions to all children who meet the new statutory definition of living in kinship care. (Recommendation, Paragraph 85)

Government response AI summary
The government rejects extending Pupil Premium Plus funding and priority school admissions to all children in kinship care, citing limited evidence and a lack of national data. They are, however, exploring collecting this data for future policy development.
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Department for Education
45 Conclusion 4th Report - Children’s social care Rejected

Develop universal standards of care applicable to all children's homes, including supported accommodation.

The Department for Education must follow the recommendation of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care and develop universal standards of care that apply to all homes, including supported accommodation, ensuring that children in all settings receive care where they live. (Recommendation, Paragraph 105) Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejected the recommendation to develop a single universal set of standards, stating it is instead focusing on updating outdated National Minimum Standards and aligning them with more recently developed ones.
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Department for Education

Oral evidence sessions

8 sessions
Date Witnesses
18 Mar 2025 Fran Oram · Department for Education, Janet Daby MP · The Department for Education View ↗
11 Feb 2025 Dan Turnbull · Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Georgia Sullivan, Jake Hartley, Lamar Mohsen, Louise Fitt, Mr Sam Turner · Kinship, Mrs Denise Rawls · The National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL), Roger Gough · The County Councils Network (CCN) View ↗
21 Jan 2025 Andy Smith · Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS), Anna Edmundson · National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), Annie Hudson · Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, Claire Throssell MBE, Lynn Perry MBE · Barnardo’s, Rob Williams · National Association of Head Teachers View ↗
17 Dec 2024 Councillor Arooj Shah · Local Government Association (LGA), Dr Mark Kerr · Children’s Homes Association, Harriet Edwards · Sense, James Bury · CoramBAAF, Jo Harrison · National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF), Katharine Sacks-Jones · Become, Maris Stratulis · British Association of Social Workers England, Matthew Horne · Innovation Unit View ↗
30 Apr 2024 Annie Hudson · Child Safeguarding Review Panel, Ms Katie Ghose · Kids, Professor Michelle McManus, Professor of Safeguarding and Violence Prevention, Stephen Kingdom · Disabled Children’s Partnership, Tina Emory OBE · National Network of Parent Carer Forums, Yvette Stanley · Ofsted View ↗
16 Apr 2024 Emily Frith · Adoption UK, Lucille Allain · Association of Professors of Social Work, Lucy Peake · Kinship, Mary Jackson · Frontline, Matt Clayton · Coventry City Council, Sarah Thomas · The Fostering Network View ↗
26 Mar 2024 Dan Turnbull · Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Dr Mark Kerr · Children’s Homes Association, John Pearce · Association of Directors of Children’s Services, Mr Andrew Isaac · Children’s Services Development Group, Ms Lucy Croxton · Together Trust, Roger Gough · The County Councils Network (CCN), Stuart Ashley · Hampshire County Council View ↗
27 Feb 2024 Dinithi Wijedasa · Bristol University, Dr Ray Jones · Kingston University, June Thoburn CBE · University of East Anglia, Katharine Sacks-Jones · Become, Lynn Perry MBE · Barnardo’s, Will McMahon · Care Leavers’ Association View ↗

Who gave evidence

44 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Dan Turnbull · Director, Markets Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) 2
Dr Mark Kerr · Chief Executive Children’s Homes Association 2
Katharine Sacks-Jones · Chief Executive Become 2
Lynn Perry MBE · Chief Executive Barnardo’s 2
Roger Gough · Children’s Services Spokesperson The County Councils Network (CCN) 2
Andy Smith · President Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) 1
Anna Edmundson · Head of Policy and Public Affairs National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) 1
Annie Hudson · Chair Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel 1
Annie Hudson · Chair Child Safeguarding Review Panel 1
Claire Throssell MBE 1
Councillor Arooj Shah · Chair of Children and Young People Board Local Government Association (LGA) 1
Dinithi Wijedasa · Associate Professor Bristol University 1
Dr Ray Jones · Professor Kingston University 1
Emily Frith · CEO Adoption UK 1
Fran Oram · Portfolio Director for Children’s Social Care Ref… Department for Education 1
Georgia Sullivan 1
Harriet Edwards · Head of Policy Sense 1
Jake Hartley 1
James Bury · Head of Policy, Research and Development CoramBAAF 1
Janet Daby MP · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister … The Department for Education 1
Jo Harrison · Director and Co-Chair National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) 1
John Pearce · President Association of Directors of Children’s Services 1
June Thoburn CBE · Professor University of East Anglia 1
Lamar Mohsen 1
Louise Fitt 1
Lucille Allain · Co-Chair Association of Professors of Social Work 1
Lucy Peake · CEO Kinship 1
Maris Stratulis · National Director British Association of Social Workers England 1
Mary Jackson · CEO Frontline 1
Matt Clayton · Strategic Lead for Children in Care and Care Leav… Coventry City Council 1
Matthew Horne · Chief Executive Officer Innovation Unit 1
Mr Andrew Isaac · Chair Children’s Services Development Group 1
Mr Sam Turner · Associate Director of Policy and Public Affairs Kinship 1
Mrs Denise Rawls · Executive Director The National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) 1
Ms Katie Ghose · CEO Kids 1
Ms Lucy Croxton · Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager Together Trust 1
Professor Michelle McManus, Professor of Safeguarding and Violence Prevention 1
Rob Williams · Senior Policy Advisor National Association of Head Teachers 1
Sarah Thomas · CEO The Fostering Network 1
Stephen Kingdom · Campaign Manager Disabled Children’s Partnership 1
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Correspondence

5 letters
DateDirectionTitle
15 Jul 2025 To cttee Letter from Minister for Children and Families on New Children's Homes dated 09…
23 Apr 2025 To cttee Letter from Minister for Children and Families on Children's Social Care, dated…
8 Apr 2025 From cttee Letter to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Children and Fam…
7 Jan 2025 To cttee letter from Maris Stratulis, National Director, BASW England on Children's Soci…
24 May 2024 Correspondence to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children, Fami…