Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Acknowledged
Rising care numbers demand cross-departmental action to address external contributing factors.
Conclusion
The pressure caused by rising numbers of children coming into care is putting serious strain on the system. The only way to effectively reduce these numbers is to address the factors outside the care system which are contributing to this demand, including poverty, poor parental mental health, the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, and extra- 83 familial harms. This will require the Department for Education to work closely with other relevant departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions; the Department of Health and Social Care; the Home Office; and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (Conclusion, Paragraph 26)
Government Response Summary
The government states its commitment to reducing children in care through investment in family help and preventative services. It also details new market management measures via the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and pledges to work across government on sufficiency, with further details to be published.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government is committed to reducing the number of children entering care by supporting families to stay together safely. This is why we are investing in family help, kinship care and preventative services throughout the country. Where care is necessary, it is vital that children are placed in homes that meet their needs, in the right place and as close to their families and communities as possible. This is our key objective for sufficiency, and we are working to address existing capacity challenges. We are implementing new market management measures through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, including establishing a mechanism to hold groups of providers to account for improvement and strengthening the financial oversight of providers. These measures aim to create a more diverse and responsive market, capable of meeting the varying needs of children and ensuring high-quality, local placements. We are working with local authorities, across government and with the sector to support the delivery of these changes, and we will publish further details on our national approach to sufficiency in due course.