Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 30
30
Accepted
Fund Mockingbird constellations and align housing policy to boost foster carer recruitment.
Conclusion
The Department for Education should fund the planned recruitment hubs to set up Mockingbird constellations in every local authority. The Department should work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that housing policy is designed to support the recruitment of foster carers. This should include: investing in and scaling up innovative housing programmes such as Room Makers; giving approved foster carers priority for a move to a larger home if needed; enabling local authorities to fund housing extensions and adaptations for foster carers; and enabling local authorities to use the planning system to secure larger social homes for allocation to eligible social housing tenants who are approved as foster carers. (Recommendation, Paragraph 74)
Government Response Summary
The government states that existing social housing allocation schemes already allow councils to prioritise foster carers for larger homes and that capital funding supports renovations for foster care homes. They do not commit to funding Mockingbird recruitment hubs or specifically address the 'Room Makers' programme or the planning system recommendations.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
We recognise that housing shortages impact foster carer capacity. The Government’s Plan for Change includes an ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million safe, decent homes in England during this Parliament. A new, 10-year, £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme will kickstart social and affordable housebuilding at scale across the country. Additionally, capital funding will support renovations or expansions of foster care homes to increase capacity. Councils design their own social housing allocation schemes within a legal framework set by central government. They must prioritise certain groups such as people who are homeless, those with medical or welfare needs, and people in overcrowded housing. ‘Welfare needs’ include foster carers, adopters, and kinship carers who require larger homes to accommodate a looked after child or a child who was previously looked after by a local council. Social housing guidance highlights the duty under s.22G of the Children Act 1989 for children’s services to ensure sufficient accommodation for looked after children. Councils should work with children’s services and may reserve housing for those needing to move to foster or adopt. As outlined in Delivering a Decade of Renewal for Social and Affordable Housing (July 2025), we will support councils in aligning social housing with local needs and keep allocation guidance under review.