Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 32
32
Accepted
Strengthen legislation for sibling contact, collect and annually publish data on separation.
Recommendation
The Department should strengthen the legislation relating to sibling contact to ensure that children in care are placed with siblings whenever it is in their best interests, and that where they cannot be placed together, regular contact between siblings is facilitated and sustained. The Department should collect data on sibling separation in all forms of care and publish this on at least an annual basis. (Recommendation, Paragraph 76)
Government response summary AI-generated
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will place a duty on local authorities to assess sibling relationships and support contact or placement together. The department is exploring options for collecting data on sibling separation and contact.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
We fully recognise the importance of sibling relationships for children in care. Existing legislation, including the Children Act 1989, already places a duty on local authorities to place siblings together wherever reasonably practicable and to support meaningful contact where joint placement is not possible. These requirements are reinforced through statutory guidance and oversight by Independent Reviewing Officers and Ofsted. While we do not currently collect national data on sibling separation, local authorities are expected to record this information in individual care and placement plans. Introducing a national data collection would place additional burdens on frontline services without necessarily improving outcomes. Our focus remains on supporting good practice and ensuring that the existing legal framework is implemented effectively to prioritise and sustain sibling relationships.
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