Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children they estimate will be included in the registers proposed under clause 48 of the Schools Bill [HL].
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The proposed Children Not In School registers are intended to help with the identification of children being educated otherwise than at school and, in particular, those who are currently children missing education.
At present, there is no accurate picture of how many of these children there are at a local or national level. The introduction of the registers should, however, help to address this.
In the latest Association of Directors of Children's Services annual survey (in 2021), they estimated that approximately 81,000 children across all 152 local authorities in England were electively home-educated on school census day, 7 October 2021. The department would therefore anticipate, at least, similar numbers of children coming within scope of the registers.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what comparative assessment they have made of the incidence of neglect of children (1) in mainstream schools, and (2) who are home-schooled.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The duty on local authorities under the Children Act 1989 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need, including where children are at risk of or experiencing neglect, applies regardless of where children are educated.
Data on children educated at home is not collected on a national basis, and therefore no assessment has been made of the incidence of neglect of these children compared to those educated in mainstream schools. Data and analysis from the attached ‘Children in Need’ review, published in March 2018, shows that for all children, 17.6% of assessments made following a referral to children’s social care identify neglect as a factor; this has not been broken down by educational setting. The most recent triennial analysis of serious case reviews, published by the NSPCC in 2016, references four cases where children who were abused and neglected had been educated at home.
On 10 April 2018, the department launched a call for evidence on home education, which covers the issues of registration, monitoring and support for families which educate their children at home. Additionally, we are consulting on revised guidance for local authorities and parents, and the draft guidance addresses the interface between home education and safeguarding issues. The consultation is attached.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to use police to visit the homes of home-schooled children who have not been in contact with public services for a set amount of time.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
There are no such plans. If there are concerns about the safety or well-being of a child who is being educated at home, local authorities already have a range of powers available under the Children Act 1989 (The Act), which allow them to seek a court order to access a family home. The Act includes provision for the police to remove a child to suitable accommodation where there is reasonable cause to believe that a child would otherwise be likely to suffer significant harm. The police can also provide assistance to local authority staff in an emergency. These powers apply for any child, whether educated at home or at school, but only where a child is in need of emergency protection.
The government published on 10 April a call for evidence about elective home education, and also began a consultation on revised guidance for local authorities and parents. This closes on 2 July.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the future of the pilot Access to Elected Office Fund.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Access to Elected Office Fund was a pilot established in 2012 to test this type of support for disabled candidates. We are now reviewing the findings of the assessment of the pilot and anticipate making an announcement in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by The Children's Society <i>Getting the house in order</i>, which found that few 16 and 17 year-olds are being properly assessed and supported when they present as homeless.
Answered by Lord Nash
The Department for Education is clear about how local authorities should support 16 and 17 year-olds presenting as homeless. The report from the Children’s Society, ‘Getting the house in order’ reminds local authorities to ensure that under-18s who are homeless receive the help they need. The government has no current plans to legislate on this issue, but we are taking action to ensure that all homeless people have access to the help that they need: we have invested £500 million in homelessness services, including funding for the development of the ‘Youth accommodation pathway’ service model. This is designed to support all young people remain in the family home where it is safe to do so, and offer tailored support options for those that cannot remain in the family home, including supported accommodation as a starting point for 16- to 17-year-olds.
With regard to 16- to 17-year-old care leavers, revised statutory guidance was issued to local authorities in 2010, setting out how they can better meet the needs of this group. It makes clear that local authorities should work pro-actively with young people and their families to identify and resolve issues which have led them to become homeless. The guidance also underlines the importance of effective agency collaboration between Children’s Services and Housing Services.
The guidance reminds Housing Services that applicants cannot be considered to have become homeless intentionally if they fail to take up an offer of accommodation; the guidance says that homelessness can only be deemed to be ‘intentional’ where the applicant has ceased to occupy accommodation that it would have been reasonable for him or her to continue to occupy. Local authorities that do not follow these procedures are open to legal challenge. The full statutory guidance on the provision of accommodation for 16- to 17-year-olds who may be homeless or require accommodation can be accessed on GOV.UK.
Since 2013, Ofsted inspections of local authorities’ children’s social care services have included a separate sub-judgement on care leavers, which includes an assessment of whether the local authority is ensuring that care leavers have access to suitable accommodation. Where Ofsted judges that a local authority’s social care services are inadequate, the department may intervene to secure necessary improvements in the quality of care that is provided.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to legislate to prevent under-18s from being considered intentionally homeless and therefore having state support withdrawn.
Answered by Lord Nash
The Department for Education is clear about how local authorities should support 16 and 17 year-olds presenting as homeless. The report from the Children’s Society, ‘Getting the house in order’ reminds local authorities to ensure that under-18s who are homeless receive the help they need. The government has no current plans to legislate on this issue, but we are taking action to ensure that all homeless people have access to the help that they need: we have invested £500 million in homelessness services, including funding for the development of the ‘Youth accommodation pathway’ service model. This is designed to support all young people remain in the family home where it is safe to do so, and offer tailored support options for those that cannot remain in the family home, including supported accommodation as a starting point for 16- to 17-year-olds.
With regard to 16- to 17-year-old care leavers, revised statutory guidance was issued to local authorities in 2010, setting out how they can better meet the needs of this group. It makes clear that local authorities should work pro-actively with young people and their families to identify and resolve issues which have led them to become homeless. The guidance also underlines the importance of effective agency collaboration between Children’s Services and Housing Services.
The guidance reminds Housing Services that applicants cannot be considered to have become homeless intentionally if they fail to take up an offer of accommodation; the guidance says that homelessness can only be deemed to be ‘intentional’ where the applicant has ceased to occupy accommodation that it would have been reasonable for him or her to continue to occupy. Local authorities that do not follow these procedures are open to legal challenge. The full statutory guidance on the provision of accommodation for 16- to 17-year-olds who may be homeless or require accommodation can be accessed on GOV.UK.
Since 2013, Ofsted inspections of local authorities’ children’s social care services have included a separate sub-judgement on care leavers, which includes an assessment of whether the local authority is ensuring that care leavers have access to suitable accommodation. Where Ofsted judges that a local authority’s social care services are inadequate, the department may intervene to secure necessary improvements in the quality of care that is provided.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that 16 and 17 year-olds presenting as homeless receive a seamless joint assessment from Children's Services and Housing Services.
Answered by Lord Nash
The Department for Education is clear about how local authorities should support 16 and 17 year-olds presenting as homeless. The report from the Children’s Society, ‘Getting the house in order’ reminds local authorities to ensure that under-18s who are homeless receive the help they need. The government has no current plans to legislate on this issue, but we are taking action to ensure that all homeless people have access to the help that they need: we have invested £500 million in homelessness services, including funding for the development of the ‘Youth accommodation pathway’ service model. This is designed to support all young people remain in the family home where it is safe to do so, and offer tailored support options for those that cannot remain in the family home, including supported accommodation as a starting point for 16- to 17-year-olds.
With regard to 16- to 17-year-old care leavers, revised statutory guidance was issued to local authorities in 2010, setting out how they can better meet the needs of this group. It makes clear that local authorities should work pro-actively with young people and their families to identify and resolve issues which have led them to become homeless. The guidance also underlines the importance of effective agency collaboration between Children’s Services and Housing Services.
The guidance reminds Housing Services that applicants cannot be considered to have become homeless intentionally if they fail to take up an offer of accommodation; the guidance says that homelessness can only be deemed to be ‘intentional’ where the applicant has ceased to occupy accommodation that it would have been reasonable for him or her to continue to occupy. Local authorities that do not follow these procedures are open to legal challenge. The full statutory guidance on the provision of accommodation for 16- to 17-year-olds who may be homeless or require accommodation can be accessed on GOV.UK.
Since 2013, Ofsted inspections of local authorities’ children’s social care services have included a separate sub-judgement on care leavers, which includes an assessment of whether the local authority is ensuring that care leavers have access to suitable accommodation. Where Ofsted judges that a local authority’s social care services are inadequate, the department may intervene to secure necessary improvements in the quality of care that is provided.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the recommendation of the London Assembly Education Panel, in its report <i>London learners, London lives</i> published on 16 September, that London should be covered by a single London-wide, London-only regional school commissioner.
Answered by Lord Nash
The Department for Education determined the structure for Regional Schools Commissioners in December 2013 and they began their role in September 2014. The Government has not seen evidence that restructuring the regions is necessary and currently has no plans to make changes to the regional boundaries.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was their reason for dividing responsibility for London between three regional school commissioners.
Answered by Lord Nash
The Regional Schools Commissioners structure has been designed to share London’s expertise and track record in school improvement with wider geographic areas.