Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of reducing the fair access limit of the adoption and special guardianship support fund on families; and what steps she is taking to ensure that children covered by the fund will continue to receive adequate therapeutic services.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department’s recently published policy paper specified that families should receive support immediately when the child is placed, delivering on our mission to provide children with the best start in life. Regular discussions are held with other departmental ministers on these issues.
The department recently announced £8.8 million for Adoption England to improve adoption services and help regional adoption agencies to put in place support to respond more effectively to adoptive families in crisis.
The department is also ensuring that children in kinship care get the right support. This includes promoting their educational and mental health needs and supporting their carers. We are also delivering over 140 kinship peer support groups and a package of training and support for kinship carers.
The £50 million adoption and special guardianship support fund will continue to enable families to access a significant package of therapeutic support. Local areas may supplement with their own funding as needed.
Statutory guidance states that all local authorities must publish information about services for children in kinship care and how they will meet their needs. It states that children should receive the support they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. All local authorities should be clear what support services they provide.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that children and families in adoption and kinship care receive adequate (a) local service support and (b) therapeutic interventions.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department’s recently published policy paper specified that families should receive support immediately when the child is placed, delivering on our mission to provide children with the best start in life. Regular discussions are held with other departmental ministers on these issues.
The department recently announced £8.8 million for Adoption England to improve adoption services and help regional adoption agencies to put in place support to respond more effectively to adoptive families in crisis.
The department is also ensuring that children in kinship care get the right support. This includes promoting their educational and mental health needs and supporting their carers. We are also delivering over 140 kinship peer support groups and a package of training and support for kinship carers.
The £50 million adoption and special guardianship support fund will continue to enable families to access a significant package of therapeutic support. Local areas may supplement with their own funding as needed.
Statutory guidance states that all local authorities must publish information about services for children in kinship care and how they will meet their needs. It states that children should receive the support they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. All local authorities should be clear what support services they provide.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to support the wellbeing of (a) families and (b) children in (i) adoption and (ii) kinship care.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department’s recently published policy paper specified that families should receive support immediately when the child is placed, delivering on our mission to provide children with the best start in life. Regular discussions are held with other departmental ministers on these issues.
The department recently announced £8.8 million for Adoption England to improve adoption services and help regional adoption agencies to put in place support to respond more effectively to adoptive families in crisis.
The department is also ensuring that children in kinship care get the right support. This includes promoting their educational and mental health needs and supporting their carers. We are also delivering over 140 kinship peer support groups and a package of training and support for kinship carers.
The £50 million adoption and special guardianship support fund will continue to enable families to access a significant package of therapeutic support. Local areas may supplement with their own funding as needed.
Statutory guidance states that all local authorities must publish information about services for children in kinship care and how they will meet their needs. It states that children should receive the support they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. All local authorities should be clear what support services they provide.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to provide redress for kinship carers in instances where local children’s services are not utilising the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund in the intended way.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department’s recently published policy paper specified that families should receive support immediately when the child is placed, delivering on our mission to provide children with the best start in life. Regular discussions are held with other departmental ministers on these issues.
The department recently announced £8.8 million for Adoption England to improve adoption services and help regional adoption agencies to put in place support to respond more effectively to adoptive families in crisis.
The department is also ensuring that children in kinship care get the right support. This includes promoting their educational and mental health needs and supporting their carers. We are also delivering over 140 kinship peer support groups and a package of training and support for kinship carers.
The £50 million adoption and special guardianship support fund will continue to enable families to access a significant package of therapeutic support. Local areas may supplement with their own funding as needed.
Statutory guidance states that all local authorities must publish information about services for children in kinship care and how they will meet their needs. It states that children should receive the support they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. All local authorities should be clear what support services they provide.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timetable is for the rebuilding of Russell Scott Primary School in Denton.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The project is in the procurement stage and a contractor is expected to be appointed later this year.
The department currently anticipates that the new school will be ready from September 2027.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will share the latest project schedule for the rebuilding of Russell Scott Primary School in Denton with the hon. Member for Gorton and Denton.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The project is in the procurement stage and a contractor is expected to be appointed later this year.
The department currently anticipates that the new school will be ready from September 2027.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2024 to Questions 15600 and 15601 on Children in Care and Foster Care, if she will publish the number of children looked after who were cared for in a (a) relative and (b) friend foster placement by (i) age, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity and (iv) local authority level as of 31 March 2023.
Answered by David Johnston
The latest figures on children looked after who were cared for in a relative or friend foster placement by age, gender and ethnicity and at local authority level are shown in the attached tables. The department does not hold the data broken down separately into relative foster placements and friend foster placements. Therefore, the combined totals have been provided. Data has been provided for children looked after on 31 March 2023.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of children who were looked-after in a (a) relative and (b) friend foster placement in each local authority in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by David Johnston
The latest figures on children looked after who were cared for in a relative or friend foster placement by age, gender and ethnicity and at local authority level are shown in the attached tables. The department does not hold the data broken down separately into relative foster placements and friend foster placements, therefore the combined totals have been provided. Data has been provided for children looked after between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023.
Full information on the former placement arrangements of children looked after who are in a relative or friend foster placement is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many of the looked-after children who were cared for in a relative or friend foster placement on 31 March 2023 had also been in (a) an unrelated foster placement, (b) another relative or friend placement, (c) a children's home and (d) other provision for looked-after children.
Answered by David Johnston
The latest figures on children looked after who were cared for in a relative or friend foster placement by age, gender and ethnicity and at local authority level are shown in the attached tables. The department does not hold the data broken down separately into relative foster placements and friend foster placements, therefore the combined totals have been provided. Data has been provided for children looked after between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023.
Full information on the former placement arrangements of children looked after who are in a relative or friend foster placement is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of children by (a) age, (b) gender and (c) ethnicity who were looked-after in a (i) relative and (ii) friend foster placement in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by David Johnston
The latest figures on children looked after who were cared for in a relative or friend foster placement by age, gender and ethnicity and at local authority level are shown in the attached tables. The department does not hold the data broken down separately into relative foster placements and friend foster placements, therefore the combined totals have been provided. Data has been provided for children looked after between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023.
Full information on the former placement arrangements of children looked after who are in a relative or friend foster placement is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.