Education

Catherine McKinnell Excerpts

Thursday 30th January 2025 Written Corrections

The following extract is from the Public Bill Committee debate on Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill on 23 January 2025.

[Catherine McKinnell]

On reunification specifically, “Working together to safeguard children 2023” was updated to ask local authorities to consider

“whether family group decision-making would support the child’s transition home from care, and the role the family network could play in supporting this.”

It made it clear that family group decision making cannot be conducted before a child becomes looked after, but that it should still be considered as an option later.

[Official Report, Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Public Bill Committee, 23 January 2025; c. 126.]

Written correction submitted by the Minister for School Standards, the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne North (Catherine McKinnell):

[Catherine McKinnell]

On reunification specifically, “Working together to safeguard children 2023” was updated to ask local authorities to consider

“whether family group decision-making would support the child’s transition home from care, and the role the family network could play in supporting this.”

It made it clear that if family group decision making cannot be conducted before a child becomes looked after, it should still be considered as an option later.