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Written Question
Care Leavers: Supported Housing
Thursday 19th October 2023

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with Kent County Council on its proposal to reduce the eligible age for accessing its supported accommodation service for care leavers from 21 to 19.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Young people aged 16 or 17 who present as homeless should be supported in accordance with the following guidance, issued jointly by the Department for Education and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b0ed0b240f0b634b1266bc9/Provision_of_accommodation_for_16_and_17_year_olds_who_may_be_homeless.pdf.

Care leavers aged over 18 do not have an automatic entitlement to be accommodated by their local authority. However, care leavers aged 18-21 are judged to have a ‘priority need’, as set out in Chapter 22 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance for local authorities, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homelessness-code-of-guidance-for-local-authorities/chapter-22-care-leavers. This includes categories and definitions of people who have priority need and includes young people under 21 who were looked after between the ages of 16 and 18; and people aged 21 or over who are vulnerable as a result of having been looked after, accommodated or fostered.

In addition, the Children Act 1989 sets out responsibilities on local authorities to support care leavers to make a successful transition from care to independent living. This includes a requirement on local authorities to appoint a Personal Adviser to support the young person up to at least age 21, and up to age 25 if the young person requests it. The Act also includes a duty on local authorities to support care leavers to remain living with their former foster carers up to age 21 under a ‘staying put’ arrangement, if both the young person and carer want to continue living together. The department is providing £99 million to local authorities in this Spending Review period to support implementation of ‘staying put’.

The department is also providing £53 million in this Spending Review period to roll-out ‘staying close’, which provides an enhanced support package for young people leaving children’s homes, and £9.6 million in this Spending Review period to support around 60 local authorities with the highest numbers of care leavers at risk of rough sleeping, as part of the cross-government rough sleeping strategy.

The Department has not had discussions with Kent County Council on this issue.


Written Question
Care Leavers: Housing
Thursday 19th October 2023

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is her Department's policy that care leavers under the age of 21 who present as homeless should have their accommodation funded by the local authority responsible for social care.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Young people aged 16 or 17 who present as homeless should be supported in accordance with the following guidance, issued jointly by the Department for Education and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b0ed0b240f0b634b1266bc9/Provision_of_accommodation_for_16_and_17_year_olds_who_may_be_homeless.pdf.

Care leavers aged over 18 do not have an automatic entitlement to be accommodated by their local authority. However, care leavers aged 18-21 are judged to have a ‘priority need’, as set out in Chapter 22 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance for local authorities, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homelessness-code-of-guidance-for-local-authorities/chapter-22-care-leavers. This includes categories and definitions of people who have priority need and includes young people under 21 who were looked after between the ages of 16 and 18; and people aged 21 or over who are vulnerable as a result of having been looked after, accommodated or fostered.

In addition, the Children Act 1989 sets out responsibilities on local authorities to support care leavers to make a successful transition from care to independent living. This includes a requirement on local authorities to appoint a Personal Adviser to support the young person up to at least age 21, and up to age 25 if the young person requests it. The Act also includes a duty on local authorities to support care leavers to remain living with their former foster carers up to age 21 under a ‘staying put’ arrangement, if both the young person and carer want to continue living together. The department is providing £99 million to local authorities in this Spending Review period to support implementation of ‘staying put’.

The department is also providing £53 million in this Spending Review period to roll-out ‘staying close’, which provides an enhanced support package for young people leaving children’s homes, and £9.6 million in this Spending Review period to support around 60 local authorities with the highest numbers of care leavers at risk of rough sleeping, as part of the cross-government rough sleeping strategy.

The Department has not had discussions with Kent County Council on this issue.


Written Question
Care Leavers: Supported Housing
Thursday 19th October 2023

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has issued recent guidance on the provision by local authorities of accommodation to care leavers beyond the age of 18.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Young people aged 16 or 17 who present as homeless should be supported in accordance with the following guidance, issued jointly by the Department for Education and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b0ed0b240f0b634b1266bc9/Provision_of_accommodation_for_16_and_17_year_olds_who_may_be_homeless.pdf.

Care leavers aged over 18 do not have an automatic entitlement to be accommodated by their local authority. However, care leavers aged 18-21 are judged to have a ‘priority need’, as set out in Chapter 22 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance for local authorities, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homelessness-code-of-guidance-for-local-authorities/chapter-22-care-leavers. This includes categories and definitions of people who have priority need and includes young people under 21 who were looked after between the ages of 16 and 18; and people aged 21 or over who are vulnerable as a result of having been looked after, accommodated or fostered.

In addition, the Children Act 1989 sets out responsibilities on local authorities to support care leavers to make a successful transition from care to independent living. This includes a requirement on local authorities to appoint a Personal Adviser to support the young person up to at least age 21, and up to age 25 if the young person requests it. The Act also includes a duty on local authorities to support care leavers to remain living with their former foster carers up to age 21 under a ‘staying put’ arrangement, if both the young person and carer want to continue living together. The department is providing £99 million to local authorities in this Spending Review period to support implementation of ‘staying put’.

The department is also providing £53 million in this Spending Review period to roll-out ‘staying close’, which provides an enhanced support package for young people leaving children’s homes, and £9.6 million in this Spending Review period to support around 60 local authorities with the highest numbers of care leavers at risk of rough sleeping, as part of the cross-government rough sleeping strategy.

The Department has not had discussions with Kent County Council on this issue.


Written Question
Care Leavers: Supported Housing
Thursday 19th October 2023

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has issued recent guidance on the duties of responsible authorities to provide supported accommodation for care leavers under the age of 21.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Young people aged 16 or 17 who present as homeless should be supported in accordance with the following guidance, issued jointly by the Department for Education and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b0ed0b240f0b634b1266bc9/Provision_of_accommodation_for_16_and_17_year_olds_who_may_be_homeless.pdf.

Care leavers aged over 18 do not have an automatic entitlement to be accommodated by their local authority. However, care leavers aged 18-21 are judged to have a ‘priority need’, as set out in Chapter 22 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance for local authorities, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homelessness-code-of-guidance-for-local-authorities/chapter-22-care-leavers. This includes categories and definitions of people who have priority need and includes young people under 21 who were looked after between the ages of 16 and 18; and people aged 21 or over who are vulnerable as a result of having been looked after, accommodated or fostered.

In addition, the Children Act 1989 sets out responsibilities on local authorities to support care leavers to make a successful transition from care to independent living. This includes a requirement on local authorities to appoint a Personal Adviser to support the young person up to at least age 21, and up to age 25 if the young person requests it. The Act also includes a duty on local authorities to support care leavers to remain living with their former foster carers up to age 21 under a ‘staying put’ arrangement, if both the young person and carer want to continue living together. The department is providing £99 million to local authorities in this Spending Review period to support implementation of ‘staying put’.

The department is also providing £53 million in this Spending Review period to roll-out ‘staying close’, which provides an enhanced support package for young people leaving children’s homes, and £9.6 million in this Spending Review period to support around 60 local authorities with the highest numbers of care leavers at risk of rough sleeping, as part of the cross-government rough sleeping strategy.

The Department has not had discussions with Kent County Council on this issue.


Written Question
Care Leavers and Children in Care
Wednesday 18th October 2023

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has provided recent guidance to local authorities on consulting with affected children on proposed changes to (a) the provision of accommodation and (b) other services for (i) children in care and (ii) care leavers.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

It is vital that children in care and care leavers are properly consulted on the decisions that affect their lives. Local authorities must give due consideration to a child’s wishes and feelings before making any decisions about their care. This is clearly set out in the care planning guidance, which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1000549/The_Children_Act_1989_guidance_and_regulations_Volume_2_care_planning__placement_and_case_review.pdf. Every child must be appointed an Independent Reviewing Officer, who has a duty to ensure that care plans have given proper consideration to a child’s wishes and feelings and that the child fully understands the implications of changes to their care plan.

In addition, the Children Act 1989 sets out the responsibilities of local authorities to support care leavers to make a successful transition from care to independent living. This includes a requirement on local authorities to appoint a Personal Adviser to support the young person up to at least age 21, and up to age 25 if the young person requests it. The Personal Adviser is required to work with the young person to develop a mandatory Pathway Plan that sets out the young person’s aims and ambitions across seven domains, including accommodation, and the support that the local authority will provide to support them. The Pathway Plan must be reviewed at least every six months, or whenever the young person moves accommodation.

The department consults widely with children in care and care leavers on changes to national policy which might affect them. The department has established the National Implementation Board which includes people with lived experience of the children’s social care system, to challenge and support implementation and delivery of the reform programme, and has awarded contracts to Barnardo’s and Coram Voice until Spring 2024 who are working with policy officials to facilitate engagement with care experienced young people. Topics covered to date have included fostering, family help, corporate parenting and the national framework and dashboard.


Written Question
Foster Care
Monday 15th May 2023

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of processes for investigating allegations made against foster carers; and what right of access foster carers have to information on allegations made against them.

Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

The National Minimum Standards (NMS) are clear that allegations should be handled fairly, quickly, and consistently in a way that provides effective protection for the child and at the same time supports the person who is the subject of the allegation.

The NMS are clear that fostering service providers should provide foster carers with written guidance that sets out how they will be supported during an investigation, including the payment of allowance and any fees to foster carers while investigations are ongoing. The NMS also makes clear the duty of the fostering service provider to make available a person, independent of the service provider, who can offer information, advice, emotional support and, where needed, mediation and/or advocacy.

Foster carers should be given appropriate information about any allegation made against them and the reasons for an unplanned removal of a child. As soon as the investigation is concluded a comprehensive summary of any allegations should be given to the person that has been subject to the allegation. This summary will be held confidentially by the organisation until the person reaches retirement age, or for ten years if this is longer.


Written Question
Childcare: Fees and Charges
Thursday 20th April 2023

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason the extension of free childcare will not commence until 2024.

Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

The government announced in the Spring Budget 2023 that there will be a number of transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children and the economy. By 2027/28, this government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This announcement represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England.

Currently, eligible working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds are eligible for 30 hours of free childcare per week, over 38 weeks a year. From April 2024, working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of free childcare per week, over 38 weeks a year. From September 2024, this will be extended to parents of 9 month to 3-year-olds, and from September 2025, working parents of 9 month to 3-year-olds will be able to access 30 free hours per week, over 38 weeks a year.

This is a large expansion in the 30 hours offer and will take some time to implement and rollout. The department wants to make sure that taxpayers’ money is used efficiently, and the new offer is delivered in the best way. The department is ensuring a phased implementation of the expansion to the offer to allow the market to develop the necessary capacity, and we are working closely with the sector on the implementation of these reforms.

The department has already spent more than £20 billion over the past five years to support families with the cost of childcare. In the last decade, we have doubled the free childcare entitlement for working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds to 30 hours and introduced 15 free hours a week for disadvantaged 2-year-olds.

The reforms announced build on our current early education entitlements which continue to support parents, including a universal 15-hour offer for all 3 and 4-year-olds, the 15-hour offer for the most disadvantaged 2-year-olds, and the existing 30 hours offer, as well as Tax Free Childcare and Universal Childcare.


Written Question
Schools: Canterbury
Wednesday 8th February 2023

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Canterbury constituency had at least one construction element in (a) condition grade C and (b) condition grade D, when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have already received funding from the School Rebuilding Programme and (ii) are expected to receive funding from the School Rebuilding Programme in the next two years.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Condition Data Collection (CDC) is one of the largest and most comprehensive data collection programmes in the UK’s public sector. It collected data on the building condition of government funded schools in England. It provides a robust evidence base to enable the Department to target capital funding for maintaining and rebuilding school buildings.

The key, high level findings of the CDC programme were published in May 2021 in the ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey: Key Findings’ report. This is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.

Individual CDC reports have been shared with every school and their responsible body to use alongside their existing condition surveys to plan maintenance schedules and investment plans. The Department plans to publish detailed school level CDC data. The Department is still preparing the data and will publish it as soon as possible.

Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. Our funding is directed both to maintaining the condition of the school estate and rebuilding schools. The Department has allocated over £13 billion for improving the condition of schools since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed this financial year.

The ten year School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) is condition led. 400 of the 500 available places on the programme have been provisionally allocated. A list of these schools and the methodology used to select them is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.

Canterbury constituency has had two schools selected as part of the SRP. These are St Anselm's Catholic School, Canterbury, (announced December 2022) and Pilgrims' Way Primary School (announced July 2021)

The 239 schools announced in December 2022 will enter delivery at a rate of approximately 50 per year, over a five year period from 2023. The Department is currently undertaking due diligence on these schools prior to scheduling them, with schools prioritised according to the condition of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. The scope and funding for each project will be confirmed following detailed feasibility studies and condition surveys of buildings.

Where a school identifies significant safety issues with a building, that cannot be managed within local resources, the Department considers additional support on a case-by-case basis. This includes applications for Urgent Capital Support (UCS) from eligible institutions. Schools eligible for Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) can apply for UCS where there are urgent health and safety issues that threaten school closure and cannot wait until the next CIF bidding round.


Written Question
Special Educational Needs
Monday 5th December 2022

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether a summer-born child with an Education, Health and Care Plan has the right to apply to (a) start and (b) maintain education outside their chronological year group as a compulsory school age start set out in the Admissions Code.

Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

A child does not have to start school until they have reached compulsory school age. For summer born children, this means that they do not need to start school until the September after their fifth birthday.

Where a child has an education, health and care (EHC) plan, the School Admissions Code does not apply to the admission decision. Instead, the Children and Families Act 2014 and Regulations made under the Act set out the process for a local authority drawing up such a plan. The local authority must set out, at section B of the plan, the needs of a child and, at section F, the special educational provision to meet those needs. The local authority must review the plan at least annually.

The local authority has various statutory duties that apply to its decisions over a plan. These include a duty to have regard to the views, wishes and feelings of the parents of the child. A parent of a summer born child, when an EHC plan is being reviewed or when a plan is first being drawn up, has a right to ask a local authority for them to be placed in a year group other than the usual for their chronological age.

If a child has special educational needs (SEN) that may be connected with their being summer born, such as a developmental delay, then the local authority will have to reflect these in Section B of the plan. The local authority must specify in Section F of the plan ‘special educational provision’ for each and every need specified in Section B. The local authority may decide that a child being placed in a year group other than the usual for their chronological age should be such special educational provision, and if so, the local authority must write this into Section F.

If the parents are dissatisfied with what an EHC plan does or does not say in relation to SEN or special educational provision, they have certain rights of appeal to the first-tier Tribunal.


Written Question
Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Training
Thursday 17th November 2022

Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of extending the HGV Skills bootcamp programme beyond 2023, to alleviate the shortage of HGV drivers.

Answered by Robert Halfon

Skills Bootcamps in HGV driving provide more opportunities for people to train as a HGV driver, gain their HGV driving licence and launch new careers in the sector, helping to alleviate the HGV driver shortage.  Since the launch in December 2021, the suppliers contracted to deliver Skills Bootcamps in HGV driving have seen high demand for places.

The department is investing up to £34 million to create up to 11,000 HGV driver training places for people that are new, returning to, or looking to upskill as an HGV driver. We have listened to HGV driver training companies and have confirmed that the new drivers can be trained between December 2021 and end of March 2023.

The department is currently reviewing HGV delivery, and more detail on the future availability of Skills Bootcamps in HGV driving will be announced in due course.