Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what statutory duties local authorities have towards young people who have been abused while in foster care.

Local authorities have a duty under The Children Act 1989 regarding the protection of all children, including those for whom they have direct responsibility as looked after children.

All referrals and allegations, whatever their origin, must be taken seriously and investigated. Local authorities have a statutory duty, under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989, to make enquiries where they have reasonable cause for concern that a child might need protection. As with all looked-after children, local authorities must assess their needs and decide how best to meet them on an ongoing basis through the statutory care planning process, set out in the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review guidance, which is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441643/Children_Act_Guidance_2015.pdf

There are stringent checks for anyone who wishes to become a foster carer, including a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Anyone who wants to become a foster carer must undergo a full, rigorous assessment process and be approved by a registered fostering service.

All children’s homes and fostering services are regulated and inspected by Ofsted to national minimum standards, including safeguarding and child protection standards. Each child will be supported by a social worker who will visit them regularly to check they are being properly being looked after.