Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria are used to determine a child’s eligibility for semi-independent living through the social care system.

It is a priority for the government that all looked after children and care leavers live in homes that meet their needs and keep them safe. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that there is sufficient provision to meet the need of children they look after, and for determining which type of setting children are placed, to meet their needs and keep them safe.

The vast majority of looked after children live in foster care or in children’s homes. This must be the case for any child under the age of 16. From September 2021, the government banned the practice of placing children of this age in independent and semi-independent living arrangements that are not currently registered and inspected by Ofsted.

The use of semi-independent homes has continued to grow as more older children enter the care system. These types of settings can be the right choice for some 16 and 17-year-olds. They can offer a place to live with more independence and when combined with the right level of high-quality support, they enable the young people placed there to develop the skills they need to prepare for adulthood and leaving care. Where local authorities place children in this type of setting, they must ensure that the accommodation and support is high-quality and can meet the individual needs of the child.

To make sure that accommodation and support is high-quality and action can be taken where it is not, the department is investing over £142 million up to 2025 to introduce national standards and Ofsted registration and inspection requirements for providers who accommodate 16 and 17-year-old looked after children and care leavers.