Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress the Government has made on its staying close scheme for children leaving residential care; and how many such children have been involved in that scheme.

We are providing around £6 million in the period 2018 to 2019 and in the period 2019 to 2020 for a national pilot of Staying Close in eight sites.

These pilots provide an enhanced support offer for those leaving residential care. The support offer includes an accommodation offer close to their former children’s home alongside practical and emotional support from a member of staff from their former children's home whom they know and trust.

Reports from the pilots show that 120 care leavers participated in the Staying Close pilots from January 2018 to July 2018.

A full evaluation will be available when the pilots end in March 2020.