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.

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.