Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance has been issued to Regional Care Cooperatives on ensuring a more equitable distribution of children's residential care provision between regions.

Earlier this year, the government set out its vision for Regional Care Cooperatives (RCCs) in a published policy statement, which can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regional-care-co-operatives-pathfinder-areas/regional-care-cooperatives-policy-statement.

On 26 March 2026, the department launched an Expression of Interest (EoI) inviting prospective areas to come forward and bid for grant to set up a new RCC. New guidance was published alongside the EoI outlining the minimum requirements for all RCCs going forward, along with the RCC’s role in sufficiency planning in their area. Placement shortages are a key driver of children being placed in homes far from where they live. RCCs look to improve this by increasing local and regional sufficiency and making more places available locally for children who need them.

The department is working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on planning reforms, and with Ofsted on strengthening its regulatory powers, to ensure new children’s homes are established only where there is a clear local need and children’s needs can be fully met.