Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the National Stability Forum for Children’s Social Care is working to engage stakeholders across the sector; how that Forum has promoted effective practice and delivery; and whether that Forum has presented any recommendations for taking a national policy approach to improving looked-after children’s outcomes.

The membership of the National Stability Forum (NSF) has been established with the aim of improving stability for all children in the orbit of the care system. Its members are drawn from sector bodies, which engage with and reach out to stakeholders. Other individuals and organisations may be invited to attend meetings from time to time. Part of the NSF’s core role is to promote a clear message about the importance of stability for children in the care system.

To date, the NSF has reviewed a range of publicly available data on children in care to better understand how the care system is promoting stability and permanence and has focused initial discussions on the care placement market. The NSF has also shaped and endorsed the fostering seed-funding, which was a commitment government made following the Foster Care Review, to take steps to address the challenges in sufficient placements in all areas and for all levels of need.