Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of care leavers that have (a) been homeless, (b) had diagnosed mental health needs, and (c) entered the criminal justice system in each of the last five years.

The department publishes data annually on the activity and accommodation status of care leavers aged 19-21. It has also published experimental statistics for 17 and 18-year-olds. These data are available in tables F1 to F4 at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.

Data show care leavers’ activity/accommodation status on or around their birthday, so do not provide answers to the questions in the form they have been asked. However, the latest data for the year ending March 2018 show that of the 28,510 care leavers aged 19 to 21:

• 1% (320 young people) were reported to be homeless or no fixed abode; and

• 4% (1,080 young people) were reported to be in custody.

The department does not hold data on the number of care leavers who had diagnosed mental health needs.

The department has recently provided funding of £4.8 million to local authorities to enable them to provide additional support to care leavers at risk of rough sleeping – as part of the cross government rough sleeping strategy.