Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to monitor the application of the statutory guidance entitled Promoting the health and well-being of looked-after children - Statutory guidance for local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and NHS England, with particular reference to foetal alcohol syndrome.

​The statutory guidance sets out local authorities’ duty to make sure each child they look after has a health assessment of their physical, emotional and mental health needs. The health and care system is responsible for providing this assessment. Assessments should take into account the health conditions that may be more prevalent in looked-after children, including foetal alcohol syndrome.

As part of their inspection of local authority children’s services, Ofsted assesses the progress and experience of children in care, including whether their physical and mental health needs are being effectively identified and met.