Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps are taken to inform local (a) doctors and (b) police when children in care are relocated by a local authority to a privately run children's home.

Regulation 7 of the ‘The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010’ outlines local authorities’ responsibilities in respect of the health and wellbeing of looked after children. The responsible local authority must ensure looked after children receive appropriate health care services according to their health plan, including medical and dental care, and health advice. They must also arrange for a registered medical practitioner, nurse, or midwife to review the child’s health and provide a written report every 6 months before the child’s fifth birthday and every 12 months after the child’s fifth birthday.

Specifically, under Regulation 13 of the above Regulations, the responsible authority must give written notification of the child’s placement before that placement takes place (or within 5 days if the placement is made in an emergency) to the following parties: NHS England and the integrated care board (or the local health board for a child in Wales) for both the current and new areas; the child’s registered medical practitioner and, if applicable, the new medical practitioner; any educational institution attended or to be attended by the child. The written notification of the placement arrangements should include a summary of the proposed arrangements and objectives, and for an accommodated child, it should also outline the agreed arrangements for ending the placement.