Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many young people have remained in a children's home beyond the age of 18 under Ofsted's special circumstances provision in each of the last five years.

The Care Standards Act 2000 sets out that children’s homes must be wholly or mainly for children. This means that most of the people who live or stay at a children’s home must be children and young adults aged 18 and above who live or stay at the home must be in the minority. This allows some flexibility for those aged 18 and above to stay in children’s homes while an appropriate adult placement is found to support effective transitions to adulthood.

Information on the number of young people who have remained in a children’s home beyond the age of 18 is not held by either the department or by Ofsted.