Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure the adequacy of support for kinship care therapists for families on the Isle of Wight.

The Autumn Budget 2024 gave an additional £22.6 billion of resource spending for the day-to-day health budget for last year and this year.

It is the responsibility of the Isle of Wight Council and Isle of Wight NHS Trust to ensure there are adequate therapeutic services to meet the needs of local kinship families.

The adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) provides funding for therapies and specialist assessments for eligible kinship children. Local authorities apply for funding on behalf of these children, and source therapists in their area. The funding may cover travel costs for therapists to reach families, as well as necessary single-use materials. The department also offers therapists information designed to support them in their activity as ASGSF providers, including an ASGSF Knowledge Hub and regular updates on the fund.