Children: Social Services

(asked on 20th May 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2020 to Question 45341 on Children: Social Services and Special Educational Needs, for what reasons a Children’s Rights Impact Assessment was undertaken for the recent changes to the regulations for children’s social care but not for the recent changes to the regulations for children’s special education needs and disabilities (SEND) provision.


Answered by
Vicky Ford Portrait
Vicky Ford
This question was answered on 2nd June 2020

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 May 2020 to Question 45341. As I set out in my answer, the potential impact on children and young people was a key factor in deciding what temporary changes to legislation would be appropriate.

We are confident that the impact on children and young people was fully considered in relation to the temporary changes to both sets of regulations and Equality Impact Assessments were carried out. We will continue to consider this as we keep the impact of these changes under review.

There is ministerial commitment to consider children’s rights when making new policy and law, but Children’s Rights Impact Assessments (CRIAs) are not a statutory requirement. The CRIA template is available to provide a helpful structure for policy makers to be able to evidence their consideration of children’s rights. Regarding the changes to the regulations for children’s special education needs and disabilities (SEND), the department considered that the statutory Equality Impact Assessment gave sufficient consideration to the impact on children so as not to require a separate CRIA.


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