Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of (a) banning or (b) introducing a minimum standard of care quality required for the placement of children in care in unregulated care settings.

Children in care and care leavers are some of the most vulnerable children and young people in society, so we must do all that we can to ensure that they have access to suitable, safe and secure accommodation that meets their needs and keeps them safe. While most children in care are placed in foster care or children’s homes, independent and semi-independent provision (often referred to as unregulated) can offer a place to live with more independence, and when combined with the right level of high quality support, to meet the needs of the older children placed there, can play a vital role in the care system. However, too often we find that children are placed in this accommodation when it does not meet their needs or keep them safe. That is why we have consulted on an ambitious programme of reform to drive up quality and ensure that placements are appropriate. The consultation document is available here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/unregulated-provision/unregulated-provision-children-in-care/supporting_documents/Unregulated%20consultation%20FINAL%20link.pdf.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, made clear when he wrote to all local authorities last year that these settings are simply not appropriate for children under the age of 16, which is why we have consulted on banning the placement of under 16s in independent and semi-independent settings.

Through the consultation we made clear that, while many independent and semi-independent settings were good, and provided high quality accommodation to meet the needs of older children, this was too inconsistent. That is why we consulted on introducing mandatory national standards for this provision, and whether these should be overseen and enforced by local authorities or by Ofsted.

Our consultation on these issues received a strong response from the sector, and from the care-experienced young people we spoke to. We are now considering this input, with a view to publishing the government’s response to the consultation, including next steps, in due course.