Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether all permanence options for children in public care receive the same level of post-placement support.

There are currently a range of permanence options for children in public care, all of which can deliver good outcomes for individual children.

For many looked-after children, permanence will be secured outside of the care system through a safe return to their family. In April 2015, the government made changes to the care planning regulations and the statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children’ to ensure a sharper focus on a safe and successful return home for children where this is the best route to permanence. This included a requirement that the authority appropriately assesses the proposed arrangements for the child and sets out the support that will be provided when the child ceases to be looked-after.

Special guardianship or adoption offer permanence for other groups of children. Local authorities are responsible for core adoption and special guardianship support, including information, advice, guidance, training and financial assistance.

To improve practice where the best permanence option for children is to remain looked-after, the government amended regulations in April 2015 to introduce ‘long term foster care’ as a distinct placement type. Every looked-after child must have a care plan which includes a ‘plan for permanence’ and sets out the support they will receive.