Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for an increase in children and young people requiring support from social care services following the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions; and what support they will provide to local authorities to ensure that they are resourced appropriately to support such children and young people.

Ensuring that vulnerable children remain protected is our top priority. We are doing everything we can to support local authorities, and their partners, to ensure that the most vulnerable children are protected and that there are sufficient places for children in their care.

School is a protective factor for many children and, as schools reopen fully, there could potentially be a rise in the number of children that need social care intervention. We are working closely with local authorities to ensure workforce capacity is sufficient to cope with any potential spike in referrals. This includes weekly discussions between the Chief Social Worker and practice leaders.

The department has set up dedicated regional teams that are in frequent contact with local authorities. Bringing together expertise from across the department, these teams monitor the challenges local authorities are facing, including any increases in demand. We also collect fortnightly data from local authorities across the country around their contact with vulnerable children, workforce availability and other system pressures in order to offer support and challenge where needed.

The government has also provided £3.7 billion of additional funding to support local authorities in meeting COVID-19 related pressures, including on children’s services. This funding is un-ringfenced, recognising local authorities are best placed to decide how to meet the major COVID-19 service pressures in their local area.

We have also committed over £100 million to support access to social care services and remote education, including by providing laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers to vulnerable and disadvantaged children. Furthermore, we are in continual discussions with charities on the support they provide and need. We have committed additional funding worth £26.4 million directly to support them and £1.6 million to expand NSPCC’s helpline.

Through the Coronavirus Act, we have been able to work with Social Work England, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Local Government Association to reinstate the professional registration of 8,000 former social workers so that they can re-join the profession, providing additional resource where it is required. We have also developed the Social Work Together online tool, so those social workers who have registered and are available to support their local community if needed.