Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to local authorities (1) to establish new supported lodgings schemes, or (2) to expand existing schemes.

The government believes that every child in the care system deserves to live in a high-quality setting that meets their needs and keeps them safe. That is why the department is investing over £140 million to introduce mandatory national standards and Ofsted registration and inspection requirements for providers of supported accommodation for 16 and 17 year old looked after children and care leavers, including supported lodgings. Ofsted began registering providers on 28 April 2023, and registration will become mandatory from 28 October 2023.

The department has commissioned the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) to deliver a sector awareness and provider preparedness programme, through which they are working directly with local authorities and providers to prepare them for registration and adhering to the new standards. This work will be responsive to the needs of the sector. The department has already identified supported lodgings as a key area of focus, given their uniqueness in comparison to other types of setting. Some of the NCB’s work over the summer will therefore target these providers, who also have representation on the steering group for the national programme.

The department is investing £123 million of the overall funding package to support local authorities with the new burdens costs associated with these reforms. Many local authorities are looking to register their own inhouse supported lodgings services and are working closely with external providers to support them to register. Supported lodgings can provide the high-quality accommodation and support that older children need, and the department encourages more of this type of provision in future.