Children's Homes

Education Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 15 Mar 2021 Closed: 16 Feb 2023 Parliament page
The inquiry will focus on children’s homes. It will examine a number of areas including educational outcomes and destinations, the quality of support provided by children’s homes, unregulated provision, rates of criminalisation, the sufficiency of children’s home places, and the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Read the call for evidence … Read more
36 Recommendations
23 Conclusions
1 Report
6 Oral sessions
2 Letters
6 Events
Activity timeline 16 events
10 Nov
2022
Report published
6 Sep
2022
Correspondence
6 Sep
2022
Correspondence
8 Jul
2022
Report published
1 Mar
2022
Oral evidence
1 Mar
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
1 Feb
2022
Oral evidence
1 Feb
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
11 Jan
2022
Oral evidence
11 Jan
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
16 Nov
2021
Oral evidence
16 Nov
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 6 sessions
1 Mar 2022
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Children's Homes - Ministerial session
Fran Oram · Department for Education Will Quince · Department for Education
1 Feb 2022
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Children's Home - young people session
11 Jan 2022
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Children's Homes
Dame Rachel de Souza · Inspiration Trust Dame Rachel de Souza · Office of the Children's Commissioner for England Juliette Cammaerts · Office of the Children's Commissioner for England Yvette Stanley · Ofsted
16 Nov 2021
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Children's Homes - third session
Andrew Isaac · Children’s Services Development Group Charlotte Ramsden OBE · Association of Directors of Children’s Services Jonathan Whalley · St Christopher’s Fellowship Michelle Lee-Izu · Barnardo’s
19 Oct 2021
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Children's Homes - second session
Hannah McCowen · National Care Leavers Benchmarking Forum, and Catch 22 Mark Russell · The Children’s Society Patrick Ward · National Association of Virtual School Headteachers (NAVSH) Victoria Langer · Become
20 Jul 2021
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Children's Homes
Anne Longfield, Former Children’s Commissioner Josh MacAlister, Independent Review of Children’s Social Care The Rt Hon. the Lord Adonis
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Second Report - Educational poverty: how children in residential… HC 57 8 Jul 2022 59 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
21 results
Clear
5 Conclusion Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
It is welcome that the Department has announced a further year of funding for the...
It is welcome that the Department has announced a further year of funding for the extension of Virtual School Head duties to include all children with a social worker. Children with a social worker face significant barriers to education, but … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of the extended role of Virtual School Heads and states that longer-term plans for the role, including whether to put it on a statutory footing, are under active consideration, informed by independent research.
Department for Education
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6 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
The new Virtual School Head duty to promote the education of children with a social...
The new Virtual School Head duty to promote the education of children with a social worker must be given a statutory footing by 2023, with statutory guidance to accompany this. The statutory powers of Directors of Children’s Services towards the … Read more
Government Response
Longer-term plans for the extended role of the Virtual School Head, including whether to put it on a statutory footing, are under active consideration and will be informed by the work of their independent research partner, the Rees Centre at the University of Oxford.
Department for Education
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10 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
The case for extending Premium Plus is clear.
The case for extending Premium Plus is clear. The Department must extend Pupil Premium Plus funding beyond age 16 to ensure looked-after pupils are receiving the support they deserve to succeed throughout their education.
Government Response
The Department ran a pilot to extend Pupil Premium Plus style funding to looked-after children and care leavers in further education, and the evaluation will inform next steps. Further details about the continuation of the funding will be provided in the autumn.
Department for Education
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11 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
When rolled out nationally, post-16 Pupil Premium Plus funding must be calculated using the same...
When rolled out nationally, post-16 Pupil Premium Plus funding must be calculated using the same funding formula as for the pre-16 cohort. Virtual School Heads must ensure Post-16 Pupil Premium Plus funding is used on specific, evidence- based interventions to … Read more
Government Response
The Department ran a pilot to extend Pupil Premium Plus style funding to looked-after children and care leavers in further education, and the evaluation will inform next steps. Further details about the continuation of the funding will be provided in the autumn.
Department for Education
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15 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
The Schools White Paper sets out a new backstop power for local authorities to direct...
The Schools White Paper sets out a new backstop power for local authorities to direct trusts to admit children. This is a very welcome step forward. It would enable the local authority to immediately secure an education place for the … Read more
Government Response
The department agrees on the importance of the power to direct trusts to admit children and will commence implementation as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Department for Education
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23 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
Ofsted must make outcomes for looked-after children a limiting judgement on a school.
Ofsted must make outcomes for looked-after children a limiting judgement on a school. If a school is not delivering good or outstanding progress and outcomes for looked- after pupils, it should not be able to gain a good or outstanding … Read more
Government Response
The government is considering the care review recommendations for greater accountability for VSHs on the educational attainment of children in care and care leavers up to age 25 through Ofsted’s ILAC framework.
Department for Education
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26 Conclusion Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
All looked-after children should be receiving full-time education in a DfE registered school—it is unacceptable...
All looked-after children should be receiving full-time education in a DfE registered school—it is unacceptable for local authorities to settle for unregulated education provision as an alternative.
Government Response
The government agrees in principle that all looked-after children should receive full-time education in a DfE registered school, but needs to be assured that such a move is in children’s best interests, and to ensure that the wider offer of education is available and appropriate to meet all needs, which will be considered as part of its wider work to develop an implementation strategy to the care review.
Department for Education
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27 Conclusion Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
The 2022 Schools White Paper proposes a new statutory framework to govern children’s movements to...
The 2022 Schools White Paper proposes a new statutory framework to govern children’s movements to ensure that education placements are made in the child’s best interests, especially where the child is vulnerable. Looked-after children, who are particularly at risk of … Read more
Government Response
The government recognizes the instability that placement moves can cause for looked-after children and that these children would particularly benefit from the proposals in the Schools White Paper, which will be considered as part of its wider work to develop an implementation strategy to the care review.
Department for Education
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28 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
The 2022 Schools Bill sets out a new duty for local authorities to maintain a...
The 2022 Schools Bill sets out a new duty for local authorities to maintain a register of children not in school. Alongside this, the Department must issue guidance to clearly outline how it will hold Directors of Children’s Services to … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the need to hold Directors of Children’s Services to account and will consider this as part of their wider work to develop an implementation strategy to the care review.
Department for Education
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29 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
As part of the proposed register of children not in school, the Department must set...
As part of the proposed register of children not in school, the Department must set out how it will collect and publish data on how many looked-after children are falling through the gaps by missing education or being ‘educated’ in … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the need for more detailed data and will consider this as part of its wider work to develop an implementation strategy to the care review.
Department for Education
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30 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 places a duty on local authorities to provide...
Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 places a duty on local authorities to provide children with suitable full-time education. However, there is no Departmental guidance outlining how this responsibility should be implemented, and no clear consequences for non-compliance. Given … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the need for local authorities to fully discharge their duties and will consider this as part of its wider work to develop an implementation strategy to the care review.
Department for Education
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32 Conclusion Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
The Department has banned unregulated accommodation for children under 16.
The Department has banned unregulated accommodation for children under 16. We hold deep concerns that children aged 16 and 17 can still be placed in unsafe, unsuitable accommodation without care or oversight. No looked-after child should be living in a … Read more
Government Response
The government recognises the need to balance children's accommodation needs with safeguarding and is introducing national standards for supported accommodation for 16- and 17-year-olds, to be overseen by Ofsted, with implementation intended from April 2023, which will be considered as part of the implementation strategy to the care review.
Department for Education
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33 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
The Department must aim towards banning unregulated provision for looked-after children once it has addressed...
The Department must aim towards banning unregulated provision for looked-after children once it has addressed placement sufficiency issues using the mechanisms outlined by The independent review of children’s social care. In the meantime, while these reforms are being undertaken, the … Read more
Government Response
The government states it is committed to improving the placement system and will consider this as part of its wider work to develop an implementation strategy to the care review.
Department for Education
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34 Conclusion Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
41% of looked-after children are placed outside of their local area, and 8,098 children had...
41% of looked-after children are placed outside of their local area, and 8,098 children had at least two placement moves over 12 months. A system that is working well does not boast these numbers. Frequent placement moves are destabilising for … Read more
Government Response
The government recognizes the importance of placements being close to the child's home and will consider this as part of its wider work to develop an implementation strategy to the care review.
Department for Education
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35 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
Where this is in the child’s best interest, every looked-after child should be cared for...
Where this is in the child’s best interest, every looked-after child should be cared for in a local care placement, receiving their education at a good or outstanding local school. The Department must take greater responsibility for overseeing the placements … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation in principle and states that this will be considered as part of their wider work to develop an implementation strategy to the care review.
Department for Education
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36 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
Current national-level data is not available to illustrate the scale of gaps in education for...
Current national-level data is not available to illustrate the scale of gaps in education for looked-after children. It should be a priority for the Department to ensure this data is collected and published, so that responsible parties can be held … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the need for more detailed data and will consider this as part of its wider work to develop an implementation strategy to the care review.
Department for Education
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37 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
The Department must make it a priority to collect and publish national data on how...
The Department must make it a priority to collect and publish national data on how often school places are not being provided within the statutory 20 school days timeframe for looked-after children under an emergency care order. The lack of … Read more
Government Response
The government recognizes the need for more detailed data on looked-after children who are missing education and states that this will be considered as part of their wider work to develop an implementation strategy to the care review.
Department for Education
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38 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
The Department has set out a new legal requirement for local authorities to maintain registers...
The Department has set out a new legal requirement for local authorities to maintain registers of children not in school. The Department must issue clear guidance to local authorities on the definition of a child missing education, to ensure that … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation in principle and states that this will be considered as part of their wider work to develop an implementation strategy to the care review.
Department for Education
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44 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
The Government’s 2022 SEND Green Paper sets out proposals for a more inclusive education system...
The Government’s 2022 SEND Green Paper sets out proposals for a more inclusive education system with enhanced mainstream provision for learners with special educational needs. As these reforms are taken forward, the Government must set out its plan to ensure … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the recommendation to support children in residential care to thrive in mainstream schools and states it will publish its response to the Green Paper consultation in a National SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan later this year.
Department for Education
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48 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
Careers and employability outcomes for care-experienced young people up to age 25 should be a...
Careers and employability outcomes for care-experienced young people up to age 25 should be a core part of the Virtual School Head remit. Every Virtual School should have a designated careers lead whose function is to promote and support the … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges current support through PEPs, bursaries, leaving care teams and the care leaver covenant, and will give purposeful consideration to the committee’s recommendations as part of the department’s work to respond to the care review’s recommendation for VSHs.
Department for Education
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54 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Educational povert…
The Minister for Children and Families agrees that the Staying Close pilot has produced “very,...
The Minister for Children and Families agrees that the Staying Close pilot has produced “very, very good evidence”. Without further delay, the Department must roll out Staying Close nationally as a statutory entitlement. Care leavers must have the right to … Read more
Government Response
The government has announced funding to extend the Staying Close programme and has asked WWCSC to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme to inform further roll-out. The government will respond to the recommendation that Staying Close should be a legal entitlement, in the comprehensive implementation strategy.
Department for Education
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Government Response AI assessment · 57 of 36 classified
Accepted 14
Accepted in Part 2
Acknowledged 13
Deferred 21
Not Addressed 5
Rejected 2
Total 36 recs + 23 conclusions
Correspondence 2 letters
6 Sep 2022 Correspondence from the Schools Adjudicator on the Children’s Homes Report, dated 5 August
Parliament page
6 Sep 2022 Correspondence from Ofsted on Calcot Children’s Homes and safeguarding procedures, dated 4 August
Parliament page