Second Report - Educational poverty: how children in residential care have been let down and what to do about it

Select Committee
Education Committee HC 57 8 July 2022
Report Status Government responded
Conclusions & Recommendations 59 items (36 recs)
Source View on Parliament website
Government Response (AI assessment · 57 of 59 classified)
Accepted 14
Accepted in Part 2
Acknowledged 13
Deferred 21
Not Addressed 5
Rejected 2

Recommendations

36 results
2 Accepted
The Department must annually publish statistics on looked-after children, disaggregated by placement type, including key...
Recommendation
The Department must annually publish statistics on looked-after children, disaggregated by placement type, including key metrics on gender, ethnicity, age, special educational needs, and rates of out-of-area placements. (Paragraph 6) Overcoming the odds: education outcomes and the lack of post-16 … Read more
Government Response Summary
The Department will publish the recommended breakdowns in the 2023 releases, in conjunction with the department’s policy on confidentiality. They have committed to publishing additional stability analysis in November 2022.
Department for Education
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4 Accepted
Para 19
The Department must urgently tackle the black hole of data on the educational outcomes of...
Recommendation
The Department must urgently tackle the black hole of data on the educational outcomes of children in children’s homes. It must commit to annual data publication through a data dashboard on outcomes for looked-after children which is disaggregated by care … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government commits to publishing the recommended data breakdowns on the educational outcomes of children in children's homes in the 2023 releases, in conjunction with the department's policy on confidentiality.
Department for Education
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6 Deferred
Para 27
The new Virtual School Head duty to promote the education of children with a social...
Recommendation
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 Summary
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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7 Acknowledged
Processes to scrutinise how local authorities are spending their Pupil Premium Plus grant are insufficient.
Recommendation
Processes to scrutinise how local authorities are spending their Pupil Premium Plus grant are insufficient. There must be strengthened accountability with clear penalties for local authorities who are not properly spending the grant on raising the educational attainment of looked-after … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government will consider further changes to the guidance and specifically whether it should stipulate that the VSH must sign-off on all use of the funding and whether more detailed financial information should be included in the Virtual School Annual Report provided to Ofsted, but needs to be mindful of the unintended consequences of this on VSHs' capacity to effectively carry out their wider role. They are also 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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8 Accepted in Part
Para 31
Local authorities must annually report to Ofsted, accounting for how every penny of their Pupil...
Recommendation
Local authorities must annually report to Ofsted, accounting for how every penny of their Pupil Premium Plus grant is being spent. The Department must strengthen its guidance on the grant, stipulating that all funding must be allocated via the Virtual … Read more
Government Response Summary
The department will consider further changes to the guidance and specifically whether it should stipulate that the VSH must sign-off on all use of the funding and whether more detailed financial information should be included in the Virtual School Annual Report provided to Ofsted.
Department for Education
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10 Deferred
Para 37
The case for extending Premium Plus is clear.
Recommendation
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 Summary
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 Deferred
When rolled out nationally, post-16 Pupil Premium Plus funding must be calculated using the same...
Recommendation
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 Summary
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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13 Accepted
Para 44
The Department must take greater responsibility for policing the school admissions system to ensure it...
Recommendation
The Department must take greater responsibility for policing the school admissions system to ensure it is working in the interests of looked-after children. There must be a clear sanctions mechanism in place for schools who consistently refuse or delay admissions … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that looked-after children already have priority in school admissions and that guidance prioritizes schools judged as 'Good' or 'Outstanding' by Ofsted, with exceptions for evidence-based reasons. They state children should never be placed in a school judged inadequate unless there are exceptional evidence-based reasons.
Department for Education
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14 Acknowledged
Para 45
Under section 497 of the Education Act 1996, the Secretary of State has the power...
Recommendation
Under section 497 of the Education Act 1996, the Secretary of State has the power to take legal action against local authorities who are not meeting their statutory duties 46 Educational poverty: how children in residential care have been let … Read more
Government Response Summary
The Department will consider how its power under section 497 of the Education Act 1996 may be used more effectively where a local authority fails to ensure a looked-after child is able to access a school place.
Department for Education
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15 Deferred
Para 46
The Schools White Paper sets out a new backstop power for local authorities to direct...
Recommendation
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 Summary
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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17 Acknowledged
Para 48
The Department must introduce a reporting and accountability requirement for local authorities to provide data...
Recommendation
The Department must introduce a reporting and accountability requirement for local authorities to provide data on how many admissions of looked-after children have been contested or refused by schools. It should be made mandatory for local authorities to report all … Read more
Government Response Summary
The department recognizes the importance of data collection and publication and will consider how this might be done, including the cost and burden of any new reporting requirements on local authorities, but makes no firm commitment.
Department for Education
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19 Acknowledged
Para 50
Where the involvement of the Schools Adjudicator is required for admissions decisions for looked-after children,...
Recommendation
Where the involvement of the Schools Adjudicator is required for admissions decisions for looked-after children, these decisions must be made within a maximum 20-day timeframe.
Government Response Summary
The department agrees on the importance of timely school admissions and is working with the Office of the Schools Adjudicator to explore how decision-making can be improved, but made no commitment to a 20-day timeframe.
Department for Education
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21 Accepted
Para 58
Responsibility and accountability for getting looked-after children into their most appropriate local good or outstanding...
Recommendation
Responsibility and accountability for getting looked-after children into their most appropriate local good or outstanding school should lie with the Virtual School Head.
Government Response Summary
Looked-after children already have priority in school admissions, and guidance states that schools judged 'Good' or 'Outstanding' should be prioritised for their placement.
Department for Education
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23 Deferred
Para 60
Ofsted must make outcomes for looked-after children a limiting judgement on a school.
Recommendation
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 Summary
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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24 Accepted in Part
Access to specialist mental health support is essential in supporting children in care, and the...
Recommendation
Access to specialist mental health support is essential in supporting children in care, and the Government must commit to funding specialist mental health support for every school. It must also invest targeted funding to fully level-up spend per-child on mental … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledged the importance of specialist mental health support, stating that they are investing an additional £2.3 billion per year by 2023/24, to allow 345,000 children and young people to access NHS-funded mental health services and supporting every school and college to access mental health training backed by £1.4 billion but did not commit to funding specialist mental health support for every school or reducing mental health waiting lists to one month.
Department for Education
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28 Deferred
Para 68
The 2022 Schools Bill sets out a new duty for local authorities to maintain a...
Recommendation
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 Summary
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 Deferred
Para 69
As part of the proposed register of children not in school, the Department must set...
Recommendation
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 Summary
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 Deferred
Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 places a duty on local authorities to provide...
Recommendation
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 Summary
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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31 Accepted
Para 73
Before the start of the next academic year—at the very latest—the Department should issue robust...
Recommendation
Before the start of the next academic year—at the very latest—the Department should issue robust guidance on how the section 19 duty on local authorities to provide children with a suitable full-time education should be fulfilled by local authorities. Where … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that regulations have been laid that mean no child under 16 can be placed in unregulated accommodation and that they have already committed to introduce national standards for supported accommodation for 16- and 17-year-olds overseen by Ofsted.
Department for Education
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33 Deferred
Para 80
The Department must aim towards banning unregulated provision for looked-after children once it has addressed...
Recommendation
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 Summary
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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35 Deferred
Para 87
Where this is in the child’s best interest, every looked-after child should be cared for...
Recommendation
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 Summary
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 Deferred
Para 92
Current national-level data is not available to illustrate the scale of gaps in education for...
Recommendation
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 Summary
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 Deferred
Para 94
The Department must make it a priority to collect and publish national data on how...
Recommendation
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 Summary
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 Deferred
The Department has set out a new legal requirement for local authorities to maintain registers...
Recommendation
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 Summary
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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39 Accepted
Para 96
The Department must take overall responsibility for monitoring the register of children not in school,...
Recommendation
The Department must take overall responsibility for monitoring the register of children not in school, and must set out clear and robust accountability for local authorities who fail to secure full-time places at good or outstanding DfE registered schools for … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that looked-after children have priority in school admissions and that guidance prioritises schools judged to be good or outstanding, unless there are exceptional evidence-based reasons.
Department for Education
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40 Not Addressed
The Department must ensure looked-after children are quickly able to access vital mental health support...
Recommendation
The Department must ensure looked-after children are quickly able to access vital mental health support services in a timely way despite being placed out-of-area or moved around. The child must not be disadvantaged in terms of waiting times if they … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government repeated the committee's recommendation without response.
Department for Education
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43 Acknowledged
Para 107
All looked-after children must have an independent advocate whose function is to champion their best...
Recommendation
All looked-after children must have an independent advocate whose function is to champion their best interests, ensuring they are admitted to the best, most appropriate schools, and that they are fully supported to appeal to SEND tribunals where their Education, … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government agrees that looked-after children need access to a trusted individual and states that it is the role of VSHs to provide this advocacy in respect of looked-after children’s education, but is looking at the recommendation alongside the broader package of recommendations made by the care review and is working at pace towards issuing a detailed implementation strategy.
Department for Education
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44 Deferred
Para 108
The Government’s 2022 SEND Green Paper sets out proposals for a more inclusive education system...
Recommendation
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 Summary
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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45 Acknowledged
The Government must also increase its investment in SEND provision to ensure that children in...
Recommendation
The Government must also increase its investment in SEND provision to ensure that children in care, alongside all pupils with SEND, get the support they need to thrive in education. Children in care are more likely to have experienced educational … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the need for all pupils with SEND to get the support they need and highlights its investment in the SEND system. They state resources should be targeted more at strengthening early intervention and meeting the needs of children and young people at the right time, including children in care.
Department for Education
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47 Accepted
Para 114
The Department must publish education, employment and training outcomes data disaggregated by care placement type.
Recommendation
The Department must publish education, employment and training outcomes data disaggregated by care placement type. The absence of disaggregated data is a barrier to scrutiny and accountability and hinders the development of targeted, evidence- based interventions. Read more
Government Response Summary
The government commits to publishing education, employment and training outcomes data disaggregated by care placement type in the 2023 releases.
Department for Education
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48 Deferred
Para 115
Careers and employability outcomes for care-experienced young people up to age 25 should be a...
Recommendation
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 Summary
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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49 Accepted
Para 116
The Government must expand existing the existing Civil Service care leaver internship scheme and other...
Recommendation
The Government must expand existing the existing Civil Service care leaver internship scheme and other employment schemes, increasing the number of places so that more care leavers can take advantage of, and benefit from, these opportunities.
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Civil Service care leaver internship scheme has enabled around 700 care leavers to take up posts and encourages departments to offer vacancies. They are keen to create similar opportunities in other public sector employers and highlight the role of the care leaver covenant.
Department for Education
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52 Rejected
Where a care leaver is over 25, and an apprenticeship would be their first qualification...
Recommendation
Where a care leaver is over 25, and an apprenticeship would be their first qualification since leaving compulsory education, the Department must raise the age limit for receipt of the £1,000 apprenticeship bursary from age 25 to age 30. This … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government believes that 25 is a reasonable point of transition and that targeting support on care leavers aged 18–24 to help them as they move to independent living is the best use of resources, so they will not raise the age limit for the apprenticeship bursary.
Department for Education
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54 Deferred
The Minister for Children and Families agrees that the Staying Close pilot has produced “very,...
Recommendation
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 Summary
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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57 Acknowledged
Para 135
The Department must set out their response to the £2 billion expenditure proposed by The...
Recommendation
The Department must set out their response to the £2 billion expenditure proposed by The independent review of children’s social care, indicating how much additional funding they believe is necessary to ensure the care system is fit for purpose, how … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that it is carefully assessing the recommendations of the care review, including the recommendation to introduce a new funding formula for children's and young people's services, but provides no specifics on the funding request.
Department for Education
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58 Acknowledged
Para 136
For far too long, some private providers have extracted significant profits from the public purse,...
Recommendation
For far too long, some private providers have extracted significant profits from the public purse, operating under a monopoly market. At the same time, they have not demonstrated equivalent value for taxpayer money in terms of improved outcomes for the … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government shares concerns that some providers are making excessive profits and are investing £259 million of capital funding to increase the number of places in open and secure children’s homes run by local authorities. The government will present the implementation strategy which will outline the detailed response to recommendations from both the care review and CMA report shortly.
Department for Education
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1 Conclusion Accepted
Para 5
We were highly concerned to be told by the Department that their most up-to-date data on characteristics of children in children’s homes is from an ad-hoc 2016 data release—now seven years out of date.
Government Response Summary
The government will publish the recommended breakdowns in the 2023 releases.
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3 Conclusion Accepted
Para 18
The Department’s data on the educational outcomes of children in care does not distinguish between placement type. Existing data is not good enough, it does not provide the visibility into the education of children in care that we would expect to see. The poor-quality data is a barrier to scrutiny …
Government Response Summary
The government commits to publishing the recommended breakdowns in the data in the 2023 releases.
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5 Conclusion Deferred
Para 26
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 unlike looked-after children, have not had the benefit of a …
Government Response Summary
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.
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9 Conclusion Not Addressed
There is a cliff-edge in Pupil Premium Plus funding when a looked-after pupil turns
Government Response Summary
The government repeats the committee's conclusion without providing a response.
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16 Conclusion
The needs of looked-after pupils do not suddenly cease to exist when they turn
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12 Conclusion Accepted
Para 43
The School Admissions Code is not working in the interests of looked-after children. The admissions system is weighted in favour of schools, and against the interests of looked-after pupils. The absence of sanctions means it is a risk-free process for schools to refuse to admit a looked-after child. This enables …
Government Response Summary
Looked-after children already have priority in school admissions, and guidance states that schools judged 'Good' or 'Outstanding' should be prioritised for their placement.
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18 Conclusion Acknowledged
Para 49
Much more needs to be done to speed up school admissions for looked-after children. We heard from Ofsted that it can take “many months” for a local authority to go through the admissions adjudications process.
Government Response Summary
The department agrees on the importance of timely school admissions for looked-after children and is working with the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) to explore how the timeliness of decision making can be improved, for example, by prioritizing cases involving looked-after children.
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20 Conclusion Accepted
Para 57
All too often children in care face a David versus Goliath battle to gain admission to their local good or outstanding school. Despite the law clearly stating that good and outstanding schools should be prioritised for looked-after children, children in children’s homes are in fact less likely to attend the …
Government Response Summary
The government states that looked-after children have priority in school admissions and that statutory guidance prioritizes good and outstanding schools. They note there may be exceptional circumstances where it may be more appropriate that a looked after child is not placed in a school judged by Ofsted to be ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’.
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22 Conclusion
We have highlighted the need for clear sanctions for schools who refuse to admit looked-after pupils, enforced through the impact on the school’s Ofsted judgement. We have also highlighted the need for much quicker decisions to be made by the Schools Adjudicator when the admissions code is breached. And the …
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25 Conclusion Accepted
Para 65
Research by Ofsted has identified that of a sample of 2,600 children living in children’s homes, 9% of children in residential care are receiving ‘education’ in unregulated settings, and a further 6% are not in education, employment or training. The true picture may be even worse. We’ve heard concerns that …
Government Response Summary
The government will publish breakdowns of data relating to looked-after children not in school in the 2023 releases.
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26 Conclusion Deferred
Para 66
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 Summary
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.
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27 Conclusion Deferred
Para 67
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 moving between schools and missing education, must be prioritised within …
Government Response Summary
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.
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32 Conclusion Deferred
Para 79
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 setting without some form of regulation by Ofsted. It is …
Government Response Summary
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.
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34 Conclusion Deferred
Para 86
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 the child, and all too often result in missed education, …
Government Response Summary
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.
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41 Conclusion Not Addressed
Para 100
The Government’s SEND reforms must move towards a less adversarial system that places less strain on children and families.
Government Response Summary
The government repeats the committee's conclusion without providing a response.
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42 Conclusion Not Addressed
Para 106
Over 90% of SEND tribunal decisions are made in favour of the parent and child. But where a child with SEND lives in residential care, and does not have a school place or Education, Health and Care plan that meets their needs, they may effectively have no right of appeal …
Government Response Summary
The government repeats the committee's conclusion without providing a response.
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46 Conclusion Not Addressed
Para 113
41% of care leavers aged 19–21 are not in education, employment or training, up from 39% in 2020. This is a shameful reflection of an education and careers system that routinely—and without consequences—fails far too many looked-after children. Too often, the potential of care leavers is not being realised. With …
Government Response Summary
The government repeated the committee's conclusion without response.
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50 Conclusion Acknowledged
Para 120
Just 2% of care leavers go on to do an apprenticeship. The apprenticeship wage rate— £4.81 per hour for apprentices aged 16–18 or aged 19 and over and in the first year of their apprenticeship—is prohibitive for young care leavers living independently. This rate is not designed with the needs …
Government Response Summary
The government recognizes that care leavers face additional barriers to apprenticeships, which is why they introduced the £1,000 bursary for care leavers, but believes employers should pay apprentices wages.
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51 Conclusion Rejected
Para 121
Just 2% of care leavers go on to do an apprenticeship. To address this, the Department must strategically weigh the apprenticeship levy in favour of care-experienced young apprentices under age 25. Too much of the levy is going unspent, the Department reports that £250 million was unspent in 2020/21. Unspent …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the barriers faced by care leavers in apprenticeships and describes existing bursaries and employer incentives. However, it rejects weighing the apprenticeship levy in favor of care-experienced young apprentices and increasing the apprentice minimum wage, stating that employers should pay wages and the Low Pay Commission sets minimum wages.
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53 Conclusion Accepted
Para 126
The current lack of statutory support for young people leaving residential care is deeply unjust. The Department’s own evidence rightly acknowledges the “cliff- edge” transition from residential care to independent living at age 18. Staying Close offers a chance to fix this and the pilot has shown promising results including …
Government Response Summary
The government has announced funding of £36 million over the next 3 years to extend the Staying Close programme and has asked the What Work’s Centre for Children’s Social Care (WWCSC) to evaluate its effectiveness.
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55 Conclusion Acknowledged
Para 133
A record 80,850 children are in care. Early intervention is key to tackling the needs of vulnerable families and children before they escalate. The record rise of children in care cannot be disconnected from the 48% reduction in early intervention spending over the last decade. Short-changing early intervention is a …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the rising number of children in care and the reduction in early intervention spending. They reiterate existing investments in local services and vulnerable families but maintain that councils are best placed to decide how to spend their funding.
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56 Conclusion Acknowledged
Para 134
Local authorities must tackle the imbalance between the 48% reduction in early intervention spending, and the 34% rise in spending on costlier downstream interventions over the last decade. Local authorities cannot simply achieve this by reshuffling spending priorities and reducing essential support for children at the crisis end. The independent …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the imbalance between early intervention and downstream spending and reiterates existing investments in local services and vulnerable families. They state that local councils are best placed to decide how to spend their available funding.
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59 Conclusion Acknowledged
We continue to be extremely concerned by media reports of children’s homes— including the recent case of Calcot Services for Children—failing to meet the needs or ensure the safety of the vulnerable children in their care. In the case of Calcot, their children’s homes had been rated good or outstanding …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges concerns about children's homes and states that the Minister met with Ofsted to discuss actions being taken. Ofsted will write to the Committee separately on the issue.
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