Recommendation 11: Ban CSE-risk children from semi-independent placements

32. The government believes that every child in the care system should be placed in a setting that meets their needs and most importantly, keeps them safe. We must do all that we can to protect children who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing sexual exploitation. 33. We believe that local authorities are best placed to make individual placement decisions based on the child’s best interests and their stated wishes, including where this concerns children who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing sexual exploitation. We do not believe that a blanket ban would aid local authorities in making these decisions. 34. Local authorities already have statutory duties to ensure that children they look after are safe and have their needs met. This includes ensuring that care placements for children are suitable and provide them with the level of care and support they need. Anything less is simply unacceptable. When local authorities make care placements for children they look after, they must consider the needs and experiences of children, including their risk of being subjected to sexual exploitation, and assemble a care placement that can meet all of their needs while managing the individual risk to each child. Ofsted holds local authorities to account on this.