Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Children’s Social Care Services: Reform

Monday 4 July 2022 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Secretary of State will publish an ambitious implementation strategy later in the year following the MacAlister review, the Competition and Markets Authority study, and the national panel review.
  • The care leaver covenant was launched to support young people transitioning out of care, and the MacAlister review aims to provide consistent, quality support to care leavers.
  • The Government is concerned about profiteering in children's social care and is examining how to ensure the system works properly.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Cat Smith Lab Lancaster and Wyre
Social Care Children & Families
Context

The question follows the government's commitment to reforming children's social care, prompted by recent reviews and studies.

Question

What steps he is taking to reform children's social care services. This includes publishing an ambitious implementation strategy following three important pieces of work: MacAlister review, Competition and Markets Authority study on the children's social care market, and the national panel review of the deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson.

Answer from Nadhim Zahawi

We will publish an ambitious implementation strategy later this year following three important pieces of work: first, the independent review of social care—the MacAlister review—and then the Competition and Markets Authority study on the children's social care market, and the national panel review of the deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson.

Answered
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Q2 Lyn Brown Lab
Children & Families
Context

The question addresses the challenges faced by children leaving care, particularly their need for consistent support and foster family placement.

Question

Will the Secretary of State promise me today that he will look at what more can be done to provide care leavers with consistent, quality support during and beyond those transitions, enabling them to live with foster families into their adulthood?

Answer from Nadhim Zahawi

We launched the care leaver covenant which has made a significant difference to many of our young people in care as they transition out of care. There is also the work we are doing to support those 300,000 families who need that additional support. The work of MacAlister will make a huge difference. I give her a pledge that we are serious about implementing the MacAlister review.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner sought a specific promise to consider additional measures for providing continuous support, but received assurances and references to existing initiatives without a direct commitment to new measures.

How: Referring To Existing Work, Pledge To Seriousness

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Q3 Cat Smith Lab Lancaster and Wyre
Care & Healthcare Workers Children & Families
Context

The question arises from a Swedish government review into the profit motive in children's education, focusing on profiteering concerns.

Question

Can he confirm, perhaps with yes or no, that the profit motive must be taken out of the care of our most vulnerable children?

Answer from Nadhim Zahawi

Part of why I mentioned the Competition and Markets Authority review to make sure that the system is working properly is that it is something I am concerned about. I would focus on profiteering rather than profit, because I think people will want to go into this sector to help children, and I do not have a problem with their making a profit. It is excessive profiteering that I am certainly concerned about.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked for a yes/no confirmation regarding removing the profit motive but received nuanced discussion on profiteering instead.

How: Focusing On Profiteering Rather Than Profit

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Q4 Paul Maynard Con
Children & Families
Context

The question addresses the issue of out-of-area placements for children and young people made by councils without notifying local statutory agencies, posing safety concerns.

Question

What more can the Government do as part of their review of children's social services to make sure that out-of-area placements made by councils are communicated to the host areas' statutory agencies?

Answer from Nadhim Zahawi

We are looking at how we help local authorities to commission and buy places much more efficiently with the regional care co-operatives. There is also the work of the MacAlister review, after which hopefully out-of-area placements will become a rarity.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked for specific measures regarding communication but received a broader statement about commissioning and buying places more efficiently without direct commitment to improving communications.

How: Broad Statements On Efficiency

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