Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department takes to monitor the compliance of local authorities with their statutory duty to secure sufficient accommodation for looked-after children.

Edward Timpson

Local authorities are required, so far as reasonably practicable, to secure sufficient accommodation within the authority’s area to meet the needs of looked after and vulnerable children. Statutory guidance to help local authorities meet this duty was issued in 2010.

Local authorities’ compliance with the “sufficiency duty” is considered as part of Ofsted inspection. In order for a local authority’s overall effectiveness to be judged as good, they must demonstrate a clear strategy for commissioning and developing services and that there are sufficient resources to meet the needs of local children. Ensuring sufficient placements and services for looked after children also forms part of Ofsted’s judgement of local authorities’ leadership and management.

Further details of the Ofsted inspection framework are available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-local-authority-childrens-services-framework

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