The Earl of Listowel – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Listowel on 2014-04-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they offer to local authorities in respect of persuading children in their care to leave that care at the age of 16 or 17.

Lord Nash

The Government amended the statutory framework regarding 16- and 17-year-olds ceasing to be looked after in January 2014. The new regulation requires that where a child aged 16-or 17-year-old is looked after other than by virtue of a care order, the decision of the local authority to cease looking after that child must be approved by their director of children’s services. The intention behind the Regulation is to help ensure that young people do not leave care until they are ready and properly prepared. The Department for Education will, in the summer, revise the ‘Care Planning, Placement and Case Review’ statutory guidance to explain how local authorities should implement the new duty.