The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 21st October 2024:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to develop the Children’s Social Care National Framework and outcomes further to include the voice of children and young people.
Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab, DfE): Children, young people and families have a vital part to play in our work to reform children’s social care and the department wants to ensure their voices are at the core of our work as we progress policy development and delivery both at a national and local level.
The Children’s Social Care National Framework was published as statutory guidance in December 2023. It was developed in consultation with the sector, including facilitated engagement sessions with Barnardo’s and Coram Voice and local authorities, so that care-experienced young people could shape the statutory guidance, and the children and young people’s versions. The guidance was also produced with the expert advice of the National Practice Group which brings together experts in practice, evidence, lived experience and multi-agency working.
Each outcome chapter of the Children’s Social Care National Framework includes expectations for how local areas listen and respond to the voices of children, young people and families. The National Framework, as with all statutory guidance, will be routinely reviewed and updated as appropriate. The department will work with children, young people and families as appropriate in future revisions to the guidance.
In support of the National Framework, the department is committed to developing the Children’s Social Care Dashboard, which has a national set of indicators, to help central and local government understand progress towards the National Framework outcomes for children, young people and families. The Dashboard will support learning and improvement at a local, regional and national level.
The Dashboard will evolve over time and in the department’s policy paper accompanying the publication of the Dashboard (published 11 October 2024) we identify hearing from children, young people and families as a key data gap, which we will be exploring how to address. The department recognises collecting this information needs to be done in a careful and sensitive way and will draw on the expertise of others in its development.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that children with social work involvement are able to access a dedicated pathway to mental health support.
Baroness Merron (Lab, DHSC): The Government recognises the distinct issues faced by this group and local authorities and the National Health Service should be reflecting the high level of mental health needs amongst looked-after children in their strategic planning of services.
As part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government will recruit 8,500 additional staff across children and adult mental health services, introduce a specialist mental health professional in every school and roll out Young Futures hubs in every community.
We are also working to develop a new 10-Year Health Plan which will have a focus on transforming health services and we will engage with the public and relevant organisations on the development of the plan.
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