Speeches by Asato.

“Finally to Roger, will local authorities need any additional resources to be able to fulfil these requirements, in particular the extension of staying close support?”

“In terms of the proposals supporting care leavers, will care leavers be able to take legal action if they do not receive the support that is currently outlined in the Bill? How likely is this in practice to be used as a right?”

“This is for Denise. What are your views on the Bill’s proposals on supporting care leavers? What difference will they make to the support that is currently provided?”

“My next question is to Dan. The CMA also recommended that the Government should put in place national level support for local authorities in forecasting the demand for and supply of placements: should this be included in the Bill?”

“There was some concern about too wide an area creating distance in places. One of the worries is that children are placed far away from where they should be. Do you think there are going to be enough checks and balances in RCCs to make sure that doesn’t happen in practice?”

“This is to Roger. The Bill gives the Secretary of State the power to direct local authorities to establish regional co-operative arrangements. What impact will this have and is there any lesson from regional adoption agencies that we should be learning?”

“Thank you. That was incredibly helpful. Q430       Mrs Brackenridge: As we close this session, I have to thank you for coming here and sharing your lived experiences. That is important and powerful, and we are all very grateful for that. In terms of everything that you have shared—the real…”

“Did anyone else on the panel want to answer that question?”

“Lastly, what further measures should the Government prioritise to improve support for care leavers? Should there be some sort of national care offer?”

“Finally to Roger, will local authorities need any additional resources to be able to fulfil these requirements, in particular the extension of staying close support?”

“In terms of the proposals supporting care leavers, will care leavers be able to take legal action if they do not receive the support that is currently outlined in the Bill? How likely is this in practice to be used as a right?”

“This is for Denise. What are your views on the Bill’s proposals on supporting care leavers? What difference will they make to the support that is currently provided?”

“My next question is to Dan. The CMA also recommended that the Government should put in place national level support for local authorities in forecasting the demand for and supply of placements: should this be included in the Bill?”

“There was some concern about too wide an area creating distance in places. One of the worries is that children are placed far away from where they should be. Do you think there are going to be enough checks and balances in RCCs to make sure that doesn’t happen in practice?”

“This is to Roger. The Bill gives the Secretary of State the power to direct local authorities to establish regional co-operative arrangements. What impact will this have and is there any lesson from regional adoption agencies that we should be learning?”

“In what circumstances does co-operation over admissions fail between schools and local authorities, what are the reasons for that, and do you think the Bill’s provisions on school admissions will make the system work better?”

“This question is also to you, Bev. You have covered some of this already, but how can we ensure that there is consistency across local authority areas in discharging the requirements on registers of children not in school, and has the LGA carried out any mapping of how local authorities are staffed and resourced in dif…”

“I also want to ask about parents who are not providing the education that their child needs, particularly in terms of safeguarding and prevention of abuse. Do you think that the measures in the Bill will help to identify and prevent the abuse of children?”

“Clare, you made the point that you think, as a home schooler, that the local authority should not be allowed to enter the private home. Do you think that there are parents who might be home schooling as a cover for abuse? How would we balance the important protections that the state needs to provide for those children,…”

“Is the Office of the Schools Adjudicator equipped to take on a more strategic role in school admissions or is this not your expectation of how the additional powers in the Bill will take effect?”