Unregulated accommodation banned for under 16s

The government has announced that a ban on placing vulnerable children under the age of 16 in unregulated accommodation will come into force in September.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said that children in care under 16 will no longer be allowed to be accommodated in unregulated independent or semi-independent placements, helping to ensure the most vulnerable are cared for in settings that best meet their needs.

The ban will come into force in September, as part of the government’s response to its consultation last year aimed at ensuring the highest quality provision for all children and young people in care. The Department for Education’s response to the consultation makes clear that while independent and semi-independent provision can be the right option for some older children where it is high quality and meets their needs, children aged under 16 are too young for this type of accommodation – which is intended to facilitate supported living for older children developing their independence before they leave the care system.

Plans will also be developed to support local authorities in creating more places in children’s homes, backed by additional investment, building on the £24 million announced at the Spending Review and recognising that there are pressures on some local authorities to find the right placement for a child.

Williamson said: “Vulnerable children under 16 are too young for the type of accommodation that provides a place to stay but not the care and support that they need. The action taken today – supported by the sector and in response to their views - is an important step in making sure children in care are placed in settings that give them the highest chances of success.

“We know that for some older young people, independent or semi-independent accommodation can be right in helping them transition to adult life – but these settings need to be consistently high quality. We cannot be complacent about the standards we expect to be met for children in our care. Our consultation response sets out the urgent steps we are taking to raise the bar for these children, which alongside the independent review of children’s social care, will level up outcomes for those most in need.”

Judith Blake, chair of the Local Government Association's Children and Young People Board, said: “Today’s announcements are positive steps towards ensuring that all children in care live in good quality homes that meet their needs and help them to thrive. A key driver for the increasing use of unregulated placements for children under 16 is a lack of suitable regulated homes. The government’s commitment to funding to increase children’s homes provision, which we have previously called for, is therefore a helpful recognition of the pressures on placements.

“However, this funding will not be available immediately, and councils are keen to work with government to quickly develop the places they will need to meet these requirements. We remain convinced of the need for wider regulatory reform to deliver the homes children need, alongside investment in workforce and support services, and urge the chair of the independent review of children’s social care to look closely at these issues.”