Disclosure Log

Use this part of the site to view the Authorities disclosure log Database.

Question

1. Please could you a) provide a statement of the overarching approach that you have taken to utilising the legislative flexibilities provided by the The Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 and b) confirm who signed this off within both the local authority and any providers that you commission to run children’s social care services? 2. With reference to the need to record any use of the legislative flexibilities provided by the The Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 as well as the ‘reasons for doing so’ and ‘local circumstances that have given arise to the need to use the flexibilities’ – as set out in the Government’s Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for children's social care services as per 6 May 2020 – please confirm how many of each specific flexibility has been utilised in total and in each month since the regulations came into force, and summarise the reasons and local circumstances which made the use of each type of flexibility necessary? In your answer, please include both the specific regulation that has been utilised and a description of the flexibility (it may be helpful to make reference to the Children’s Commissioner for England’s summary of each of the regulations), and, as far as possible, present the information as per the following table: Regulation Description of flexibility Total number of uses Number of uses in May Number of uses in June Summary of reasons and local circumstances Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulation 23 An emergency placement with an approved foster carer can now last 24 weeks, rather than 6 days, even if that foster carer is eg not approved to look after that many children XX XX XX E.g. Shortage of foster carers and inability to recruit more 3. What information relating to your use of the legislative flexibilities provided by the The Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 has been a) requested by or b) provided to Ofsted, and what, if any, further action are you aware of Ofsted taking in response?

Answer

1. Please could you a) provide a statement of the overarching approach that you have taken to utilising the legislative flexibilities provided by the The Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 and b) confirm who signed this off within both the local authority and any providers that you commission to run children’s social care services? 2. With reference to the need to record any use of the legislative flexibilities provided by the The Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 as well as the ‘reasons for doing so’ and ‘local circumstances that have given arise to the need to use the flexibilities’ – as set out in the Government’s Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for children's social care services as per 6 May 2020 – please confirm how many of each specific flexibility has been utilised in total and in each month since the regulations came into force, and summarise the reasons and local circumstances which made the use of each type of flexibility necessary? In your answer, please include both the specific regulation that has been utilised and a description of the flexibility (it may be helpful to make reference to the Children’s Commissioner for England’s summary of each of the regulations), and, as far as possible, present the information as per the following table: Regulation Description of flexibility Total number of uses Number of uses in May Number of uses in June Summary of reasons and local circumstances Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulation 23 An emergency placement with an approved foster carer can now last 24 weeks, rather than 6 days, even if that foster carer is eg not approved to look after that many children XX XX XX E.g. Shortage of foster carers and inability to recruit more 3. What information relating to your use of the legislative flexibilities provided by the The Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 has been a) requested by or b) provided to Ofsted, and what, if any, further action are you aware of Ofsted taking in response?