In a letter to Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, sent in November, director of Article 39 Carolyne Willow urged secondary legislation to be passed extending a ban on punitive punishment in children’s homes and foster homes to supported accommodation housing children in care.
Willow warned that this could leave children at risk of assault in their accommodation.
However, in a response to the letter, seen by CYP Now, children, families and wellbeing minister David Johnston said government “does not believe that a specific prohibition is necessary”.
“Given the nature of supported accommodation provision, which is inherently different to children's homes and foster care settings as it is designed to offer semi-independent, supported living for older children, it is extremely unlikely a court would consider that the responsibility to discipline a young person has been delegated to a supported accommodation provider or staff member.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
