Following a Department for Education consultation, unregulated placements which do not provide care for children aged under 16 have been banned from today (9 September).
For unregulated settings housing young people aged 16 and 17, a set of national standards have been put in place.
The changes have amended the Children Act 1989 statutory guidance on care planning and placements.
In 2018/19, more than 600 children under 16 were placed in unregulated supported accommodation, compared to more than 6,000 annually aged 16 and 17.
The government reviewed the practice last year after concerns were raised over the safety of such placements.
However, campaigners say the changes remove the legal right for looked-after children aged 16 and 17 to receive care and gives the green light for more to be placed in unregulated supported accommodation.
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