CYP Now - 'No specific requests' to relax statutory duties to vulnerable children made by sector, FOI request reveals

“No specific requests” for changes to statutory duties relating to vulnerable children during the coronavirus crisis were made by the sector, the results of a Freedom of Information request reveal, despite the Education Secretary claiming that organisations had asked “specifically” for some flexibilities.

Gavin Williamson previously told parliament 'the sector had asked specifically to make sure there were some flexibilities'. Picture: Parliament UK

The government passed emergency legislation to relax and remove safeguards to children in care and on the edge of care on April 24, bypassing the usual 21-day consultation period and parliamentary scrutiny.

The controversial changes brought in via The Adoption and Children (Coronavirus)(Amendment) Regulations 2020, also known as Statutory Instrument 1445, include the relaxation of timescales and safeguards relating to fostering and adoption processes, the removal of timescales surrounding mandatory visits to looked-after children by social workers and the relaxation of expected standards of care in children’s home.

When quizzed on the amendments in parliament by Labour’s shadow minister for children and early years Tulip Siddiq in May, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “The sector had asked specifically to make sure there were some flexibilities that were made available to them.”

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