Timpson clarifies long-distance care placement approval process

The government’s consultation on proposals to reform care planning regulations led to widespread confusion within the sector.

Under the plans put forward by the Department for Education in June, it was proposed that any decision to place a child “out of authority and at a distance...must be approved by a DCS”.

The government’s response to the consultation reveals that a number of respondents misunderstood the proposal and thought that the DfE wanted to make each DCS “personally responsible for scrutinising the assessment of every child” considered for placement out of their local authority area.

The paper then states that the DfE would not expect a DCS to be personally responsible for every child’s care plan, leading many to think the government had U-turned over its plans.

Giving evidence to the education select committee on Wednesday, Timpson explained how the approval process for long-distance out-of-area placements will work.

He said: “They have to approve the decision. It will be the designated social worker, those who are working intimately on the case [who will make the decision] because I think it would be unrealistic to expect the DCS to do all of that work themselves.

“But they will still have to approve that decision and be satisfied themselves personally that that is the right decision and they then will have to be accountable for that decision.

“I think that’s an important element that they are the person accountable for the decision made.”

Timpson also told the committee he would not be raising the age that young people leave residential care to 21, despite recently announcing funding to enable young people to stay in foster care until the same age because there needs to be “huge changes” in the quality of care provided at children’s homes.

He revealed he is considering introducing a requirement that management staff must sign up to a professional body before they can work in a children’s home, which he believes would help improve standards.