Placements away from home don't have to cut family ties

The Bill seeks to reduce the number of looked-after children who are placed a long way from home. This is because the government believes being a long way from home can make it hard to maintain links with family, friends, hobbies and education. The government argues this can lead to placement disruption and poorer outcomes.

But Jonathan Stanley, manager of the National Centre for Excellence in Residential Child Care, told CYP Now: "It isn't distance which makes that harder, it's just practice that gets in the way."

"I've worked with children all over the country who have kept up monthly contact wherever they've been," he said. "Although current practice can create that disjuncture, it doesn't mean it has to be that way."

A spokeswoman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families, said: "Care Matters set out our ambition to improve local authority commissioning to ensure there is sufficient supply of good quality placements in local authority areas, to reduce the number of children inappropriately placed out of authority."

She added: "The Children and Young Persons Bill will improve stability for children, ensuring they are placed in appropriate accommodation."

The government recently tabled an amendment to the Bill that would put a duty on councils to provide enough accommodation for the needs of children they look after within their area.

But questions remain about whether councils will be able to provide for all children near to home.

Stanley said: "Moving to locality planning will provide better matching for young people. But can we actually provide for all young people's needs in a locality? Some children with chronic and acute needs have to go further afield."