Written Evidence to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill Committee

Following oral evidence by our CEO, Lynn Perry MBE to the Children’s Wellbeing and School Bill Committee on 21 January 2025 (2nd sitting), this written submission is divided into two sections:

i) proposed amendments to existing provisions in the Bill; and

ii) proposed new clauses in the Bill to address omissions.

With 4.3 million children living in poverty, one in five children are living with a diagnosable mental health condition and more than 80,000 children in the care system, bold changes are needed to move the dial for children, young people and families.

This submission sets out the changes needed to tackle these challenges through amendments to:

• Strengthen the duty to provide sufficient early intervention services – backed by national government funding – to tackle interconnected challenges facing families. This will help more children and parents to access support before they reach crisis point.
• Extend corporate parenting responsibilities. This should also extend to having a legal duty to complete asylum decisions by the time unaccompanied asylum-seeking children leave care.
• Place a new requirement on the Secretary of State for Education to publish a national offer for care leavers, detailing their entitlement to a range of support. Amendment NC40 will help support care leavers as they transition to adulthood.