Member

We recognise that this is a practice issue, as the noble Baroness, Lady Barran, has made an impassioned case for, and that there are things the department can do as we wait for the Law Commission’s review. We recognise that we can move on while we go through the due processes that have been laid out, such as by raising awareness among local authorities, fostering panels and agency decision-makers around the flexibility that should be applied when considering a kinship carer. I emphasise again that different authorities are at different places on this agenda. We are also considering how we might incorporate this guidance into the official departmental guidance for foster care.