Member

To pick up on the points raised by the noble Lord, Lord Crisp, children who have previously been on child protection plans may leave their birth parents’ care, as he is fully aware and outlined in his comments, but many continue to receive support to meet their needs and support placement stability, with education being a central consideration in this. It is right, therefore, that these children are included in the consent requirement if they have been on a child protection plan in the last five years, because school can be a protective factor for these children in ensuring that they maintain stability and do not become vulnerable to other types of harm, such as extra-familial harm.