HC Deb 10 November 2003 vol 413 cc72-3W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the(a) need for and (b) costs of enabling children's services in refuges to meet the national standards for under eights day care; and if he will make a statement. [136394]

Margaret Hodge

Where refuges offer day care they will need to be registered and inspected by Ofsted, and the national standards for under eights day care would apply. Under an agreed protocol between Ofsted and the Women's Aid Federation of England (WAFE), the unique position of women's refuges is recognised and Ofsted's guidance to its child care inspectors indicates that their special circumstances should be taken into account in applying the national standards.

Local authorities are funded to promote growth in the number of child care places generally and to provide information, training and advice to providers to help them meet the national standards. They work in partnership with refuges where appropriate.

Mr. Liddell-Grainger

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what checks are carried out into private companies who run children's homes. [136545]

Margaret Hodge

The requirements of the Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the Children's Homes National Minimum Standards must be complied with before an organisation can be registered with the National Care Standards Commission. A copy of the Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards have been placed in the Library.

Mr. Liddell-Grainger

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what role social services departments have in setting up children's homes. [136546]

Margaret Hodge

Social Services departments no longer register and inspect children's homes in their area. Any residential children's homes that are provided by local authorities are registered and inspected by the National Care Standards Commission in the same way as any other private or voluntary organisation providing residential children's homes. Each service provider must comply with the Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and Children's Homes National Minimum Standards.

Mr. Liddell-Grainger

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what consultation in the local area is required to be carried out for a proposed children's home for three or fewer children. [136547]

Margaret Hodge

There is no requirement for the consultation of local residents in relation to a proposed children's home. The NCSC does not distinguish between small children's homes and large children's homes for the purpose of registration.

Mr. Liddell-Grainger

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children were in privately-run children's homes in Somerset in the last year for which figures are available. [136548]

Margaret Hodge

The information requested is not available. The National Care Standards Commission's records show that as of 3 November 2003 there are places for 229 children in total in privately run children's homes in Somerset.