Pushing for care in unregulated settings
Too many young people in care live in unregulated settings which can’t provide them with the stability and support they need.
At Become our position is clear, we believe that rising levels of unregulated accommodation is a result of a shortage of safe and suitable places for children to live. We don’t think that the Government’s actions have gone far enough to address this problem and ultimately still leaves 16 and 17 year olds at additional risk. We are proud to be a part of the #KeepCaringto18 campaign and believe that all children deserve care until the age of 18, no matter where they live.
We have responded to the Government’s recent consultation on the proposed national minimum standards and approach for inspections of supported accommodation for 16 and 17 year olds. You can find our response here.
Growing use of unregulated accommodation is a symptom and not a solution to the shortage of safe and suitable places for children to live.
The government’s action is insufficient to address this problem and will further formalise a ‘two-tier’ care system which puts 16 and 17 year olds at additional risk.
We’re proud to be a part of the #KeepCaringTo18 campaign and believe that all children deserve care until the age of 18, no matter where they live.
In 2021, we jointly produced a young person’s version of the government’s consultation on unregulated accommodation and forced an extension to the deadline for responses to allow more care-experienced people to share their views.
Our submission to Ofsted consultation: Proposals for inspecting supported accommodation, September 2023, is informed by the views, insights and experiences of children and young people with lived experience of independent or semi-independent accommodation.
This response builds on previous responses that we have submitted to consultations held by the Department for Education, in 2021 and 2023, into the proposed regulation of supported accommodation for 16 and 17 year olds.