Overview

The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill aims to improve the safeguarding and welfare of children in England, enhance support for children in care, and regulate various aspects of children's education, including independent educational institutions and academies.

Description

This bill is extensive, covering children's social care and schools. Key aspects of the children's social care section include:

• Family group decision-making: Mandates local authorities to offer family meetings before applying for care orders.
• Child protection and safeguarding: Includes childcare and education agencies in safeguarding arrangements and establishes multi-agency child protection teams.
• Support for children in care: Improves information sharing, provides a "local offer" for care leavers, and promotes regional cooperation in accommodation.
• Regulation of children's homes: Grants the Children and Families Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) powers to impose monetary penalties on providers who fail to meet standards. It also introduces financial oversight and profit limitations for relevant providers.
• Care workers: Allows for regulations concerning the use of agency workers in children's social care.
• Employment of children: Introduces restrictions on child employment in England, requiring permits from local authorities.

The schools section focuses on:

• Breakfast clubs: Requires free breakfast club provision in primary schools.
• School uniforms: Limits the number of branded uniform items required.
• Children not in school: Requires local authority consent for withdrawing certain children from school, mandates registration of children not in school, and introduces school attendance orders.
• Independent educational institutions: Expands the scope of regulation, sets standards, and introduces prevention orders for unregistered institutions.
• Inspections: Enhances information sharing between inspectors and inspectorates.
• Teacher misconduct: Extends the misconduct regime to a wider range of educational settings.
• Academies: Extends statutory pay and conditions to Academy teachers, clarifies the duty to follow the National Curriculum, and provides for the Secretary of State to issue directions to secure the performance of the proprietor’s duties.
• School places and admissions: Improves cooperation between schools and local authorities, extends the power to direct admission to academies, and adds additional triggers for directing admission.
• Establishment of new schools: Amends the invitation process and the process for considering proposals for establishing new schools.

Government Spending

The bill states that any expenditure incurred by the Secretary of State or a government department under the Act, and any increase in sums payable under other Acts due to this Act, will be paid out of money provided by Parliament. No specific figures are provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

• Children in care or leaving care: Will benefit from improved support and safeguarding.
• Families: Will be affected by changes to family group decision-making and child protection procedures.
• Children's social care providers: Face increased regulation, financial oversight, and potential monetary penalties for non-compliance.
• Schools and academies: Face new requirements regarding breakfast clubs, school uniforms, and admissions.
• Independent educational institutions: Face expanded regulation and new standards.
• Teachers: Will be impacted by changes to the teacher misconduct regime and pay and conditions for academy teachers.
• Local authorities: Assume increased responsibilities for safeguarding, support, and the regulation of schools and children not in school.
• Parents: Will have new responsibilities in relation to children not attending school and face potential penalties for non-compliance with school attendance orders.
• Employers of children: Must comply with new restrictions on child employment.

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