Overview

The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill aims to improve the safeguarding and welfare of children in England, focusing on children's social care, school attendance, and the regulation of related institutions and agencies. It introduces measures to strengthen information sharing, enhance support for children in care, and regulate independent educational institutions more effectively.

Description

Children's Social Care

The bill mandates family group decision-making meetings before care orders are sought, expands safeguarding arrangements to include childcare and education agencies, establishes multi-agency child protection teams, and improves information sharing through consistent identifiers. It also introduces a "kinship local offer" to support children in kinship care, enhances support for care leavers, and introduces regional cooperation for the accommodation of looked-after children. The bill also grants the Children and Families Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) new powers to impose monetary penalties on relevant providers and introduces financial oversight for providers of children's homes and fostering agencies.

Schools

The bill mandates free breakfast clubs in primary schools, limits branded items in school uniforms, introduces local authority consent for the withdrawal of certain children from school, and establishes a register of children not in school. It strengthens the regulation of independent educational institutions, including provisions for inspections, suspension of registration, and prevention orders. The bill also updates teacher misconduct procedures, modifies Academies' duties, and revises school place and admissions processes, including the power to direct admissions and changes to the establishment of new schools.

Employment of Children

The bill introduces restrictions on the employment of children in England, including age limits, types of permitted work, and maximum working hours. It empowers local authorities to grant child employment permits and sets out requirements for record-keeping.

Government Spending

The bill will likely lead to increased government spending on children's social care services, breakfast club provision, and support for care leavers. Specific figures are not provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

• Children: The bill aims to improve the wellbeing and safeguarding of children across various settings, potentially impacting their access to services and education.
• Families: Family group decision-making is introduced impacting parental involvement in care decisions.
• Children's Social Care Providers: New regulations and financial oversight may affect their operations and profitability. Monetary penalties can be imposed for non-compliance.
• Schools and Academies: New duties and requirements regarding breakfast clubs, uniforms, and student attendance are imposed.
• Independent Educational Institutions: Enhanced regulation and inspection procedures will affect their operations.
• Teachers: The definition of teacher misconduct is broadened.
• Local Authorities: Increased responsibilities and duties in relation to children's social care, school attendance, and information sharing are introduced.
• Employers of Children: Restrictions on child employment will impact their ability to hire young workers.

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