Written question WQ95910
- Asked by
- Gareth DaviesConservative
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
Does the Welsh Government advise the children’s social care sector to collect and keep personal savings of looked-after children, or to deposit them into an account with a third party?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Children and Social Care
'The Regulated Fostering Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2019' and the 'Local Authority Fostering Services' code published in May 2019 set out requirements for local authority providers to ensure there are policies and procedures in place which set out arrangements for supporting foster parents to assist children to manage their money.
The relevant Regulations and Code require the local authority to ensure that there are arrangements in place to oversee and monitor the savings of a child.
For children and young people looked after in residential care ‘The Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017’ (Regulation 28) and accompanying guidance set out requirements to ensure arrangements are in place to oversee and monitor the savings of a child.
A link to the Guidance is below – Guidance for providers of care home and domiciliary support services | GOV.WALES
The guidance provided for fostering services and for providers of residential care homes for children who are looked after encourages children and young people who are looked after in foster or residential care to be supported to manage their own money through their own accounts.