Looked After Children (Distance Placements) Bill 2024-25

The Looked After Children (Distance Placements) Bill is a private member’s bill introduced by Jake Richards. It had its first reading in the Commons on 16 October 2024. Its second reading debate is scheduled to be held on 28 March 2025, when it is second in the list of bills to be debated.

The Bill

The bill would require local authorities in England to publish statistics about the number of looked after children who are living 20 or more miles from their home (referred to as a “distance placement”) because of a lack of placements within the local authority area. 

A local authority in England would also be required to publish an annual local sufficiency plan, setting out, among other things, the measures it is taking to prevent looked after children being moved to distance placements due to a lack of local placements. 

The bill would also require the Secretary of State to publish an annual national sufficiency plan, including, among other things, measures the government is taking to support local authorities in preventing looked after children being moved to distance placements

Placements for looked after children

Under section 22G of the Children Act 1989, local authorities in England have a duty to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, that they are able to provide looked after children with accommodation that meets their needs and is within the authority’s area (so far as this is consistent with the child’s welfare). This is often referred to as the “sufficiency duty”.

Statutory guidance published by the Department for Education does highlight, however, that a placement outside of their area may sometimes be most appropriate for the child – for example where they have complex treatment needs or to ensure they are effectively safeguarded.

Children placed far away from home

Concerns have been raised that local authorities can face difficulties finding suitable placements for looked after children, and this can result in them being placed far away from home. 

In 2024, 18,040 looked after children (22% of all looked after children) were placed more than 20 miles from home and 69% were placed within 20 miles. Information for the remaining 9% of children was not known or not recorded. In most cases, this is because the child was an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child.

The proportion of children placed more than 20 miles from home has increased from 16% in 2010, to 20% in 2020, and 21% in 2023.