“This initiative provides another option for social workers considering what would work best for individual children and families.“
Responding to a new Department for Education scheme to give more vulnerable children the chance to attend independent and state boarding schools, Cllr Richard Watts, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said:
"Children on the edge of care, or those who have recently left care, are some of the most vulnerable in our society and councils work hard to ensure they can access the best possible support to meet their needs.
“This initiative provides another option for social workers considering what would work best for individual children and families. While a boarding school placement will not be right for every child, making this opportunity available for those who would benefit is a positive move.
“But with councils facing a £2 billion funding gap for children’s services by 2020, it is vital that the Government supplements these specific initiatives by providing the additional funding that councils need to ensure that all children can have the bright futures they deserve.”