AQW 7106/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 21/02/2024
Answered On Date: 06/03/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health for his assessment of the creation of a region-wide children and families arm's-length body, as per recommendations within the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services.

Answer:

This is one of 53 recommendations made by the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services. Public consultation on 49 of 53 recommendations, including recommendations relating to a Children and Families Arms-length Body (ALB), closed on 1 December 2023. Work to analyse the responses to consultation is underway. It is hoped that work will be complete by mid-late March 2024. The analysis will inform my assessment of this and other Review recommendations. Decision-making relating to the creation of a new ALB would be a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.