Lords resumes scrutiny of Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill will strengthen safeguards for children's social care, offer increased support for care leavers, regulate the use of social worker agencies and enshrine kinship carers in law.

The bill will also require state primaries to offer free breakfast clubs, limit the use of uniforms branded with school logos, regulate academies and introduce a register of children not in school.

Line by line examination

Committee stage is a thorough examination of the individual parts (clauses) of the bill.

Starting from the front of the bill, members work through the clauses in order, considering changes (amendments) to the wording or proposals for new clauses.

Eight days of committee stage have been scheduled so far*:

• Tuesday 20 May
• Thursday 22 May
• Monday 9 June
• Thursday 12 June
• Tuesday 17 June
• Thursday 19 June
• Monday 23 June
• Thursday 3 July*

(*schedule is subject to change and additional days may be added)

Proposed changes   

Members speaking on day five of committee stage have put forward amendments (changes) to the bill on subjects including:

• accommodation for looked-after children
• deprivation of liberty orders
• room sharing in foster homes
• school uniforms
• unregulated accommodation for 16 and 17 year-olds.

How to follow

• Watch live on Parliament TV.
• Read the Lords Hansard transcript (available from three hours after the debate).

Explore further information 

Find out more about the bill in the House of Lords Library briefing. 

What's happened so far?

Committee stage day four: Thursday 12 June

Members speaking on day four of committee stage put forward amendments  (PDF) (changes) to the bill on subjects including:

• support for the education achievement of children in care
• scope of the Staying Close Scheme for young people leaving care
• financial literacy support for care leavers
• promotion of healthy familial and social relationships
• introduction of a register of foster carers
• review of the adoption and special guardianship support fund.

Catch up

• Watch the Parliament TV recording.
• Read the Lords Hansard transcript.

Committee stage day three: Monday 9 June

Members speaking on day three of committee stage put forward amendments  (PDF) (changes) to the bill on subjects including:

• mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse
• abolition of 'common law' defence for physical child punishments
• local authority support for children and families
• registration of approved kinship carers.

Catch up

• Watch the Parliament TV recording.
• Read the Lords Hansard transcript.

Committee stage day two: Thursday 22 May

Members speaking on day two of committee stage put forward amendments  (PDF) (changes) to the bill on subjects including:

• ensuring schools have resources to meet their statutory commitments
• disclosure of information on a child's welfare and safeguarding
• membership and function of local Multi Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTS)
• use of 'consistent identifiers' for the recognition of children
• accreditation, training and support for child contact centres.

Catch up

• Watch the Parliament TV recording.
• Read the Lords Hansard transcript.

Committee stage day one: Tuesday 20 May

Members speaking on day one of committee stage put forward amendments  (PDF) (changes) to the bill on subjects including:

• family group decision-making for vulnerable children
• strengthening mediation and reconciliation outside of court
• definition of childcare and education agencies as safeguarding partners.

Catch up

• Watch the Parliament TV recordings: part one and part two.
• Read the Lords Hansard transcripts: part one and part two.

Second reading

Second reading, a full debate on the key principles of the bill, took place on Thursday 5 May.

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