Effective matching of a child to the right carer to meet their needs is a key factor in achieving stable and secure placements for all looked after children, including unaccompanied children from abroad who may have been trafficked. Local authorities will be responsible for identifying the most suitable placement for the children they look after and each authority will have arrangements in place to secure a sufficient number of good quality placements.
The Department supports a number of initiatives designed to increase the supply of good quality placements for children in care, including children who may be victims of trafficking. For example, we are currently revising the National Minimum Standards for children's homes and fostering services to improve the focus on outcomes for children, so that all are given personalised support in line with their needs and wishes. We are also working with the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) to develop and implement foster care training, support and development standards and improve professional devolvement for children's homes staff.
These initiatives are designed to increase the number of suitably skilled foster carers and residential care staff at local level with the right skills to support all looked after children, including any child who may be a victim of trafficking.