Children's social care study

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a market study into children's social care provision.

From:
Competition and Markets Authority
Published
12 March 2021
Last updated
2 February 2023 — See all updates
Case type:
Markets
Case state:
Closed
Market sector:
Distribution and service industries
Opened:
12 March 2021
Closed:
10 March 2022

Administrative timetable

Date Action
10 March 2022 Case closed
10 March 2022 Publication of final report
22 October 2021 Publication of interim report
11 September 2021 Statutory deadline for publication of decision on whether to make an MIR
14 April 2021 Deadline for responses to the Invitation to Comment. Deadline for representations on whether the CMA should make a market investigation reference (MIR) under section 131 EA02.
12 March 2021 Publication of Market Study Notice and launch of Market Study

Response to market study

2 February 2022: The government has accepted the CMA’s children’s social care market study recommendations.

The government has published its initial response to the children’s social care market study.

Final report

10 March 2022: We have published our final report on our children’s social care market study setting out our findings and making recommendations to the UK Government, Scottish Government and Welsh Government. We have also published individual summaries setting out our findings and recommendations in relation to England, Scotland and Wales.

Responses to the interim report

Interim report

22 October 2021: We have published an interim report on our children’s social care market study setting out our initial findings and early stage thinking on possible recommendations. We are inviting views on the interim report at the email address below by 12 November 2021.

Contact

Email: children@cma.gov.uk

Decision not to make a reference

The CMA has decided not to make a market investigation reference. This should not be interpreted as the CMA finding no concerns in the sector and we will set out potential concerns shortly in an interim report.

Responses to Invitation to Comment

Launch of the market study

12 March 2021: The CMA has launched a market study into children’s social care provision. The study will examine the lack of availability and increasing costs in children’s social care provision, including children’s homes and fostering.

We are inviting comments by 14 April 2021 on the issues raised in the invitation to comment, including from interested parties such as care and accommodation suppliers, local authorities, looked-after and care-experienced children and their advocates, and other interested parties.

Personal information

  • The CMA may collect, use and share personal data for its market studies under the Enterprise Act 2002. This includes processing personal data for the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
  • For more information about how the CMA handles personal information, please see the CMA’s Personal Information Charter.

Updates to this page

Published 12 March 2021
Last updated 2 February 2023 + show all updates

  1. Announcement of Department for Education accepting all CMA market study recommendations published to the page.

  2. Link to a letter received from the Department for Education added to the page.

  3. Final report and England, Scotland and Wales summaries to the Children's social care study published.

  4. Responses to the interim report published.

  5. Interim report published.

  6. Decision not to make a reference published.

  7. Third party response updated and published.

  8. Update to the Administrative Timetable published.

  9. Responses to Invitation to Comment published.

  10. First published.

Contents