A new report from the County Councils Network has revealed that too many children are being placed into care away from their local communities.
The report from the CCN has found that that a third of vulnerable young people that were placed in council care last year ended up being placed in accommodation that is miles away from their home. This is due to the demand outstripping the supply of places in residential homes, as well as the ‘flatlining’ of foster care capacity.
According to the County Councils Network, the number of children and young people being placed in care has increased by 7% since 2019. Despite this, the number of young people being care for in children’s homes and supported accommodation has risen by 45%. Last year, £6.6 billion was spent on children care by councils, with the report projecting that this will increase to double in six years’ time. With the lack of availability in local areas, the CCN has reported that 32% of children that were living in local authority care in 2023 were living in residential homes that were more than 20 miles from their local area, school, or family.
Children’s Services Spokesperson at the County Councils Network, Cllr Roger Gough, said:
“This report should act as a turning point for children’s services in England. It finds a system broken, with councils in the false economy of increasingly paying astronomical sums for placements and less on preventative services. But the biggest losers from the current system are young people themselves, with far too many children being placed many miles from home at a time when they are experiencing the trauma of being removed from their family.
“If we carry on as we are currently almost 10,000 extra young people could end up in care by the end of the decade, at an enormous cost for both young people and local taxpayers. It will leave us locked into a vicious circle of higher spend and poorer outcomes.
“The government’s commitment to reform is a step in the right direction but change needs to come urgently and within 12 months of the Spending Review next year. The government has promised to fix the foundations: it should start by fixing the foundations of children’s services.”
As part of the report, the CCN has recommended that the government should invest £2.6 billion into children’s services, allowing councils to invest in preventative services that will keep young people from being taken away from their families. The report has also called for a comprehensive review of foster carer recruitment and retention, as well as long-term partnerships with care providers that share risk, skills and investment to ensure that the right homes are delivered for children and young people.
Another requirement to come from the report is that all children and young people should be cared for within their local area or region, with this being backed by legislation.
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