A failure to support children and young people with complex needs is driving very high care costs and not improving children’s lives, according to a new report commissioned by the LGA.
It follows a previous LGA survey that found the number of children’s home placements costing £10,000 or more per week – the equivalent of more than £0.5 million a year – increased from 120 to 1,500 between 2018 and 2023.
This latest research, carried out by the National Children’s Bureau, warns that the challenge of meeting the increasing complexity of children’s needs – along with a lack of appropriate homes for these children and the linked challenges with commissioning those placements – is leading to an escalation in very high-cost placements.
Those participating in the research pointed to a range of factors leading to increasing complexity of need, from the impact of the pandemic and historic cuts to early help, to rising levels of complex autism, mental health challenges and high instances of self-harm.
The LGA is calling on the Government in the 11 June Spending Review to ensure all councils receive sufficient funding to invest long term into family help, child protection and child-in-care and care leaver services.
Cllr Arooj Shah, Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “As local partners, we have key roles to play, and the Government can drive this from the top. By integrating planning and funding across departments and using the Spending Review to ensure services have the resources they need, we can make sure children receive the care they deserve.”