Children coming into care are increasingly subject of a “last-minute dash” to find a home as local authorities grapple with rising demand for places and a lack of suitable accommodation, according to Ofsted.
In its new report, Ofsted said local authorities are struggling to plan for and meet their legal duty to offer sufficient accommodation for children in need of care.
Difficulty forecasting demand and the need for urgent placements are said to be two key factors leaving local authorities with little option but to respond to individual cases as and when they arise.
This lack of forward planning is leaving some local authorities frequently deploying a “last-minute” response when a child comes into care. For those with more complex needs, however, even ample time to plan is not enough to mitigate the lack of available accommodation.
Local authorities also noted tension in their relationships with some private providers and their “power” over the children’s social care market.
Some authorities that providers can cherry-pick certain children, making it difficult for them to follow their plan and fulfil their sufficiency duty.
Conversely, other local authorities highlighted how positive relationships with providers mean they are better able to find homes for children with more complex needs and negotiate the cost of placements.
The research also found:
- Local authorities’ knowledge about providers and agencies is often held by individuals, which can be lost when there are staff changes
- Some local authorities are concerned about the ageing population of foster carers in their area and their ability to plan for long term placements
“Today’s report lays bare some of the challenges facing local authorities when it comes to finding the care children need,” said Yvette Stanley, Ofsted’s National Director for Regulation and Social Care.
Stanley added that the increased number of those coming into care – many of which with “high-level physical and mental health needs” – means the urgent need to find places overrides any ability to plan for the long-term:
“It is clear that these findings are set against the issues affecting children’s social care nationally, and local authorities cannot solve the sufficiency issue on their own. There is a lack of suitable homes in the right places, particularly for children with the most complex needs – this needs to be addressed.”
