Andy Smith, ADCS President, said:

“Finding stable, loving homes that meet the needs of children and young people in our care is a priority for all local authorities. It is important to note the issue of out of area placements is not always as straightforward as is often suggested. We want children to stay close to the people and places they know, where it is in their best interests to do so, but this is not always possible because demand for placements outstrips supply. There are also good reasons why children might be placed out of area, for example, if there are concerns about their safety or their needs can’t be met locally. That said, more children than we would like are placed further away because there is a lack of local placements when and where they are needed, this is a long-standing national issue, and we need the new government’s support to address this. We urgently need a national placement strategy which addresses shortages across all types of placements to meet the needs of all children and young people wherever they live, local authorities can’t do this alone.”

ENDS