Comment: care placement sufficiency

John Pearce, ADCS President, said:

“This FOI highlights a pressing and long-standing national issue that we continue to raise with the government - a lack of local placements for the children in our care. Finding homes that meet the needs of children when and where they need them is a priority for all local authorities. Ideally, we want children to stay close to the people and places they know, where it is best for them to do so, but this is not always possible because demand for placements outstrips supply. Local authorities are working hard to overcome the sufficiency challenges they face including by investing in their own children’s homes, but we need the support of government to address the significant challenges we all face as well as rising costs and profiteering on the backs of vulnerable children.

The government’s plan to reform the care system, Stable homes, built on love, seeks to address these issues. However, the proposed Regional Care Cooperatives will not provide a silver bullet to these urgent problems, the issue is much more complex and requires a response that looks beyond commissioning practice. ADCS is working with government to put forward an alternative vision that recognises the complexity of these challenges. We must work together to do better for children.”

ENDS

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