Comment on WWC report on sufficiency strategies

Matt Dunkley, Chair of the ADCS Resources and Sustainability Policy Committee, said:

“This report examines placement sufficiency strategies and highlights some of the pressing challenges for local authorities in commissioning placements for children in care and in meeting their statutory duties. Challenges include increasing numbers of children in care, with evermore complex needs and, crucially, an undersupply of appropriate homes when and where they are needed most. And although local authorities are the only purchasers of placements, providers can pick and choose which referrals to accept or not, which has a knock on effect.

“Finding homes that meet the needs of children who cannot live with their birth families is a priority for all local authorities, ideally, we want children to stay as close to the people and the communities they know but this is not always possible due to a lack of local provision. Local authorities are working hard to overcome the sufficiency challenges they face including by investing in their own children’s homes but need more support from government to ensure the right homes are available in the right places.

“Local authorities are open to exploring different commissioning frameworks and learning from what works, and crucially what doesn’t, but commissioning is not a panacea. We also need a comprehensive placement strategy which addresses shortages across all types of placements to meet the needs of children and young people.”

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