The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill is currently being reviewed in the House of Lords. It is promising sweeping reforms to children's social care including a focus on preventing profiteering in the residential care sector, so it seems apt to be reflecting on the transformative steps we have already taken in Hertfordshire to increase our own local capacity and our continued focus on early intervention to keep families together.

The rising cost of external independent placements and the lack of suitable provision locally reflect national issues that councils across the country are facing; the average rate for residential placements nationally has risen by 72% over the past five years. Our Hertfordshire out of county placements, with independent providers for which there is no regulation in terms of charging, are costing, in total, more than £500,000 a week and these costs are escalating month on month.