CHILDREN'S SERVICES

Outsourcing children's care linked to worse outcomes

Children in care are being moved between short-term, unstable placements far away from their families because of a ‘corporate takeover’ of the sector, a study has said.

Children in care are being moved between short-term, unstable placements far away from their families because of a ‘corporate takeover' of the sector, a study has said.

The study of more than 600,000 care records in the decade up to 2022 by a team at Oxford University said the private sector had ‘almost completely taken over children's residential care' over the last three decades as local authorities have been encouraged by successive Governments to outsource services.

It found 17,000 out-of-area placements in England could be attributed to the outsourcing of care to commercial firms and claimed growing private involvement in care provision had led to higher rates of placements breaking down within two years.

CHILDREN'S SERVICES

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CHILDREN'S SERVICES

Grant funding's phase-in

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The fair funding review 2.0 has landed, but will it put the whole of a beleaguered sector onto a financially sustainable footing and improve the lives of res...

CHILDREN'S SERVICES

Closing up the support gap

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Jo Casebourne examines why mentoring and befriending matters for young people - and what local leaders can do about it.

CHILDREN'S SERVICES

Housing 'key factor' in rising children's services costs

By Joe Lepper | 25 April 2025

Poor housing has emerged as a ‘key contributing factor’ in councils’ mounting bill for children in care, a survey by the Social Workers Union has revealed.

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