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In a bid to improve outcomes for care leavers, Central Bedfordshire Council began reorganising the way it commissions supported accommodation for 16- to 19-year-olds.
Before 2014, places had been spot-purchased, as and when they were needed.
"One or two providers were dominating the market," says Toni Badnall-Neill, strategic commissioning officer for children's services at Central Bedfordshire Council. "The quality was variable, and the cost was extremely variable.
"At the time there was no oversight of the market. Young people felt they weren't getting a great deal and we know, mainly from anecdotal evidence, that outcomes for young people were not as good as they should be."
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