ACTION
With council care budgets severely stretched and children's home places in short supply, initiatives have been developed in recent years to move young people from residential to foster care. While not appropriate for every child, such “step down” arrangements tend to be cheaper while educational outcomes for children in foster are better, making them attractive to councils.
This was the situation facing Staffordshire County Council last year. It had identified a small group of adolescents in residential care who social workers thought would benefit from living in a family setting but whose challenging behaviour meant most foster carers would struggle to cope with them. Looking for an alternative option, children's services commissioners at the council spotted an opportunity to trial a new approach.
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