Rising demand coupled with shrinking budgets is leaving commissioners with a tough task to ensure placement decisions are based on best meeting the needs of children rather than cost. According to the Children and Familiy Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), there was a 14 per cent increase in the number of care applications made from April 2016 to March 2017 compared with the same period the previous year.
The Local Government Association estimates that due to rising demand and cuts to central government grants to councils, children's services face a £2bn funding gap by 2020.
Care applications for the first six months of the current financial year suggest some stabilisation. Cafcass figures show there were 7,150 applications between April and September 2017, compared with 7,471 in the corresponding six months in 2016.
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