The Local Government Association, which represents councils, has published research showing that complex need children’s home placements that cost more than £10,000 a week — or £500,000 a year — have increased from 120 in 2018 to 1,500 in 2023. Individual weekly placement costs looked at by the LGA range from £12,450 to £23,362.
The organisation warns that “historic cuts to early help” and “rising levels of complex autism, mental health challenges and high instances of self-harm” are driving the increase.
Support in high-cost therapeutic placements needed includes counselling, medication reviews, behaviour support therapy and advice from mental health and disability specialists.
All but one of the placements looked at in the research had a staffing level of either two or three staff to every child.
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