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Councils reveal sharp rise in high-cost children’s care placements

2 mins read Social Care
There has been a sharp rise in the number of social care placements costing £10,000 a week, a Local Government Association (LGA) survey has revealed.
The highest cost highlighted in the survey was £63,000 a week, according to the survey. Picture: Adobe Stock
The highest cost highlighted in the survey was £63,000 a week, according to the survey. Picture: Adobe Stock

While in 2018/19 there were 120 such placements, this figure rose to 1,510 in 2022/23 among councils surveyed.

Over this period the proportion of councils with at least one of these expensive placements rose from just under a quarter to more than nine in 10.

The highest cost highlighted in the survey was £63,000 a week, according to the survey. For most local authorities costs ranged between just under £10,000 and £32,500 a week.

A lack of choice in placements is driving up prices of care, according to 98 per cent of councils surveyed. 

More than nine in 10 said such placements were needed to support children with “increasingly complex needs”, including around their behaviour and mental health.

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