A major overhaul of the market, which is blighted by high costs, a lack of placements and high provider debt levels, is needed to reduce out-of-area placements and provide better value for money for the taxpayer, according to the competitions watchdog.
The findings come following a year-long review by the CMA into the children’s social care market, backed by the Care Review.
Key findings
The UK has “sleepwalked” into a system in which children are failing to get suitable placements in foster care and children’s homes, the report states, noting that “some children are also being placed too far away from where they previously lived or in placements that require them to be separated from their siblings”.
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