The National Transfer Scheme (NTS), which is designed to fairly disperse unaccompanied children across all local authorities, was made compulsory in 2021.
Speaking to CYP Now, Loughton said the scheme needs to be scrapped and rebuilt to properly relieve pressure on councils such as Kent and Croydon which are common entry points for migrants.
“We've got to have a properly functioning sustainable dispersal system so everybody is funded to take on their fair share of migrants coming here,” he said, noting that government should give councils ring-fenced funding to support placements of unaccompanied children.
“Local authorities are best placed to identify potential accommodation, build new accommodation or adapt existing accommodation. The problem has been that national government is not paying a fair amount to local authorities to provide the full gamut of accommodation and support services to go with it.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
