CYP Now - One in eight children in care 'placed in unregulated settings'

One in eight children in care has now spent time in unregulated supported accommodation including hostels, caravans and tents, new figures from the children’s commissioner for England reveal.

Older teenagers are most likely to be placed in unregulated settings, the report shows. Picture: Children's commissioner for England

In 2018/19, 12,800 spent some time accommodated in unregulated settings - 69 per cent more than in 2012/13, Anne Longfield’s Unregulated: Children in care living in semi-independent accommodation report shows.

“Pressures on council budgets, an increase in the number of teens entering care and a lack of suitable placements for them are creating a perfect storm which means that local authorities are overly reliant on poor quality unregulated accommodation. This is closely related to a lack of capacity in children’s homes,” Longfield says.

The majority of children placed in unregulated settings are aged 16 and 17, the report states, however, in 2018/19 651 children aged under 16 were placed in such settings compared with 273 under-16s in 2012/13.

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