The report, the first major examination of voluntary sector provision of residential care, found 58 per cent of providers had experienced a downturn in levels of occupancy during the last two years.
The research, carried out by the National Centre for Excellence in Residential Child Care and the Social Care Association and published by VCS Engage, shows a growing concern about the rise of a cost-driven culture in residential child care.
According to the study, The Impact of Market Forces on the Operation and Capacity of the Residential Child Care Sector, the role of voluntary and community sector providers is being weakened by an emphasis on the cost of child care placements, despite commissioners acknowledging that voluntary providers offer high-quality provision for specialist needs.
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