News

Struggling council prioritises cuts to children's residential care

2 mins read Social Care
An "inadequate" rated council is looking to slash its spending on residential childcare in a bid to reduce a predicted £4.2m overspend on children's services this year.

Torbay Council says that despite an increase of £4.4m in its children's social care budget, it is still forecasting an overspend of £4.2m on supporting vulnerable children this year.

A key factor in costs rising is an increase in the number of looked-after children being placed in residential care, which, according to council documents are costing "between £5,000 and £10,000 per week".

The documents, which are being discussed at a council meeting today, also show that the rise in residential care use and spending has happened at a time when the looked-after child population has remained stable at around 360 children.  

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

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here


More like this

Trainee Social Worker

London (Central), London (Greater)

Head of Growth, Development and Outreach (Maternity Cover)

Home based, with regular travel across the UK for work