The Open Public Services white paper, published in July, set out the government’s plan to improve public services. Based on the five main components of choice, decentralisation, diversity, fairness and accountability, the paper proposes that by putting choice and control in the hands of individuals and neighbourhoods, public services will become more responsive to people's needs.
But in their joint response to the white paper, the National Association of Independent Schools and Non-Maintained Special Schools, National Association of Fostering Providers (NAFP), Independent Children's Homes Association (ICHA) and Social Care Association said the complexities of the residential care sector mean radical changes are needed to improve provision for children across England.
The group said that children in residential care have little choice over where they are placed. In order to combat this, the group recommended that the government encourage commissioning based on need rather than cost and support better relationships between commissioners and providers.
Roy Williamson, executive officer of ICHA, said: "We need intelligent and sustainable commissioning to ensure the sufficiency and diversity of provision we need for looked-after children."
Harvey Gallagher, chief executive of the NAFP, added that commissioners are currently faced with the dilemma of having to spend less while meeting children’s needs.
"Commissioners are under huge pressure to spend less, while providing the foster care placements that children need," he said. "Without good assessment of children's needs and a commitment to partnership with independent providers, their struggle to achieve this will continue.
"Children need longer-term solutions to help them thrive and, indeed, the public purse will be best served by a radically different approach to providing services for children who need them."
In the response the organisations also said there is not a sufficient complaints process for the residential care sector. The response said: "We believe that the Local Government Ombudsman seems to be the best of a poor selection field as far as complaints go. We suggest the establishment of a fully independent body."
