THE number of children in care has increased by about 25 per cent in Barnsley over the last four years, with each child costing on average more than £850 every week.
A report to the council’s ruling cabinet next week will ask members to approve a refreshed version of the borough’s Placement and Sufficiency Strategy for Children in Care.
According to the report to be presented to cabinet on Wednesday, the number of children in care fluctuates due to children regularly entering and leaving care, but at the end of the financial year in March it was 310 and it is not anticipated the number will fall below 300 in the coming years.
That figure is significantly higher than the 250 children who were in care four years ago.
The total cost of children in local authority care during the last financial year was £13.3m, working out at about £850 per week per child based on 300 children.
The figure was about £650,000 over budget. This was due, according to the report, to the increased number of external residential care placements required during the year, at an average weekly cost of £2,870.
The Children Act means that by law, local authorities have to take ‘reasonable and practical steps’ to ensure there is enough accommodation available for children who are in or are entering care.
The original Placement and Sufficiency Strategy for Children in Care was approved by the cabinet in March 2014. This latest review of the strategy - the second to be carried out - considers current and future challenges including the national and local rise in the numbers of children in care, the increase in unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in the region, and the closure of council-run children’s homes in neighbouring boroughs which have affected the availability of placements.
The strategy sets out the progress that has been made since the last review in 2016 as well as key actions to be taken forward including securing a more resilient system which meets the needs of a broader group of children, specifically teenagers.
Councillors have already approved increases of up to 100 per cent to the payment of allowances to the council’s in-house foster carers to help recruit and retain more carers.
The report says an extra £900,000 investment will be required by 2019/20 in order to comply with the council’s statutory duty to maintain sufficient accommodation.
Coun Margaret Bruff said: “Our refreshed Placement and Sufficiency Strategy will enable all vulnerable children to receive the right kind of help and support at the right time and in a way which is right for them, while ensuring the resources currently available are used more effectively and efficiently.”
