Local authorities are being forced to make a ‘last minute dash’ to find homes for children coming into care due to a lack of suitable accommodation, a report has warned today.
The report from Ofsted found a lack of time and resources is stopping local authorities from properly finding placements.
Local authorities also said that when there is time to plan for placements, a lack of available accommodation and care for children with more complex needs is still posing a problem.
The report also found tension between local authorities and private providers, who have been accused of ‘cherry-picking’ certain children making it more difficult to meet their legal duty for children in need of care.
’Today’s report lays bare some of the challenges facing local authorities when it comes to finding the care children need,’ said Yvette Stanley, Ofsted’s national director for regulation and social care. ‘More children are coming into care, many with high-level physical and mental health needs. The need to find places for these children quickly overrides local authorities’ long-term planning.
’It is clear that these findings are set against the issues affecting children’s social care nationally, and local authorities cannot solve the sufficiency issue on their own. There is a lack of suitable homes in the right places, particularly for children with the most complex needs – this needs to be addressed.’
