Ross Murray explores the challenges in the children's care placement market and the findings of our research report.
The children’s care placement market is facing significant challenges, from forecasting demand to ensuring high-quality placements.
Mutual Ventures was commissioned by the Department for Education to explore these issues in depth and to develop practical insights and areas for improvement. Nearly 50 diverse local authorities across England participated in this research, as well as placement providers, and key stakeholder groups like Ofsted and the ADCS.
This research resulted in a detailed research report, focusing on 1) forecasting and the use of data, 2) market shaping, 3) commissioning arrangements, and 4) increasing access to fostering and residential placements. The remainder of this post provides a snapshot of some of our findings.
Forecasting demand for placements is a major hurdle for local authorities (LAs). The problem lies not in the analysts' skills but in the lack of reliable, comprehensive data. Without clear demand insights, matching children with suitable placements becomes a struggle. LAs face challenges in data collection and analysis, hindering their ability to predict service needs. This issue is exacerbated by the absence of a precise typology of need, complicating the matching process. The solution? Robust data collection processes and the right tools to support LAs in gathering quality data, ensuring accurate forecasting and effective placement matching. These processes are achievable and we can provide insight on the tools to support LAs to collect the right data.
Market shaping, the process of influencing the availability and type of care services is another critical area. LAs often struggle to engage effectively with providers, with many sufficiency strategies being outdated or budget driven. Our research highlights the need for improved communication and collaboration to ensure that providers understand LAs' needs and can respond effectively and that LAs also understand providers’ ambitions and constraints. Regional collaborations can help to address some of these challenges, however, many regional arrangements currently are limited to low-risk, low-cost spot purchasing frameworks.
The report also examines commissioning arrangements, highlighting the importance of trust and transparency in securing care placements. Austerity measures have affected forecasting, commissioning, and market shaping. Effective commissioning demands transparent processes, strong relationships between teams, and collaboration with providers. LAs are encouraged to develop long-term contracts, share risks and benefits, and seek feedback from service users and providers to meet local needs.
Finally, the report addresses the need to increase residential and foster care placements. We found that LAs are exploring developing in-house provision, but they face challenges related to staffing, planning permissions, and regulation. The report stresses that the recruitment and retention of foster carers remains a significant challenge, and while there are some promising initiatives such as the Mockingbird programme and regional recruitment hubs, there is no one single solution to address these issues.
Our findings highlight the need for a coordinated strategy to tackle the challenges facing the children’s care placement market. By developing a culture of collaboration and innovation, LAs can better navigate the complexities, ensuring that every child in need is placed in an environment conducive to their growth and well-being. Therefore, the report explores potential solutions and promising practices that can be leveraged to improve practice, and highlights opportunities for next steps.
The full report includes further insights, case studies, and actionable areas for improvement.
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