Lincolnshire County Council finds itself in a difficult situation, having spent close to £1 million on unregistered childcare facilities due to a nationwide shortage of registered provisions. With £992,133 already expended and a further £10,000 released at the conclusion of the 2023/2024 financial year, such dilemmas emphasise a larger nationwide crisis.
There is mounting concern raised by the government regarding the use of illegal, unregistered children’s homes. Official statistics demonstrate that local authorities’ use of such establishments has seen a significant rise, with Ofsted recognising 931 instances in 2023/24, a sharp increase from the 143 noted in 2020/21.
Jo Kavanagh, assistant director of children’s services at Lincolnshire County Council, made it clear that although the county has an adequate number of fostering families and in-house placements, this occasionally results in a temporary dependence on unregistered establishments due to the national shortage of specialist or registered spaces. She reaffirmed that in these situations, children are cared for by competent staff who receive routine visits from social workers to oversee their welfare.
The council currently has 780 children under their care, with the projected care costs expected to reach £110 million this year. A council member has labelled the situation as a ‘perfect storm’, compounded by inadequate funding and rising demand.
This article is an adapted version of an original report by www.bbc.com as repurposed by The Lincoln Post.
