Council aims to open six children's homes

Staffordshire County Council is planning to open smaller homes for children and young people with complex needs

Six children's homes could be opened by a council in order to help more young people to stay living in the area.

The proposal would reduce the number of times a child has to move, and help offer better value for money, said Staffordshire County Council.

In a recent inspection by Ofsted, the local authority was told its children services required improvement to be good.

Plans for the in-house children's homes are set to be discussed by the council's cabinet on 21 February.

By opening its own smaller residential homes, the council could "maintain some control" over the market, a report stated.

It would allow it to care for children the private sector were "reluctant" to take without a "significant increase" in their fees.

More than 1,300 children were in care in Staffordshire in December 2023, with 124 living in children's homes.

The council spends about £31.5m per year on residential homes, a report to its cabinet revealed.

'Facing challenges'

The local authority is now considering becoming part of a West Midlands-wide residential and fostering framework.

That would give access to more providers and allow it to invest in its own homes, the council said.

"Most local authorities are facing challenges in this area, which is why it is important we plan effectively to help meet their needs," said councillor Mark Sutton.

The council tried to keep children with their family if it was safe to do so, he said, and tried to find suitable foster carers if they needed to be placed in care.

“If however, a residential home is the appropriate option, developing more places within Staffordshire will ensure our most vulnerable children will be cared for locally and will provide more stability for children - to help them thrive.”