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SOCIAL SERVICES NORTH WEST
MEETING ON 16 JUNE AT ST HELENS
REPORT OF DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL SERVICES, TRAFFORD,
JOINT LEAD DIRECTOR ON CHILDREN'S SERVICES
COMMISSIONING OF EXTERNAL PLACEMENTS FOR ACCOMMODATED CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
1. Matter for Consideration:
To consider the current position concerning the commissioning of external placements for accommodated children
and young people.
2. Introduction:
Social Services North West, in its previous guise as NWASSA, has previously discussed and taken action on the
rising costs of children's services that have been reported in many authorities in the last twelve months. External
placements, especially those purchased from the voluntary and private sectors, are a significant cost to Social
Services departments and it was agreed at the last SSNW meeting that a further report would be brought to members
describing a Regional project currently looking into this area.
3. Information:
3.1 In 1998 the NorthWest ADSS agreed to commission a research project on externally purchased placements for
accommodated children and young people. The ADSS action was taken in response to:
i. Concerns about the rapidly rising costs of such placements and the way in which fees could be unilaterally raised without negotiation.
ii. A view that, to some extent, SSDs are at the mercy of the private and independent market.
iii. Difficulties in obtaining accurate and up to date information about the most appropriate placement available - it seemed like a large number of placements were often made in urgent circumstances following a crisis or in-house placement breakdown.
3.2 ADSS therefore commissioned NCH Action for Children to undertake a research project on our behalf. A Project
Steering Group consisting of two Directors of Social Services, four Assistant Directors of Children's services,
an SSD Contracts Manager, and the Voluntary Sector, have met regularly to oversee the work. NCH collaborated with
the University of Central Lancashire and the research project itself was undertaken by Professor Corrine Wattam,
an internationally renowned and respected Child Care researcher.
3.3 The research project attempted to scope the number of children and young people in agency placements on a given
date last year. It aimed to find out the age profile of the children and young people, the reasons they are in
agency placements, expected duration of placement, and a large number of other relevant questions. This data was
then systematically analysed, reported back to the Research Steering Group, and was presented in a seminar last
January, convened for Assistant Directors of Children's services in SSDs in the NorthWest.
3.4 The research confirms a number of existing assumptions and views about the use of agency placements:
· The use of such placements is extensive and the overall cost within the region on an annual basis is high - £38 million currently expended per year.
· A large number of placements were outside the NorthWest.
· The majority of placements were largely or solely funded by Social Services when the defined difficulties of children and young people play were multi-faceted, e.g.-Less than one tenth of agency placements received any contribution from NHS funds although well over three quarters of placed children required specialist NHS input and treatment.
- Less than one eighth of agency placements were co- or partly- funded with the local LEA although seven out of ten placed children/young people were felt to have significant educational problems.
- Costs were rising.
3.5 Interestingly however, the research also counters a number of other pre-existing assumptions about agency placements:
· 6 out of 10 placed children/young people went into agency placements as a first residential placement - contrary to the belief that placements were often used as a last resort after many in-house options had failed.
· The average age of a young person placed was younger than expected- 14.
· More boys with agency placements than girls.
· The duration of placements varied significantly, although overall tended to be shorter than had been expected.
3.6 The difficulty in commissioning appropriate placements due to up to date and accurate information about the
range of options was confirmed - many placements were being made on the basis of an Authority's previously good
experience rather than on the basis of up to date and reliable information that was being screened, with a degree
of matching of need against availability.
3.7 The research project has now been curtailed and Directors and Assistant Directors (Children) in the NorthWest
are currently considering how this information can best influence future practice and developments. Work is currently
in hand to look at the following:
1. A template for commissioning/drawing up individual contracts for specific placements, being issued with an information/ advice pack for SSDs who wish to use this.
2. A second stage project to scope and understand more about the current size and range of resources within the private sector, with a view to publishing information about these. The forthcoming revision of the former NWASSA Directory of Children's Residential Resources could be integrated with this approach.
3. Soundings for entries to SSDs on whether block purchaser or a purchasing consortium might be a more cost effective way of commissioning placements.
3.8 It will be appreciated that Social Services Authorities are in very different positions in relation to the
use of agency placements; some are high users, experiencing very strong budget pressures, while others hardly use
any. It is therefore probably unrealistic to seek to develop an approach which meets everyone's needs, but the
interests of many authorities could be served by further work along the lines indicated.
4. Recommendations:
4.1 Members are asked to consider the ongoing direction of this work.
4.2 Members views are sought about the prospects of regional collaborative action relating to the commissioning
and usage of external placements, and which direction this might take.
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