Dudley Council Announces Major Investment to Return Children in Care to Local Authority
Dudley Council has unveiled ambitious plans to invest millions in new children's homes and fostering services, with the primary goal of bringing 66 youngsters currently placed outside the borough back to local care. This strategic move comes as the authority grapples with significant financial pressures in its children's services department.
Financial Pressures Driving Policy Change
At a recent meeting of the Social Care and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee on January 19, council members were presented with stark financial figures. Children's services in Dudley are forecast to spend £93.8 million in the current financial year, representing a substantial overspend of £6.7 million against the allocated budget of £87.1 million.
The committee heard that this financial strain is largely attributed to the escalating costs of external residential placements for children in care. Councillor Wayne Little, Dudley's cabinet member for children and young people, revealed that spending on children's services will increase by £12 million to £99.2 million for the next financial year beginning in April.
"That's a lot of money; why we have got to invest to save is pressure from the high cost of external placements and rising numbers and the costs within SEND (special educational needs and disability)," explained Cllr Little.
Strategic Investment to Create Local Capacity
The council's new approach focuses on developing local infrastructure to care for vulnerable children within the borough boundaries. The planned investment will support two key areas:
- Reopening and expanding residential care homes within Dudley
- Substantial investment in local fostering services
Cllr Little emphasised the dual benefits of this strategy: "We are investing in these areas to reopen our residential care homes and invest into fostering so we are bringing our children who are currently outside the area back into Dudley, which has a benefit but also consequently a benefit on budget."
Cross-Party Support for Local Care Approach
The policy has received backing from across the political spectrum. Councillor Sue Ridney voiced strong support for keeping children within their local communities, stating: "It is wrong to take children and dump them in another area and expect that they are going to be fine, it is better they are in our borough and being looked after by us."
Cllr Ridney highlighted the extraordinary costs associated with out-of-borough placements, noting that some arrangements can cost up to £6,000 per week. Currently, Dudley has 66 children placed externally, with costs varying significantly depending on individual needs and circumstances.
Addressing the Current Situation
Cllr Little acknowledged the council's current position while outlining the path forward: "You are right, they are expensive. Our strategy is making sure we have got our children in Dudley receiving that care. We have got 66 external at the moment, they will vary in cost depending on the need."
This substantial investment represents a significant shift in Dudley Council's approach to children's social care, moving from reliance on expensive external placements to developing sustainable local capacity that keeps vulnerable children within their home communities while potentially generating long-term budget savings.
