22
Nov
Care costs for children with complex needs exceeding £1m a year per child
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The cost to the taxpayer of keeping a vulnerable child with complex needs in care can exceed £1m per year, council chiefs have revealed.
Members of North Yorkshire Council were told that a ratio of five staff to one child was needed to keep some young people — and their carers — from harm.
Senior councillors on the authority’s executive committee heard on Tuesday (November 18) that the authority was facing £15m overspend on children and young people’s services during the current financial year.
Councillor Janet Sanderson, executive member for children and families, said the council’s quarterly financial report contained a “really concerning set of figures” for the department.
The meeting heard that the council was facing a steady increase in the number of looked-after children needing placements.
Cllr Sanderson said the authority had also seen an increase in the complexity of the issues faced by some children.
She added:
There are a small number of very, very expensive placements that started to emerge in 2025, and they’ve grown this year.
To give you an idea about the pressure here, some of these placements are in excess of £1m per child per year.
These placements are due to multiple complexes and vulnerabilities which require high staffing ratios in order to keep the young person and the staff looking after that young person safe — that ratio can be as high as five to one in some cases.
That’s five members of staff looking after one child 24/7.
The meeting heard that there were not enough placements available for children with complex needs.
Providers were also increasing their charges due to the risk posed by young people with high needs.
Cllr Sanderson said there was also a lack of foster carers and the council was not always able to place children within the county.
She added:
We are building in more places and looking to recruit more foster carers, but it’s not easy.
For a number of years, we have been changing our practice model. We’re looking towards placing children with friends and family first, as we know that this has better long-term outcomes for our children.
But these are medium-term actions and we will not see a quick fix.
The councillor said it was “something of an understatement” that the authority welcomed a government review of the care system.
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