A charity is calling for change after it was revealed that children in care in England are, on average, placed more than 18 miles from home – and in some extreme cases as far as 500 miles away.
The Become charity said Salford along with Bolton, North Tyneside, Stockton-on-Tees and Trafford are among the lowest rates of distant placements.
The Become charity is concerned about the wellbeing of children when they are placed large distances from their local community, stating that children who are moved more than 20 miles from home are more likely to have lower well-being and experience emotional difficulties than children who are placed in closer proximity.
The highest rates (more than 20 miles) were in areas such as Cumbria, Lincolnshire, Dorset, Cambridgeshire and Somerset.
The charity said it recognised that for some children it was right for them to be moved away to a different area to ensure their safety, protect them from exploitation, or to move them closer to other family members.
But a lack of suitable places in their local area meant more and more children were being moved far away when it was not in their best interests
Become’s chief executive Katharine Sacks-Jones said: “Being moved can disrupt a child’s education, life outcomes, and relationships – including with brothers and sisters who might live miles away.”
Katharine continued: “It’s unacceptable that children are being moved away, not because it’s the right decision for them, but because there are no suitable options closer. It cannot continue.
“There are 82,000 children in care, more than ever before, with numbers continuing to rise. Without urgent action, this problem will continue to get worse. We need a national commitment and strategy to keep children close to the people and places that matter to them.
“All children in care deserve the love and stability they need to heal and thrive.”
The Local Government Association responded, stating they were aware of the problem and described it as a result of a ‘dysfunctional children’s social care market’.
They said: “As the CMA recognised, councils cannot fix the market alone. The Government has committed to trialing two Regional Care Cooperatives to try to improve the availability of local placements, along with support for all councils with commissioning.
“However, this will take time to see results, and better commissioning will not address a fundamental lack of suitable homes. Councils need support to increase sufficiency of placements quickly, with capital and revenue funding and support to roll-out those things that we already know work when it comes to recruiting and retaining foster carers.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We are investing £259 million to create more placements for children in high-quality and safe homes while developing a new model for care placements to keep more children close to home networks.
“Every child deserves to live in a safe and stable home and local authorities have a responsibility to place children in an environment that is in their best interests, usually within 20 miles of their home.”
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