Looked After Children
& Complex Needs
Placements Commissioning &
Sufficiency Strategy 2014/19
The Sufficiency Duty
The Children Act requires local authorities to take steps that
secure, so far as reasonably practicable, sufficient
accommodation within the authority’s area which meets the
needs of children that the local authority are looking after, and
whose circumstances are such that it would be consistent with
their welfare for them to be provided with accommodation that
is in the local authority’s area
In 2013/14 Herefordshire spent £8.6m on fostering, residential
and complex needs accommodation placements
2011 Sufficiency Strategy
Herefordshire’s first sufficiency strategy was implemented in 2011. It’s
achievements include:
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Despite a 31% increase (from 163 in 2011 to 213 in 2014) in the number of accommodation
placements, spend on all in-house and agency accommodation rose by only 1% (from £8.5m
in 2011/12 to £8.6m in 2013/14)
A 38% increase of in-house fostering households from 88 in 2012 to 121 in2013
A framework agreement, in partnership with Worcestershire, for the purchase of fostering
placements from independent agencies (IFAs) that avoided estimated costs of £540k over
2011/13
Improved use of independent fostering agencies rated as good or outstanding by Ofsted
from, 73% in 2011 to 82%in 2014
Increased the Council’s in-house supported lodging scheme
The re-procurement of supported accommodation and outreach support was completed, led
by the Adult Wellbeing Directorate. This was reviewed in 2014 to strengthen the focus on
support for looked after children
Entered into a sub-regional framework agreement for supported accommodation for 16+
Strategic Needs Analysis
A strategic needs analysis began in 2013 to inform Herefordshire’s sufficiency
strategy beyond 2014.
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Herefordshire’s LAC population is
significantly higher than
statistical neighbours, and is
expected to rise further
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A sufficiency strategy can help
manage placement cost &
quality
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Overall cost management will
depend on managing population
growth and demand through
early help and preventative work
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In part, the Sufficiency Strategy
seeks to reduce placement cost
to reinvest resources in a whole
system approach
Strategic Needs Analysis
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Around 200 children are
normally fostered at any time, a
quarter in IFA placements. The
average annualised cost of a
single IFA placement is £42,000
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LAC residential placements
normally range 10-15 at any
time. The average annualised
cost of a single residential
placement in £169,000
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There are normally around 20
complex needs placements at
any time. The average annual
cost of a single complex
placement is £250,000
Strategic Needs Analysis
The strategic needs analysis identified the following service gaps:
1. Over reliance on independent fostering agencies (IFAs), while
Herefordshire paid around £800 per week for IFA placements, regional inhouse costs were £520. IFA spend in 2013/14 was £1.7m. In-house carer
costs were £2m
2. Insufficient in-house ‘specialist’ foster carers and therapeutic support led
to high-cost residential care that often didn’t deliver stability or positive
outcomes for the child. LAC residential spend in 2013/14 was £1.4m
3. Insufficient local provision for children with complex needs led to over
reliance on very high-cost residential care, often a great distance, causing
institutionalisation and poor transitions to adulthood in some cases.
Complex needs spend in 2013/14 was £3.5m
4. Slower than desired progress to commission a full range of services to
meet the accommodation needs of young people aged 16+ because of a
the lack of a robust needs analysis for this population
2014-19 Strategic Priorities
1. Reduce reliance on Independent Fostering Agency placements
2. Prevent use of residential placements by improving intensive wraparound support to children with challenging needs and their carers
3. Enable more children with complex needs to remain with their
families or, if necessary, be accommodated closer to home
4. Improve the quality and availability of local supported living
arrangements for Looked After Children aged 16+
2014/19 Actions & progress
1. Reduce reliance on Independent Fostering Agencies
 A new IFA framework agreement has been commissioned with
Worcestershire, which will avoid costs of £120k-£200k over the next 2-years.
 A new LAC Care Placements Strategy has been developed within the
Directorate’s CHIPP transformation programme.
 Includes proposals to invest in the in-house fostering service for focussed carer
recruitment, training and support
 Promotes more kinship fostering placements
 Deliver increased capacity and capability of in-house professional foster carers
and supported lodgings hosts
 Target of moving from 75/25 to 90/10 split of in-house/IFA placements by
2019, which would reduce IFA spend by half
2014/19 Actions & progress
2. Prevent use of residential placements by improving
intensive wrap-around support to children with
challenging needs and their carers
 A new therapeutic intensive placement support services (known as HIPSS)
has been commissioned from Action for Children using a proven evidence
based model
 The service is expected to begin direct work with children in late 2014
 The service will run in partnership with the in-house fostering service and
provide 24/7 clinical therapeutic support to children placed with specialist
in-house carers recruited via the new Care Placements Strategy
 Target of 50% reduction in LAC residential placements by 2019
2014/19 Actions & progress
3. Enable more children with complex needs to remain with their
families or, if necessary, be accommodated closer to home
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More robust needs analysis work has begun for the complex needs population which will
be used to inform future commissioning and service redesign proposals
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Work with schools, health and social care is idenifitying children at risk of entering the
complex needs population in the coming years
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A small number of complex needs cases may be eligible for the HIPSS programme
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Existing complex needs cases are being reviewed to ensure placements are fit for
purpose, opportunities to return to Herefordshire are maximised and transition to adult
services is planned early
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A multiagency children with disabilities transformation strategy is being developed to
redesign processes and services to work better together with families to prevent
escalating need
2014/19 Actions & progress
4. Improve the quality and availability of local supported
living arrangements for Looked After Children aged
16+
 New Care Placements strategy includes proposals to invest in development
of the in-house supported lodgings scheme
 More robust needs analysis of the 16+ LAC population has begun, including
young people remanded to the care of the local authority
 Early discussions with housing about possible service models
2014/19 Intended outcomes
 Contribute to moving the authority to a ‘Good’ Ofsted rating by 2016/17.
Based on a draft of the 2014/19 strategy, this year’s Ofsted inspection report
noted that “the looked after children commissioning strategy is robust. It is
based on trend analysis and an understanding of gaps in provision, and good
team level knowledge of the young people known to children’s services. It is
informed by best practice considerations, statutory requirements and case law.”
 Proportional shift in placement types achieves significant cost avoidance to
that supports investment in the whole system approach of early help and
preventative family support services
 A higher proportion of remaining placement spend remains within
Herefordshire’s economy
 More children and young people benefit from experiencing life in a safe and
table family environment, with improved transition to adulthood