Agenda item

The Head of Children’s Social Care informed the Panel that the number of looked after children had increased to 890, a figure which was below the regional average but above the national average. In response to a request from the Chair for information on the age range of looked after children, the Head of Children’s Social Care explained that recent changes in recording may account for an increase in the number of older looked after children who are now included in the figures when previously they were not classed as looked after.  The number of looked after children under the age of 1 had reduced.  

Councillor Charlton asked whether more children were entering the looked after system from the more deprived areas of the county.  The Head of Children’s Social Care responded that a detailed analysis of trends in relation to the characteristics and demographics of looked after children will be brought to the Panel within the quarter 2 performance report.

The young person representative of the Children in Care Council asked whether there was adequate Social Work provision in place to cope with the increase in looked after children.  The Head of Children’s Social Care responded that the number of Social Workers had increased, that caseloads are closely monitored and the size of individual caseloads remains stable.

Councillor Grant referred to a newspaper article which reported that costs of providing foster care and residential care are often higher than private boarding school fees and referred to the case of a looked after child, who was placed at a private boarding school, assisted by the Buttle trust, and then progressed to study at Oxford University. 

The Head of Children’s Social Care commented that all types of placement should be considered, however, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ and the best interests of the child must be paramount.