So why are they actively backing planning proposals to jam 19 odd young people into a former factory in NN1 - something that locals don't want. It's for 16-19 year-old 'care leavers'. Apart from the obvious safeguarding issues (2 adults on duty, 1 overnight) - it's clear profiteering from the developer and at a huge cost to the council tax payer. More money down the drain.
An interesting interview. A local councillor has suggested that part of the overspend can be attibutwd to the expensive overhead of having to pay for the Trust leadership and Board and both Unitary Authorities also having to have Directors of Children's Service in post. Would be interested to understand these costs better and to know what steps are being taken to transfer expertise within the Trust to the relevant professionals and counsellors across the two Authorities.
We have also heard the narrative from a number of councillors for the trust being responsible for the overspend, but costs for children's services have been running over budget for a number of years. As Julian Wooster says, children's services across the country are overspending. A large amount to do with expensive placement costs and also the increasing numbers of children going into care. Over the past decade local authorities have closed down many of their own run children's homes so they now have to buy it in from providers, who can in times of shortage, name their price. As a reporter have noticed the current conversation at council meetings is all about cost (as it has always been) rather than about levels of service and how well the children are being protected and cared for.
So why are they actively backing planning proposals to jam 19 odd young people into a former factory in NN1 - something that locals don't want. It's for 16-19 year-old 'care leavers'. Apart from the obvious safeguarding issues (2 adults on duty, 1 overnight) - it's clear profiteering from the developer and at a huge cost to the council tax payer. More money down the drain.
An interesting interview. A local councillor has suggested that part of the overspend can be attibutwd to the expensive overhead of having to pay for the Trust leadership and Board and both Unitary Authorities also having to have Directors of Children's Service in post. Would be interested to understand these costs better and to know what steps are being taken to transfer expertise within the Trust to the relevant professionals and counsellors across the two Authorities.
We have also heard the narrative from a number of councillors for the trust being responsible for the overspend, but costs for children's services have been running over budget for a number of years. As Julian Wooster says, children's services across the country are overspending. A large amount to do with expensive placement costs and also the increasing numbers of children going into care. Over the past decade local authorities have closed down many of their own run children's homes so they now have to buy it in from providers, who can in times of shortage, name their price. As a reporter have noticed the current conversation at council meetings is all about cost (as it has always been) rather than about levels of service and how well the children are being protected and cared for.