Looked After Children (LAC) - placement cost
Case reference FOI2022/01579
Published 6 December 2022
Request
I submit the following request for information under the Freedom of Information legislation regarding placements of Looked After Children where your local authority has corporate parenting responsibilities.
1. For each of the previous three years - 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 - how many Looked After Children, for whom your local authority has corporate parenting responsibilities, were placed within and outside of the local authority area in:
a. Any type of children's social care placement;
b. Foster care placements;
c. Children's home placements;
d. Semi-supported placements.
2. For each of the three previous years - 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 - what was the total combined cost to your local authority of:
a. All children's social care placements;
b. All foster care placements;
c. All children's home placements;
d. All semi-supported placements.
3. For each of the three previous years - 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 - what was the total combined cost to your local authority of placements within the local authority area of:
a. All children's social care placements;
b. All foster care placements;
c. All children's home placements;
d. All semi-supported placements.
4. For each of the three previous years - 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 - what was the total combined cost to your local authority of placements outside of the local authority area of:
a. All children's social care placements;
b. All foster care placements;
c. All children's home placements;
d. All semi-supported placements.
Response
I submit the following request for information under the Freedom of Information legislation regarding placements of Looked After Children where your local authority has corporate parenting responsibilities.
1. For each of the previous three years - 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 - how many Looked After Children, for whom your local authority has corporate parenting responsibilities, were placed within and outside of the local authority area in:
a. Any type of children's social care placement;
| Within the local authority area | Outside of the local authority area | |
| 2019/20 | 325 | 142 |
| 2020/21 | 318 | 151 |
| 2021/22 | 327 | 154 |
b. Foster care placements;
| Within the local authority area | Outside of the local authority area | |
| 2019/20 | 288 | 71 |
| 2020/21 | 282 | 72 |
| 2021/22 | 290 | 72 |
c. Children's home placements;
| Within the local authority area | Outside of the local authority area | |
| 2019/20 | 8 | 37 |
| 2020/21 | 10 | 46 |
| 2021/22 | 13 | 41 |
d. Semi-supported placements.
| Within the local authority area | Outside of the local authority area | |
| 2019/20 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020/21 | 13 | 6 |
| 2021/22 | 16 | 7 |
2. For each of the three previous years - 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 - what was the total combined cost to your local authority of:
a. All children's social care placements;
2019/20: £11,452,088
2020/21: £14,321,879
2021/22: £15,610,979
b. All foster care placements;
2019/20: £5,788,993
2020/21: £5,840,184
2021/22: £6,194,386
c. All children's home placements;
2019/20: £3,578,645
2020/21: £6,837,635
2021/22: £7,265,637
d. All semi-supported placements.
2019/20: £2,084,450
2020/21: £1,644,060
2021/22: £2,150,956
3. For each of the three previous years - 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 - what was the total combined cost to your local authority of placements within the local authority area of:
a. All children's social care placements;
2019/20: £2,751,673
2020/21: £2,459,151
2021/22: £2,694,759
b. All foster care placements;
2019/20: £2,353,750
2020/21: £2,109,372
2021/22: £2,375,418
c. All children's home placements;
2019/20: £0
2020/21: £0
2021/22: £0
d. All semi-supported placements.
2019/20: £397,923
2020/21: £349,779
2021/22: £319,341
4. For each of the three previous years - 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 - what was the total combined cost to your local authority of placements outside of the local authority area of:
a. All children's social care placements;
2019/20: £8,700,415
2020/21: £11,862,728
2021/22: £12,916,220
b. All foster care placements;
2019/20: £3,435,243
2020/21: £3,730,812
2021/22: £3,818,968
c. All children's home placements;
2019/20: £3,578,645
2020/21: £6,837,635
2021/22: £7,265,637
d. All semi-supported placements.
2019/20: £1,686,527
2020/21: £1,294,281
2021/22: £1,831,615
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.