Cost of specialised residential placements for children
Case reference FOI2022/00399
Published 9 May 2022
Request
Are you able to tell me the following:
1. What is the most expensive residential care placement you have had to commission for a single child in the past five years, when was it, how long was it for and what specialised services were being provided for that cost? (e.g. £10k a week for six months for a 13-year-old girl with autism subject to a deprivation of liberty order who was deemed a danger to herself and others). Please indicate if it was a private placement or local authority run provision.
2. How often in the past five years have you had to pay at least £10,000 a week per child? Please break down the answer by year and indicate whether the placements were private or local authority.
Response
1. What is the most expensive residential care placement you have had to commission for a single child in the past five years, when was it, how long was it for and what specialised services were being provided for that cost? (e.g. £10k a week for six months for a 13-year-old girl with autism subject to a deprivation of liberty order who was deemed a danger to herself and others). Please indicate if it was a private placement or local authority run provision.
£14,000 a week for one month for a 14 year old girl who was at high risk of exploitation and self-harming. Included 2:1 support, 1 waking night staff and education. This placement was in 2019/20 and was a private placement.
2. How often in the past five years have you had to pay at least £10,000 a week per child? Please break down the answer by year and indicate whether the placements were private or local authority.
2016/17 - 0
2017/18 - 0
2018/19 - 0
2019/20 - 3 times, all private placements.
2020/21 - 2 times, both private placements.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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