The pressures facing children’s social care (CSC) services are well known; the combined impact of shrinking budgets in real terms and rising demand is placing a heavy burden on services up and down the country. Looked-after children (LAC) are particularly vulnerable to the pressures faced by care services. Increasing complexity of needs in tandem with a market dominated by private providers is squeezing the suitability of accommodation for young people, leading to a combination of long-distance and high-cost placements.

Spend on children’s social care services has continued to increase, rising by £565m in the last year alone.