FOI request (FOIR-590750638)

Looked after children

Requested Wed 28 February 2024
Responded Thu 29 February 2024

I am hoping somebody can please help me with the following data:

1. How many individual children (not placements) were placed into mainstream foster care by the local authority over the past 12 months (or the most recent 12-month period that you're able to process)?

2. Of those, please confirm how many individual children (not placements) were placed with foster carers of independent fostering agencies.

3. What is the minimum, maximum and average weekly agency fee you have given to independent fostering agencies for individual children (not placements) placed as 'standard' placements?

4. Of the independent fostering agencies used by the local authority, which company provides the most placements for individual children?

5. What is the average weekly cost for in-house local authority provision for individual children placed as 'standard' placements?

6. For the financial years 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 (so far):

a. How many individual children were placed with foster carers of independent fostering agencies?

b. How many individual children were placed with in-house/council-registered foster carers?

c. What is your annual spend on: in-house fostering, independent fostering agencies, residential children's homes?

7. What is the current average cost of a residential placement for an individual child with an independent fostering agency and what is the cost for a residential placement for an individual child with a council-registered provider?

If answering any part of question 6 or 7 will exceed the time cap on data gathering please disregard it.

I am gathering this data from councils across England and Wales for research on the cost to councils of private foster care.

Response

Information not held.

Children's Services are dealt with by East Sussex County Council, please visit their website for further information:

https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk