From prevention to reconnection: key findings “Prevention begins with connection: when communities and services work together, families thrive and fewer children are taken by the system.” Care experienced young person
Five priority system shifts identified
2 4 Evidence suggests that five priority system shifts – additive in nature – would positively impact children at risk of entering care or already in care: 3
1
5
The current picture
99.3 % of children in England are cared for by their families. 0.7 % are in the care of their local authority
Many elements of the children’s social care ‘ecosystem’ are undergoing national reform to improve outcomes for children and families
Supporting parents
Targeted early support
Support to families of children in care
Greater trust to gain consent
Integrating schools into family support
80 %
50 %
58 %
40 %
80 %
had not received an EH, CIN or CP plan in the 6 months prior to entering care only received support at CP threshold before entering care 35 %
who stay in care for more than a year start in foster placements
of children entering care are school-age attend school 3+ days per week 80 %
of cases reviewed identified difficulty gaining parental consent for early support as a barrier
of cases involve adult needs; only half those adults received support
increase in the number of children in the care of county and CCN unitary member authorities since 2016. 29 %
increase in county and CCN unitary member authorities expenditure on children in care. 240 %
These shifts will need to be facilitated by various local and national enablers
20,761
26,732
£1.3bn
£3.2bn
(2016)
(2025)
(2016)
(2025)
Potential impact for children and families
How can we keep more children safely with their families, and what changes would make the biggest difference?
If system shifts are implemented by 2028:
6,000+ more parents receiving specialist support for mental health, domestic violence or substance misuse.
fewer children needing to enter care each year (14.5% reduction). Approx 2,250
more children positively exiting care each year (2.2% increase). Approx 260
Key findings 100+
70 %
32 %
Potential financial impact Do nothing: Placement spend likely to rise from £3.2bn (2024/25) to £4.7bn by 2035, an increase of £1.5bn.
Net effect: • In 2024/25, CCN councils exceeded placement budgets by c£550m. • Even if the five shifts are successfully made, modelling suggest councils will not break even until 2033, accruing a £2.7bn cumulative overspend. • Most of the £4.7bn potential saving would be cost avoidance, reinforcing the case to extend the Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant (now part of the Children, Families, and Youth Grant) to at least 2032/33.
For 32% of children, improved multi-agency support might have been possible after entry into care. For 33% of those, practitioners believed this could have enabled a positive exit from care before the age of 18.
For 70% of children who entered care, at least one element of the multi-agency system could have better supported the family before the child entered care. For 47% of those, practitioners were reasonably confident this could have prevented entry into care at that point in time.
stories of children who had been in the care system were analysed by practitioners, revealing that:
With system shifts implemented by 2028: Placement spend could be contained to £3.8bn by 2035.
a cumulative benefit of vs. do-nothing. £4.7bn
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