Looked After Children and Residential Care Placements

Please provide the following information:

1. Total Looked After Children (LAC) Demographics
The total number of Looked After Children currently under your authority’s care, in any form of care, categorized by:
Age Range: Under 1, 1-4, 5-9, 10-15, 16 and over.
Gender: As recorded in the SSDA903 return.

2. Demographics of Children in Residential Care
The number of Looked After Children (LAC) currently housed in residential care homes (specifically those under Placement codes P1, P2, P3, and R1), separated by:
Gender: As recorded in the SSDA903 return.
Age Categories: Under 1, 1-4, 5-9, 10-15, 16 and over (age at last birthday).

Please note that although the question 2 refers to residential care homes, the list of codes requested include several that do not relate to residential care homes – for example, P1 (placed with parents). We have therefore provided data for all the codes asked for, even though the only code that specifically relates to care homes is R1. P2 no longer exists as a placement code.

3. Placement & Provider Breakdown
a. The total number of individual care homes where children are currently placed by your Children’s Services.

b. The number of these homes that are located within the geographical boundaries of your local authority.

c. A breakdown of the children placed in these homes, separated by:

i. Provider Type: Local authority run (including other LAs), Private for-profit, and Private not-for-profit.

ii. Gender: As recorded in the SSDA903 return (per provider type).

iii. Age Range: (Using the categories from Section 1) per provider type and gender.

Please note that code R1 has been used to respond to question 3 as the request was specifically for care homes.

4. Financial Averages

The average (mean) Gross Weekly Cost paid directly to providers per child by your Children’s Services, separated by:
Provider Type: Local authority run, Private for-profit, and Private not-for-profit.
Age Range: (Using the categories from Section 1) per provider type.
Gender: Per provider type and age range (I would appreciate this as a secondary breakdown if it can be provided within the standard cost limits).

We are not able to separate providers into for profit/non-for-profit, or analyse the costs by gender. This additional detail is not recorded in our financial information systems.