I would be grateful if you could provide the following information relating to children’s home placements and supported accommodation placements for young people aged 16-17 within your Local Authority.
1. The current weekly rates paid for:
* Children’s home placements
The average cost of a childrens home placement is £7,764 per week ( Live Agreements as at 20/06/26)
* Supported accommodation placements for 16-17-year-olds
The average cost of Supported Accommodation is £2,946 per week (Live Agreements 20/6/26).
2. Please provide any pricing bandings or fee structures used, for example:
* Standard placements
* Solo placements
* Complex/high-risk placements
* Emergency placements
* Parent and child placements (if applicable).
Devon County Council (DCC) does not hold this information. This is because DCC does not operate pricing bandings or fee structures.
3. The average weekly cost paid per placement during:
* 2023/24
This information is publicly available as it has been provided as part of the response to a previous FOI request.
* 2024/25
This information is publicly available as it has been provided as part of the response to a previous FOI request.
* 2025/26 to date.
This information is publicly available as it has been provided as part of the response to a previous FOI request.
4. Whether placements are commissioned through:
* Framework agreements
* Spot purchasing
* Block contracts.
Residential: commissioned through the Peninsula Flexible Purchasing System/Agreement and Spot Purchasing.
Supported Accommodation: commissioned through the Homelessness Prevention Framework and Spot Purchasing.
5. Whether the Local Authority operates a preferred provider framework for:
* Children’s homes
The Peninsula Flexible Purchasing System/Agreement.
* Supported accommodation providers
Not for OFSTED registered providers or Supported Accommodation of 16 and 17 year old children in care. Block contracts exist within the Homelessness Prevention Flexible Purchasing System.
6. The current number of:
* Children placed in children’s homes
There are a total of 128 children in registered children’s home as at 06.07.2026.
* Young people aged 16-17 placed in supported accommodation
There are 85 young people in OFSTED registered Supported Accommodation.
7. The proportion of placements that are:
* In-area
Of 811 children in care, 71% are placed in Devon, as at 06.07.2026.
* Out-of-area
Of 811 children in care, 29% are placed outside of Devon, as at 06.07.2026.
8. Whether enhanced rates are paid for:
* Emergency placements
* High-risk placements
* Solo occupancy arrangements
* Deprivation of liberty or enhanced supervision arrangements
Anonymised information relating to the child’s needs is shared with providers who may then ask for further information before submitting an expression of interest. The level of support needed for the child will be identified, and costs discussed. There is a recognition that solo occupancy of a children’s home will mean higher infrastructure costs and this is considered during cost negotiations.
9. Copies of any current commissioning guidance, fee structure documents, provider expectations, or sufficiency strategies relating to:
* Children’s homes
* Supported accommodation for 16-17-year-olds
DCC does not hold this information as there are no fee structure documents. Provider expectations are discussed and are included in our terms and conditions.
10. Details of any current shortages, sufficiency pressures, or placement gaps identified by the Local Authority relating to either provision type.
This information is already publicly available and can be seen on this DCC webpage.