Please provide this information for each of the last five financial years 2018/19, 2017/18, 2016/17, 2015/16, 2014/15.
1.The number of foster placements made for children looked after by your local authority, with the council’s own fostering provision (i.e. the number of individual placements made, not the number of individual children placed).
| Year | In house fostering placements |
| 2014 – 2015 | 844 |
| 2015 – 2016 | 903 |
| 2016 – 2017 | 836 |
| 2017 – 2018 | 732 |
| 2018 – 2019 | 774 |
2. The number of foster placements made for children looked after by your local authority, with private or voluntary sector fostering provision (i.e. the number of individual placements made, not the number of individual children placed).
| Year | Private and voluntary sector placements |
| 2014- 2015 | 199 |
| 2015 – 2016 | 326 |
| 2016 – 2017 | 291 |
| 2017 – 2018 | 293 |
| 2018 – 2019 | 241 |
3. The total amount spent on the council’s own fostering provision.
| Financial year | In house fostering spend |
| 2014 – 2015 | £8,198,000 |
| 2015 – 2016 | £8,744,000 |
| 2016 – 2017 | £,7,909,000 |
| 2017 – 2018 | £8,005,000 |
| 2018 – 2019 | £9,212,000 |
4. The total amount spent on private and voluntary sector fostering provision.
| Financial year | Private and voluntary sector spend |
| 2014 – 2015 | £ 5,988,000 |
| 2015 – 2016 | £ 7,323,000 |
| 2016 – 2017 | £ 8,726,000 |
| 2017 – 2018 | £ 8,260,000 |
| 2018 – 2019 | £ 7,970,000 |
5. In addition, please provide the names of the three private/ voluntary sector fostering providers with whom you have spent the most in the five year period 2014/15 to 2018/19 inclusive, and the amount spent with each.
| Financial Year | Provider | Total Spend |
| 2014 – 2015 | Foster Care Associates Ltd | £1,271,400 |
| 2014 – 2015 | National Fostering Agency | £931,700 |
| 2014 – 2015 | Families First South West LLP | £527,000 |
| 2015 – 2016 | Foster Care Associates Ltd | £1,024,200 |
| 2015 – 2016 | National Fostering Agency | £800,300 |
| 2015 – 2016 | Five Rivers Child Care Ltd | £450,700 |
| 2016 – 2017 | Foster Care Associates Ltd | £1,883,900 |
| 2016 – 2017 | National Fostering Agency | £1,158,700 |
| 2016 – 2017 | Five Rivers Child Care Ltd | £986,100 |
| 2017 – 2018 | Foster Care Associates Ltd | £2,067,600 |
| 2017 – 2018 | National Fostering Agency | £1,107,200 |
| 2017 – 2018 | Five Rivers Child Care Ltd | £916,400 |
| 2018 – 2019 | Foster Care Associates Ltd | £1,748,300 |
| 2018 – 2019 | National Fostering Agency | £1,259,900 |
| 2018 – 2019 | Families First South West LLP | £773,100 |