Torbay Council looks to open its own children's home

Torbay’s most vulnerable children are ‘at the mercy of the market’ when it comes to finding the care they need.
Now Torbay Council has made plans to open a children’s home of its own so that local young people can be cared for closer to home.
Local councils all over the country are getting caught in a ‘bidding war’ as they search for specialist placements for children who need targeted support
Members of Torbay Council’s overview and scrutiny committee heard that costs were escalating, and this year’s budget for children’s services – already £46million – is facing an overspend of nearly £1.6million.
The council is spending £500,000 this year on placements for just eight of the 309 children it has to find funds for.
Cllr Nick Bye (Con, Wellswood) said: “These costs are not unique to Torbay. We have a handful of children whose needs are so complex that we have difficulty finding placements for them.
“We often find ourselves bidding against other local authorities, and it is not something that is going to go away.
“We are always in competition with other authorities, and it is always a seller’s market.”
The Bay’s director of children’s services, Nancy Meehan, confirmed that the bay was planning its own children’s home.
“Finding placements is a huge challenge,” she said. “For every place available there are a number of local authorities chasing it.
“We are at the mercy of the market. Our children’s needs are increasing, but so are the costs the providers are putting in place, and having our own children’s home will give us some control over those costs.
“Sometimes these children are miles and miles from their home town and their home community. To keep our children close has to be the best way forward.”