LGA highlights best practice in care of high-need children

The Local Government Association has teamed up with independent children’s services providers to produce a best practice guide to commissioning care and education for children with complex needs.

A report released today by the LGA and the Children’s Services Development Group, In it together: achieving quality outcomes for young people with complex needs, pulls together a number of case studies of successful working between councils and foster care providers, residential children homes and specialist schools.

The CSDG is a policy group of seven independent providers of specialist education and care services, including the National Fostering Agency.

The examples are intended to demonstrate to directors of children’s services and lead commissioners that young people with even the most complex needs can be helped to live independent and fulfilling lives if they are provided with specialist support early on.

Promoting stability

Case studies outline how young people can contribute to their own care plan and ways of promoting stability for children who have suffered from multiple placement breakdowns.

One study also looks at how Foster Care Associates offers bespoke therapeutic packages to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

Les Lawrence, the chair of the LGA safer communities board and former chair of its children and young people board, said: “These case studies show how much great work is going on in many authorities to ensure children with disadvantages in life are also given access to vital opportunities, help and support.

“With local authorities facing real budgetary pressures over the coming years, providers and councils must meet the challenge of ensuring that financially efficient and high-quality services are delivered to the young people who rely on them to grow towards independence in adulthood.”

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