Providing Residential Services for Children and Young People by Catherine Street

Author:Catherine Street [Street, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, General, Social Work, Children's Studies
ISBN: 9780429823480
Google: kqubDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2018-08-09T03:39:38+00:00

(4) Leicestershire County Council

The Children's Services Plan for 1998-2001 produced by this authority is the second report to be published following a major re-organisation of services in Leicestershire in 1997. Like the first report, it has been jointly produced with Leicestershire Health Authority and Leicestershire County Council Education Department.

This second report states that just over £12million would be spent on providing services for children in 1998/99, of which 64% was allocated to services for looked after children. A further breakdown of this figure indicates that £2,172,000 (19.4%) was allocated to community homes and £1,050,000 (4.8%) for agency residential placements including secure accommodation.

The influence of a deliberate placement policy is acknowledged by Leicestershire where residential care is 'regarded primarily as a service to adolescents'. Admission for those under the age of twelve, excluding children with disabilities, is described as 'exceptional'. Overall the aim of the authority is to place less than 10% of the children and young people 'looked after' in residential provision. Figures at 31st March 1998 report 24 young people placed residentially out of a total of 230 - which is noted to be in line with this departmental aim.

The Leicestershire plan also notes that it is difficult to quantify the exact level of need for residential care in its area because many placements are made 'because of crises and the shortage of other appropriate alternatives'. This situation has obvious cost implications. It also describes the Social Services Department managing 3 homes offering a total of 28 places; this reflects an adjustment to a much smaller service from 10 homes before Local Government Re-organisation.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.