Agenda item

A sufficiency strategy for children’s services is a mandated document for all local authorities and needs to be published on the Council website. Local authorities have a statutory duty under Section 22G of the Children Act 1989 (introduced by the Children and Young Persons Act 2008) to: “Take steps to secure, so far as reasonably practicable, sufficient accommodation for looked after children within their area.”

A sufficiency strategy focuses on ensuring there is enough high-quality, appropriate support and provision available locally to meet the needs of children and families. It prioritises early help, prevention, and effective placement planning so that children can remain safely within their families or communities wherever possible, reducing reliance on high-cost or out-of-area provision while improving outcomes and stability. This will update on the previous 2023-26 strategy and propose areas of development for the Council over the next 3 years.  It needs a wider collective of Council Services to deliver the plan and so has wider commitment outside of Childrens Social Care.

Estimated time: 25 minutes

Discussion:

The Committee received the report which set out updates on the previous 2023-2026 Strategy and proposed areas of development for the Council over the next 3 years. A wider collective of Council Services was required to deliver the plan and so it had wider commitment outside of Children’s Social Care.

It was noted that a sufficiency strategy for children’s services was a mandated document for all local authorities and needed to be published on the Council website. Local authorities had a statutory duty under Section 22G of the Children Act 1989 (introduced by the Children and Young Persons Act 2008) to: “Take steps to secure, so far as reasonably practicable, sufficient accommodation for looked after children within their area.” It was further noted that the report would be considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 30 June 2026.

National Transfer Scheme (NTS) - A Member raised a number of queries in relation to the NTS for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. In response, Officers confirmed that the 80 children received over the three-year period were part of the NTS, with a combination of allocated and voluntarily accepted placements. It was explained that many young people arrived aged 17 and transition out of children’s services upon turning 18, which affected overall figures. Officers highlighted that Medway had been recognised as one of the most effective local authorities in delivering the scheme, with high standards of accommodation and timely placements. All but one placement had been made within required timescales, generating approximately £300,000 in additional funding.

Officers further outlined the range of support available, including partnerships with accommodation providers, supported housing schemes, and culturally appropriate foster placements. In financial terms, it was reported that approximately £3.5 million had been spent in the previous year on asylum-seeking children, with £2.4 million received from central government, resulting in a Council contribution of around £1.1 million. A similar shortfall of approximately £1.4 million was anticipated in the current financial year. The primary driver of the gap was the reduction in funding once young people turned 18, with weekly funding decreasing significantly despite ongoing support responsibilities.

Clarification was also provided that Medway was currently supporting fewer unaccompanied asylum-seeking children under 18 than its assessed allocation, and that decisions to accept placements were made based on capacity and suitability, including cultural matching considerations, rather than exceeding allocation. The ongoing financial pressures were attributed largely to funding arrangements and the cost of placements, rather than discretionary intake.

Kinship Care - Further questions were raised regarding data within the report, specifically around apparent discrepancies in placement numbers. Officers clarified that kinship care arrangements, such as special guardianship orders, were not classified as children in care and were therefore reported separately. Members welcomed kinship care and being placed with family such as grandparents but highlighted the need for future planning and support as carers aged. Officers confirmed that assessments included consideration of wider family support networks and contingency planning.

Care leavers in temporary accommodation - In response to a query, officers advised that numbers were minimal and were not located in Medway. It was noted that some cases categorised as unsuitable accommodation reflected circumstances beyond the Council’s control, such as personal choices made by young people post-18.

Decision:

a)             The Committee noted the progress of the Sufficiency Strategy 2023-2026.

b)             The Committee noted the priorities for the next 3 years.