Fifty children a day are waiting for a place in a secure children's home

Figure has doubled in a year meaning more vulnerable children are left in limbo

Published by Professional Social Work magazine, 10 August, 2022

The number of children waiting for a place in a secure children’s home has doubled in the past year.

New government statistics on children’s social care in England reveal around 50 children each day are waiting for a place in secure accommodation – double the number compared to last year.

Secure children’s homes provide care for some of the most vulnerable young people, who have very complex or challenging needs. According to Ofsted, there are 13 secure children’s homes run by 12 local authorities. The homes provide a total of 233 places across section 25s and youth custody.

There are currently no secure children’s homes in London or the West Midlands, Government data confirms, and a spokesperson said: “There is a shortage of secure children’s home places in England. At any one time, around 50 children each day - up from 25 last year - are waiting for a secure children’s home place and around 30 are placed by English local authorities in Scottish secure units due to the lack of available places. 

“A further challenge is that the Scottish Care Review has recommended that Scotland no longer takes placements from English local authorities.”

Research by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory found that many of the children or young people have mental health issues, with high levels of self-harm, particularly among females. Nearly two thirds (59 per cent) of children in secure children’s homes have mental health needs, and 52 per cent have self-harmed. A further 82 per cent have a history of offending.

The Local Government Association (LGA) is calling for the introduction of a national commissioning service for co-ordinating placements to enable the pooling of budgets and expertise. The system currently depends on a small number of councils running the entire service for England, with children often having to live very far from home. There are additional concerns about the growing numbers of children who cannot be placed in secure children’s homes due to resourcing issues. 

'The fact there are as many as 50 children waiting for a placement on any one day is a damning indictment of a system that is supposed to ensure they get the care and support they need,' said Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board.

'Secure children’s homes protect and care for some of the most vulnerable children in society, who often have very complex and challenging needs and deserve the best possible care and support.

'It is absolutely vital that we have sufficient places available to provide what is essential, very specialised support. Without this, the impact on children can be devastating.'

Director of policy at What Works for Children’s Social Care, Eleanor Briggs said: Children referred to secure children's homes are some of our most vulnerable young people, and must be found a placement that will provide them with the security, support and care they need. We were concerned to discover that two out of five children referred to secure children's homes for welfare reasons could not be found a place. 

“In research we conducted this year, we found a general consensus from partners that the needs of children referred to secure children's homes have become more complex, and secure children’s homes have struggled to adapt to meet children's increasing needs, particularly in relation to mental health. This development, alongside challenges in recruiting and retaining staff, may help explain why occupancy rates are low even when a certain number of physical beds are available. 

“Our research calls for national oversight and centralised commissioning to address these  issues and ensure that children are able to access the support they urgently need.”