Brighter Futures for Children - Children’s Residential Retained Placements 2023

The current market situation provides insufficient local residential placement options for Reading Looked after Children. In order to improve this situation a different approach is required to access the local residential care market, as the way that we currently seek to meet our demand from the market does not meet needs.Evidence from the current contract with a Reading provider has shown that securing local placements is possible, and that this works very well for both BFfC and the current block contract provider. This has built a positive relationship. We hope to build more positive relationships with local children’s homes to support a sustainable and collaborative children’s home market locally.The pilot has shown that a block contract provides an effective means to retain bed space for BFfC referrals.To note that access to this residential setting has increased with the block contract, meaning that spot purchases with this provide have also increased.In securing contracts to retained beds, BFfC will have first call on an increased number of residential placements locally, and this will improve the likelihood of our meeting the target of 80% placements made within 20 miles of Reading.