Welsh council pays over £1 million a year for care of one child

Richard Evans, local democracy reporter

A Welsh council is spending more than £1m a year on the care of a single child, a meeting was told.

Members of Conwy Council’s governance and audit committee was told the council was paying out huge costs for children it is obliged to look after.

During an update on the council’s internal audit performance between April and June this year, Abergele councillor Paul Luckock raised the subject of commissioning services, such as the council funding children’s care, some of which meant paying for childcare in children’s homes over the border.

‘Value for money’

Cllr Luckock said questioning the funding was “a profound issue” in terms of whether the authority was getting “value for money”.

“We are spending enormous sums of money; I mean, (according to) my best information from social services, [on] one child alone we are spending over a million pounds a year,” said Cllr Luckock.

“Now I’m fully supportive of spending money on children.

“But I do want to see it is value for money, and if those same children’s homes in England that we use – we do use them – and the National Audit Office say, ‘this is not value for money’ – then I would say there’s not many issues that we need to prioritise (more) in terms of governance and audit than that issue, personally.”

‘Taken aback’

The meeting’s chairman Ian Whyte said he shared Cllr Luckock’s concern and “was taken aback by the sums of money involved”.

He added Cllr Luckock’s concerns would be noted in the minutes, followed up, and considered by officers for inclusion on a future forward work plan report.

It comes after Denbighshire Council confirmed it pays £2m a year, or £35K a week, for a social care package for a single child.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Lucock explained some children’s placements in specialist homes was by court order.

‘Huge sums’

“The National Audit Office says councils in England on average spent £318,400 on each child placed in a children’s home in the year ending March 2024.

“But these huge sums do not represent value for money, the report concludes,” he said.

“We have an incredibly robust accommodation board in Conwy County Borough Council (CCBC) challenging costs.

“We are bringing children back from expensive homes in England where possible to our three purpose-built homes in CCBC.

“Some children have incredibly complex needs; keeping them alive is a challenge.

“Some have psychosis, serious self-harm, (have suffered) abuse, neglect, trauma, drug/substance misuse.

“Some have very complex physical disabilities, chronic health conditions.

He added: “Value for money is a specific challenge when some placements are directed by the court.”

Councillors backed the governance and audit committee audit report. Conwy County Council was approached for a comment.