New £1m service to prevent at risk children from being taken into care in Barnsley
The Edge of Care service will provide ‘intensive’ support to families at risk of having their children taken in to care
A service to prevent at-risk children entering the care system has been approved by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council’s cabinet today (November 27).
The Edge of Care service will provide ‘intensive’ support to families at risk of having their children taken in to care, as the council faces ‘increasing and unsustainable’ spending on placements for children in care.
A one-off investment of up to £1.15m has been approved, to get the service up and running over the next 18 months.
Extra staff will be recruited on a permanent basis to run the service.
The Edge of Care service will intervene early with families facing challenges such as domestic abuse and substance misuse. By offering timely and intensive support, the service will help families resolve their issues, prevent children from entering the care system, and reduce the number of children in high-cost placements.
According to national evaluations of similar projects, around half of children supported by Edge of Care services do not go on to become looked-after children. If implemented successfully, Barnsley could see a reduction in the number of children entering care, particularly those aged 12-16, and a decrease in the number of children placed in unregistered care arrangements.
The service will also focus on improving the overall outcomes for children and families, and aims to reduce the number of youngsters aged 12-16 entering care by 20 per cent.
Without such a service, Barnsley could face an estimated £5 million in continuing placement costs.
BMBC also hopes to reduce the number of children in unregistered placements by 20 per cent.
Councillor Trevor Cave, cabinet spokesperson for children’s services at BMBC, said: “Whenever we can, we want to support families to stay together to make positive long-term changes and provide the stability that young people need to grow and thrive.
“The proposed development of this service provides us with a brilliant opportunity to meet the best interests of each child’s needs and more positive outcomes for young people across our communities.
“It also allows us to use our financial resources more strategically so that we can continue to support children across Barnsley to aspire and achieve.”