Manchester city council is setting up two special children’s homes to house the increasing number of vulnerable young people who end up stuck in hospital because no residential providers will take them.
The homes, believed to be the first of their kind, aim to undercut private operators which sometimes demand tens of thousands of pounds each week to look after children with the most complex needs. A Guardian investigation earlier this year found that Knowsley council in Merseyside was charged almost £50,000 a week for the care of one teenager.
