Liverpool Council is to open a new children’s home in the city and hopes to expand its provision by the end of the year.
Cllr Frazer Lake, cabinet member for social care and health, said as the number of children going into residential care increase during the Covid-19 pandemic, the local authority wants to provide a localised offer for young people needing care.
The Fazakerley ward member said the budget must come into account as the council looks to expand its care provision - an overspend of almost £15m in the children and young people's directorate is expected to be recorded for 2021/22.
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A new children’s home for young people is to open in Tuebrook, after planning permission was approved in November last year.
Cllr Lake said he hoped the home would be the first of two to be available by the end of 2022.
He said: “I want to look at inhouse services with the quality of care as the overriding factor.
“We’ve got a home opening up in Tuebrook ward that’s going to be registered to take children between 8 and 18, providing 24-hour care.
“We want to make sure children of a similar age are placed there and it’s the ambition behind it.”
Cllr Lake, who was appointed to the cabinet in May 2021, said 122 children were in residential care placements, costing on average £4,500 per child, per week.
He said that moving children into care facilities managed by the council would have a beneficial impact on the public purse and young people alike.
He said: “If we’ve got someone placed with an external provider and it’s costing that amount of money, we can step them down into one of our homes and provide them with the level of support they need with a localised offer, not out of borough or out of authority.
“It’s an ambition of mine and it gives us control over the level of care, rather than children going to an external provider at such a high cost, as a way of early intervention.
“I want to expand this as much as possible and the council plan we’re putting in place will include this. We are discussing other options of residential homes in wards across the city, which are in the early stages at the moment.”
Cllr Lake said with regards to opening a second property “nothing is off the table” but the council’s budget “has to come into account.”
He added that officers were working with Merseyside Police to establish whether the area was suitable for a home and remained hopeful to open by the end of the year.
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