We have a responsibility, by law, to provide sufficient accommodation and support which meets the needs of children and young people in care, and those who have recently left our care at the age of 18.
The ‘sufficiency duty’ requires Local Authorities and children’s safeguarding partners to ensure that there is sufficient local accommodation and support to meet the needs of all children and young people in care, or that there is a plan in place to move towards that position. We are required to produce a strategy that describes how we, working with our local partners, intend to meet this duty for the children and young people in our care. Commissioning standards on securing sufficient accommodation and support for children in care, also apply to children in need who are at risk of entering care or custody.
This duty is set out in law through the Children Act 1989. It has since been strengthened by the introduction of Sufficiency Statutory Guidance (2010) and the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations (implementation April 2011).
Our strategic plan for sufficiency
Our Sufficiency Strategy sets out how we will deliver on our duty to be good corporate parents for children and young people with care experience. Our strategic aims come in the context of the impacts of the pandemic on the lives and prospects of children and young people, as well as resulting pressures on the local market and workforce.
Delivering sufficiency across children’s social care is about meeting the individual needs of children and young people, and promoting good outcomes for them, at important points throughout their childhood and early adulthood.
Our strategic priorities for sufficiency in Devon are split into four key outcomes, which cover the experience of children and young people at different points in their interaction with children’s social care.
1. Building bridges
- Protecting children and young people and strengthening families, so they can live safely at home.
- Strategic outcome: fewer children and young people are coming into care
2. Finding a place called home
- Providing caring family homes in Devon for children and young people in care
- Strategic outcome: more children and young people, while in our care, live in family homes in Devon
3. Promoting stability
- Offering safe, stable and caring places to live, so that children and young people can get the most out of life
- Strategic outcome: children and young people in care have their individual needs supported at the right time in a safe, stable and caring environment
4. Stepping forward
- Supporting young people to be where they need to be in life so they can thrive and be independent
- Strategic outcome: more children move to homes which are suited to them, and young people find suitable and affordable places to live after leaving care
You may also be interested in reading our Corporate Parenting strategy.
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