Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Acknowledged
Local authorities resort to unregistered homes as last resort due to placement scarcity.
Conclusion
We asked the Association of Directors of Children’s Services how it could possibly be right for any local authority to place children in homes that are not inspected. It described this as a consequence of local authorities having an absolute duty to place young people who needed a home but in some cases no regulated placement being willing to take them. This leads to unregistered placements being the “slightly less unacceptable” of two unacceptable alternatives, the other being a child not having a placement at all.26 It told us that no local authority takes the decision of using an illegal home lightly and that they engage in additional quality assurance for these placements.27
Government Response Summary
Acknowledges that placing children in illegal settings that are not inspected is unacceptable.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
2. PAC conclusion: It is unacceptable that children are placed in illegal settings that are not inspected, increasing safety risks and offering no assurance over the quality of care.