Torbay Council spent more than £14 million in a single year on placements for young people in care, new figures show. The authority has no children's homes of its own, so it relies entirely on placements elsewhere, and costs have climbed from £9.69 million in 2024 to an all-time high this year.
A small number of homes are available in the bay, but they have all been taken by other local authorities. Now the council is ready to invest in buying its own homes in Torbay, which it says will save money and create better placements for local children.
A report to the council's cabinet committee meeting next week (Sept 15) says that in the financial year 2025/26 it spent £14.3 million on placements for just 51 young people, with prices pushed up by a shortage of suitable accommodation.
Almost all of the placements, 95 per cent, involved sending children and young people away from Torbay. More than half had to be placed outside the south west of England entirely, with 10 per cent going to Wales. This adds to travel costs for social workers and families.
More than half of the young people are in placements that are not registered with Ofsted, another measure forced on the council by the lack of available accommodation. The report says some children need to be placed away from Torbay for their safety, for example as a result of exploitation.
There are currently three children's homes providers operating in Torbay, offering a total of 10 beds in small homes. But these beds are being used by other local authorities.
The report goes on: "We know that placing children out of the area can break their connection with their home town. It makes visiting harder for family and friends and means that social workers are less able to 'drop in' and see the child. Monitoring the quality of care and planning for the transition to adulthood are harder when the placement is further away."
The council is considering two options: to buy two homes in Torbay and lease them to a provider, or to allow a provider to deliver two homes in the bay. In both cases children and young people will be involved to make sure their views are considered. Both options would save the council millions of pounds while creating local homes for local children and young people.
The report goes on: "Doing nothing would perpetuate our challenges in being able to access local beds for our children and young people. Developing our own children's homes would enable us to have complete control over their development and operation."
The council has not had a children's home since the closure of Broadhaven at Broadsands several years ago, and the report says external children's home providers can offer the expertise the council no longer has.
Torbay Council Weighs Buying Children’s Homes After £14m Care Costs