Two properties are to be bought by Swansea Council and converted into homes for children in care, at a cost of £1.5 million. Cabinet members agreed the investment after hearing about significant challenges in the wider residential market for looked-after children.
A report explained that some independent children's care providers were pausing developments or withdrawing offers to place Welsh children because the Welsh Government wanted profit to be removed from the sector. This Welsh Government priority, said the report, was "being driven at pace".
Swansea, like all councils, has to take some children into care although many are placed with foster families. The county only has one in-house children's residential care setting, which offers emergency and short-term placements for up to three young people.
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When the council needs additional placements, they are commissioned from independent providers. Over the last three years there have been around 30 children living in an independent residential setting at any time. You can get more Swansea and other story updates by subscribing to our newsletters here.
Nationally the number of children entering care has been rising - putting further pressure on the residential care market - although the cabinet report said this wasn't the case for Swansea. In December last year the council had 490 looked-after children, fewer than the previous month. There were 200 young people on the child protection register.
Cllr Elliott King, who has the children's services portfolio, said: "There are significant challenges within the market, coming from many different areas. It's increasingly difficult to find appropriate placements."
The report said six young people from Swansea had been placed in residential care in England since December, 2021. The plan agreed by cabinet is to buy, register and adapt one of the two properties in Swansea this financial year, and repeat this in 2023-24. The first home will be for emergency placements, the second for children with complex needs and disabilities.
Cllr Mark Child, cabinet member for adult social care, said: "This is a very welcome step."
