New council-run children's home approved

Plans for a new children's home in Sheffield have been approved, as the city council aims to keep youngsters "closer to home" and reduce the use of costly private-sector care services.

The rising cost of care placements has led to £9.3m of pressure on the children's service budget in the current financial year, a Sheffield City Council meeting heard.

The new home will be for two children up to the age of 12 who need care away from their families.

Lindsey Knight, assistant director for children and families services, said that opening council-run homes meant that children would remain close to their family networks.

She said: "I am confident that we can continue to build homes based on love, nurture and aspirational care."

A report to the Education, Children and Families Policy Committee said diverting funds to the new home would initially "add a pressure to the placement budget".

But it was intended that young people would be reunited with family or moved into foster care within two years, it said.

Knight said the number of young people placed in higher-cost residential care had risen by 57% between December 2022 and December 2025 from 61 to 97.

In the same period, the number of young people under the age of 10 had gone from zero to nine. This accounts for about 10% of residential placements.

Councillor Toby Mallinson noted that it was a "worrying trend" both locally and nationally, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The meeting also heard three council-run homes went from an Ofsted rating of "good" to "outstanding" while the others were rated as a strong "good".

Ofsted inspectors' reports detailed that "relationship-based therapeutic practice is fully embedded in the love and care provided to the children".

Responding, Councillor Gail Smith said: "It's fantastic to hear that the most vulnerable children in our city are being well cared for."

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