Commissioning services for children's social care

Our Children's Commissioning Services provide support in the following areas:

• Services relating to children we look after 
• Quality assurance of fostering, residential and supported and independent living placements; and
• Sufficiency of accommodation for looked after children

Section 22G of the Children Act 1989 requires local authorities to take steps that secure, so far as reasonably practicable, sufficient accommodation within the authority's area which meets the needs of children that the local authority are looking after, and whose circumstances are such that it would be consistent with their welfare for them to be provided with accommodation that is in the local authority's area ('the sufficiency duty').

Each local authority has a duty, under Section 10 of the Children Act ('the 2004 Act') to make arrangements to promote co-operation with its relevant partners with a view to improving the wellbeing of children in the authority's area.

Securing sufficient accommodation that meets the needs of looked after children is a vital step in delivering improved outcomes for this vulnerable group. Having the right placement in the right place, at the right time, is a vital factor in improving placement stability, which in turn is a critical success factor in relation to better outcomes for looked after children.

To discuss these services further, please email commissioningcyps@sthelens.gov.uk.