New plan approved for improving homes for children in care in Lancashire

Lancashire County Council's 'Lancashire Children in our Care Sufficiency Strategy 2025-2028' sets out how the county council aims to improve the quality and choice of homes for children in care.

Based on up-to-date information like recent trends for providing homes for children in care and the types of homes used, the new strategy was approved by the council's cabinet when it met yesterday (Thursday, 10 July).

Its aims are to improve services in Lancashire by:

• Ensuring children can stay with families, where safe and in the child's best interests.
• Increasing the number of children in foster homes, including those provided by LCC foster carers, by strengthening council fostering services.
• Expanding the number of LCC children's homes.
• Providing local, good quality and good value homes for all children who need them, particularly those with complex physical and mental health needs.
• Making sure all care leavers in Lancashire live in suitable homes.

The Strategy builds on existing plans for a range of new facilities. These include respite hubs to help avoid the need for children to come into local authority care, new LCC children's homes, more supported accommodation for vulnerable young people and, in collaboration with health partners, a specialist home for children with complex mental health needs.

Cllr Simon Evans, cabinet member for Children and Families, said:

"We know that one of our most important responsibilities is that of caring for the most vulnerable within the county.

"This will really improve outcomes for our children in care, through the provision of a sufficient number of high quality, good value homes and accommodation options.

"It’s really important to ensure that children in our care have the best start in life by giving them the right type of home, in the right place, and at the right time, to best meet their needs."