Children’s Social Care Reforms to Clamp Down on ‘Exploitative’ Providers: Education Secretary

An overhaul of children’s social care will clamp down on “exploitative” providers and increase transparency around their finances, the government has announced. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson hailed the new range of reforms, adding they will “end years of neglect of the children’s social care support system.” It comes as local government spending on children in care rose from £3.1 billion in 2009–2010 to £7 billion in 2022–2023. There are now over 1,500 children in placements, with each case costing the equivalent of over £500,000 every year. Meanwhile, the largest 15 private providers make an average of 23 percent profit, according to figures by the Local Government Association....