The number of young people receiving home tuition in Swansea is increasing, and the service is becoming more expensive, a council meeting heard. Councillor Oliver James called on the council to stop using 'predatory' agencies that supply staff.
Rising demand and costs
The home tuition service supports between 70 and 130 young people at any one time, excluding those educated at home by choice. In 2024-25, it received 175 referrals, and demand is expected to keep rising. The service is predicted to overspend by 25% against its current budget, though no budget figures were disclosed.
Historically, the service mainly assisted learners with physical and medical needs, but referrals are now increasingly related to mental health, neuro-developmental conditions, and young people awaiting specialist placements. Council officer Kate Phillips told the education and skills service transformation committee: 'So for example we know that around half the current caseload would benefit from a mental health intervention which gives you an idea of the type of need.'
Staffing challenges
This growing complexity, combined with recruitment difficulties and reliance on part-time agency staff, has prompted a review of the service to ensure young people's needs are met while achieving financial sustainability. Home tuition is provided at two council buildings in central and north Swansea, as well as in young people's homes. Ms Phillips, head of the council's vulnerable learner service, noted that work experience and placements are part of the offer, citing three home-tutored young people who performed well after work experience at Swansea Market and with community projects. She stressed the council's view that children should be educated in mainstream schools wherever possible.
Cllr Oliver James, whose father worked for the home tuition service, urged the council to hire a certain number of staff directly rather than relying on agencies, which he said added 30-40% to costs. He claimed agencies made excuses not to provide the same teachers, which would offer consistency for learners. 'If somebody is in for certain amount of days they have to be given a contract and that means the agency loses their income for that member of staff,' he said. He described the home tuition service as fantastic.
Financial constraints
Ms Phillips, who nodded as he spoke, said the council would ideally have a small team of teachers on short-term or fixed-term contracts, but the current overspending budget did not allow for that. She added that quantifying the cost of not providing home tuition was important, given that out-of-county residential placements with education could cost up to £15,000 per week.
Cllr Mike Durke called the service an important safety net, having heard powerful and positive case studies at an event the previous month. Referring to those benefiting from home tuition, he said: 'Imagine a young person, children, and young people in the most vulnerable of circumstances.'
