Judge Condemns 'Astronomical' Private Sector Care Costs
A senior judge has issued a stark warning about the 'astronomical' fees being charged by private care providers, after a local authority agreed to pay nearly £300,000 for a vulnerable teenage boy to attend a specialised outdoor activity centre. The case was heard at Liverpool Family Court.
Judge Steven Parker approved the 17-week placement for the teenager, known only as 'A' to protect his identity, acknowledging that the boy would 'benefit enormously' from the intervention. The court heard the child had been involved in organised crime and was considered at high risk of further exploitation.
A Vulnerable Child's Chaotic Background
The court was told that the teenager has been known to children's services since 2017 due to a chaotic family background involving alcohol abuse. His situation was so severe that in March of this year, he was hospitalised with injuries that medics said were 'highly likely to be knife wounds'.
His mother had also reported discovering drugs, large sums of cash, and weapons in her son's belongings. The boy, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), had a history of not engaging with school and going missing for long periods. However, the court heard there had been a recent positive development, with the child finally starting to attend school in June and 'engaging well'.
'Staggering' Weekly Fees and a System in Crisis
While Judge Parker was familiar with the outdoor activity provider and had no concerns about their standard of care, he highlighted the 'staggering' cost of £17,000 per week. He stated that this was not an isolated case, revealing that he is 'time and again' asked to approve private care costs for children ranging from £12,000 to £20,000 per week.
Judge Parker said local authorities were 'at the mercy' of the private sector, blaming a critical shortage of suitable accommodation for vulnerable young people. He expressed deep concern that councils 'just cannot continue to fund places at that astronomical cost'.
The judge noted that the only alternative—unregulated accommodation—was often just as expensive and could be ineffective. He concluded that while a solution is urgently needed, it is a matter for Parliament, not the judiciary, to resolve.
Judge Parker ultimately agreed to impose a Deprivation of Liberty Order, which was necessary to place the boy at the specialist outdoor activity centre that works with young people at risk of criminal exploitation and knife crime.
Government Vows to Crack Down on Profiteering
In response to the case, a spokesman for the Department for Education (DfE) told the BBC that it is 'unacceptable' for providers to 'profit excessively from vulnerable children'.
The spokesman stated that the government is investing £560 million to reform children's social care and expand children's homes. He added that through ongoing reforms, the government is 'rebalancing the market, improving transparency and commissioning and cracking down on profiteering'.
