More than 20 councils in England and Wales have paid the equivalent of £1m a year or more to place a single child in a private children’s home as the cost of specialised care soars, data released to the Guardian shows.
The body representing children’s services directors in England urged the government to take profit out of children’s social care as figures showed 24 councils were paying the equivalent of seven-figure sums.
One local authority – Knowsley in Merseyside – paid £49,680 a week for one child, which would equate to more than £2m a year.