MORE than three years may be needed to reduce the number of Dorset children in the care of the council to neighbouring county averages.

The county currently has 476 children in its care -  as a percentage higher than the national or regional average.

To bring the numbers down to 390, comparable with neighbouring authorities, is expected to take three years.

Brief holder for children’s services Cllr Andrew Parry says ideally the council would like to see as many children as possible stay with their families, if safe to do so, or if not placed with foster carers, although the county has a shortage of these with many set to retire, or already not working because of Covid or personal reasons.

The council’s Cabinet was told on Tuesday that it will aim for an increase of at least 20 ‘in house’ foster carers to help meet the target with a similar number of places being provided by independent fostering agencies.

Steps will also be taken to increase the number of residential homes and to make better use of places already within the county – 150 independent fostering places in Dorset are taken up by out of county children. Dorset Council will work to get these offered to local children first.

Cabinet members heard that at the end of November 41 per cent of all Dorset children in care were placed outside the county – 194 children and young people. To reduce this to a target of 30 per cent would need the creation of at least 50 additional places within the county.

Cabinet members were told that by increasing Dorset places for the county’s children in care it could result in an extra £100,000 a week for the county’s economy.

In November the council was paying £102,000 a week for the 106 children and young people placed with external fostering providers, 66 of which are placed outside of the border of Dorset. It was also costing £279,400 per week for the 57 young people in external residential homes, 49 of these outside the county border.

One third of all Dorset children in care are from the Weymouth and Portland area with the number of children 0-12 in care consistently greater than the number of children aged 13-17.

A total of 212 children are placed with Dorset Council foster carers and 103 with external fostering providers.

Dorset currently has 97 children and young people in care, living in children’s homes and residential care.

Councillors approved plans to improve services and accommodation through a two-year ‘Placement Sufficiency Strategy.’

The strategy sets out proposals to improve accommodation for children in care in Dorset, including refurbishing and registering several small properties as children’s homes.

Said Cllr Andrew Parry, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Children, Education and Early Help, “The aim of these proposals is to create more accommodation in Dorset so fewer local children have to leave their schools, their friends, their families and everything they know and be placed in care far away. Most importantly, this is not good for our children, but it is also very costly, as it involves sending money out of our county, rather than investing in skilled jobs locally.

“We want to provide the best possible care for all our children. Most children and young people in our care are looked after by local foster families. But for a small number of children, residential care is best.”

Councillors have agreed already to create a new home for Dorset children in Dorchester Road, Weymouth – although it will only offer up to five places and work has not yet started on the building. The site will also be home to the council’s new Harbour Project which will see a dedicated team from different agencies working together to better support our children and young people.