Bolton Council to consider running children’s care homes

In the latest budget report, the department was found to have overspent by £20.833m last year due to “soaring demand”.

Council officers linked this to a lack of available placements, and said external placements can cost more than £15k per week for just one child.

Cllr Martin Donaghy, the executive cabinet member for children’s services, said this is “not sustainable at all”, adding that he’s made it clear to officers they “haven’t got a blank chequebook”.

He said Warrington Council had brought the service “in-house” and built a children’s home.

Cllr Donaghy said the cost of a placement “was a third of what it would be in the private sector”.

He said: “I’ve asked for the details on that, because I would imagine it’s a substantial capital investment, but nothing’s off the table”.

The Tonge with The Haulgh councillor said he would also ask for an update on Project Skyline – a plan for local councils in Greater Manchester to buy properties to convert into children’s care homes.

He said: “At the end of the day, we cannot continue to sustain this level of overspend – no department could and we can’t either.”