Jo Fisher, Chair of the ADCS Standards, Performance & Inspection Policy Committee, said:

“Private providers now offer the majority of placements, and their businesses are dependent on their Ofsted judgements to operate.

“As a result, they have become increasingly cautious in accepting children with complex needs and sadly it is not unusual for a placement referral to be rejected by dozens or even hundreds of registered providers.

“Where a placement is identified for children in care with the most complex needs, we need providers to stick with them in times of crisis and work with them, rather than serving immediate notice and ending a placement as no notice endings add to the instability, trauma and rejection children in care have faced.

“We have long called for a greater focus on how placements end as well as how they start in the inspection of children’s homes. These changes bring this more into focus, which is certainly welcome.”

ENDS