Supporting children and families returning home from care: Counting the costs LISA HOLMES, DIRECTOR, CENTRE FOR CHILD AND FAMILY RESEARCH
Introduction NSPCC commissioned the Centre for Child and Family Research (CCFR) at Loughborough University to provide evidence to inform debates about the cost effectiveness and potential costs avoided of providing appropriate assessment, support and services to families on return home from care 2
Aim To estimate the costs to the public purse if services to support successful reunification are provided to all children and families following a care episode, based on their needs, and to compare these costs with the costs associated with re-entry to care 3
Methods Secondary analysis Unit cost estimations based on existing published unit costs Bottom up approach Distinction between support and service costs 4
Methods Secondary analysis Series of assumptions based on existing research evidence Assessment, support and services Three levels of support for families with different needs National dataset for looked after children in England (SSDA 903) 5
Cost estimations Return home from care costs Supported as open ‘child in need cases’ Support from ongoing case worker (up to twelve months) Services Parenting support Adult mental health services Drug and alcohol services Child and adolescent mental health services High, Medium and Low level of needs 6
Cost estimations HIGH SUPPORT NEEDS (53%) SUPPORT Open child in need case for 12 months Proactive case management including ongoing support and monitoring SERVICES Adult mental health services (60%) Drug and alcohol services (50%) Parenting support (80%) CAMHS (45%) 7
Cost estimations MEDIUM SUPPORT NEEDS (16%) SUPPORT Open child in need case for 9 months Proactive case management including ongoing support and monitoring SERVICES Parenting support (80%) CAMHS (45%) Both less frequently than High Support Needs 8
Cost estimations LOW SUPPORT NEEDS (31%) SUPPORT Open child in need case for 6 months Proactive case management including ongoing support and monitoring SERVICES No additional services provided (assumed that these would have been provided prior to return home) 9
Cost estimations Return home from care costs Children ceased being looked after (returned to live with parents or relatives) 10,080 (DfE, 2013) Average cost per case (across different levels of support needs) £5,627 per case 10
Cost estimations Re-entry to care 47% (Farmer et al., 2011) Does not capture additional costs associated with oscillating in and out of care Estimated costs likely to be an underestimation 11
Cost estimations Re-entry to care National dataset for looked after children in England (SSDA 903) Type of placement; placement provider and location; legal status; placement stability Existing unit costs to support looked after children (Ward, Holmes and Soper, 2008) 12
Cost estimations Re-entry to care National dataset for looked after children in England (SSDA 903) Type of placement; placement provider and location; legal status; placement stability Existing unit costs to support looked after children (Ward, Holmes and Soper, 2008) 13
Cost estimations Re-entry to care Children returning to care 4,738 ( 47% of 10,080 from DfE, 2013) Average cost per case £61,614 14
Use of the cost estimations Breakeven point 19% more reunifications in England (900 children nationally) were successful in a year, this would equate to a national breakeven point as a result of the costs avoided from these children no longer needing to re-enter care 15
Use of the cost estimations Project commissioned to inform debates Next steps Explore variations between local authorities Availability and use of child/family level data Longitudinal analysis of different care trajectories 16
Further information Contact Details: Lisa Holmes, Director, CCFR Report available: abuse/research-and-resources/supporting-children- families-returning-home-from-care-counting-costs/ 17