Warwickshire County Council's Cabinet has approved recommendations for continued participation in regional agreements for foster care, residential care, and specialist placements for children in care.
The Cabinet decision includes authorising Warwickshire to join the new West Midlands Regional Fostering Framework, led by Coventry City Council, and to expand Short-Term Emergency Placements (STEPS) and extend Bail and Remand Intensive Care placements (BRICS) through new contracts.
The council will continue its own fostering and residential services alongside these new regional arrangements. This approach will offer wider opportunities and increased flexibility to ensure the council can continue to provide high-quality, cost-effective placements that meet the individual needs of looked-after children across Warwickshire.
Councillor Izzi Seccombe, Leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: "This decision is another firm demonstration of this Council’s commitment to creating a child-friendly county and ensures that we have continued access to a wide range of high-quality placements for the children in our care.
“Through collaborative working with neighbouring authorities across the West Midlands, we can benefit from economies of scale and a larger pool of potential providers than we would otherwise have access to. The new framework agreements will also give us greater flexibility in securing the most appropriate placements for each child's individual needs.”
The full Cabinet report can be found here: https://democracy.warwickshire.gov.uk/documents/s37655/Commissioning%20arrangements%20for%20children%20in%20care.pdf
More information about children’s social care in Warwickshire can be found here: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/childrens-social-care