Government allocates funding to Havering and Barking and Dagenham to support children’s services

Margaret Mullane MP for Dagenham and Rainham has received news from the Government that Havering and Barking and Dagenham are to be provided with funding to create children’s home placements for children with complex needs.

The Labour Government set aside £53 million in capital funding for English councils to submit bids to create safe, high quality, specialist open children’s homes provision to meet the local need for vulnerable children with complex multiple needs. Havering and Barking and Dagenham Councils both made bids to match fund the government allocation and have now heard that they have been successful and will be rewarded with the capital grant funding.

This is intended to address a national shortage of suitable provision for children who have been, or are at risk of, being deprived of their liberty. These children are often placed in unregistered provision at high cost to local authorities (up to £63k per week) where their needs are not met and they remain a risk to themselves and others.

Margaret said: “This new investment demonstrates the Government’s ongoing commitment to support Havering and Barking and Dagenham to address the challenges they face in providing the right type of care for looked after children.

This funding will help to fix the broken care market by providing high quality, safe open and secure children’s homes for our most vulnerable children.”

Margaret went on to say “I am following up this great news by asking Barking and Dagenham and Havering Councils what are their specific plans to bring about this much needed improvement to the lives of these children.”