Sheffield support costing £33m in place to help young people leaving care

A meeting of Sheffield City Council’s education, children and families policy committee on Thursday is expected to agree to pay external providers for supported accommodation for young people aged 16 to 25. This includes care leavers and vulnerable young people.

A report to the committee says that some young people will stay in group living accommodation where they either have shared communal facilities or live in a bedsit-type space within a larger building.

Others will live alone with support services in place, with the level of help they need determined by their support worker. Extra support and higher staffing levels will be provided for young people with complex needs.

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New government regulations state that all providers must be registered with Ofsted and undergo regular inspections. The report says: “The council’s children in care external placement team have worked closely with providers throughout the year giving advice and support regarding the Ofsted registration process.”

A council children’s involvement team has been speaking to young people currently using services in a consultation process aimed at finding out what their experiences are. This was in order to help inform the decision-making process on the incoming system.

A key aim of the scheme is to help young people leaving care move on to live independent lives, equipped with the skills they will need to cope in future.

The £33.1m cost will cover the period from October 1 this year, when the current provision ends, until March 31, 2029.