Budget, National Insurance increases, Residential Child Care

Transfixing the nation with the narrow mantra of no tax rises has led to not  taking the wider view of take home pay.

A Federation of Small Business spokesperson interviewed advised the National Insurance rises on members will most probably lead to no pay rises, and any employers that do raise wages likely will not in year two. Meanwhile prices rise.

Most children’s residential providers are small businesses, there have been many new start ups over the past 5 years and homes often remain vulnerable till year seven.

The consequence is already low paid residential child care workers would be affected by the NI increase. The likely freezing of tax thresholds will be a double hit for them. The consequence for children could be staff or homes leaving their life, another relationship lost. Another consequence could be the unplanned increase in homes being followed by an unplanned collapse.

The government children’s social policy has the title ‘Stable homes built on love’. The provision of the secure emotional base of children in children’s homes clearly has not been a part of the thinking. The Care Review proposals lead to the dismantling of children’s residential care.

To address profits and pay requires the government rehabilitates residential child care as a positive for some children at some time in their lives. The continued rise of higher level needs needing a residential solution is a fact, see the rising numbers of applications before the Deprivation of Liberty Court. This spotlights one of the ways, though currently not being acknowledged, children’s residential care enables children’s services to function.

There is a desire for it not to be necessary. Taking at least two parliamentary terms policies of poverty reduction and early intervention will address some aspects of deprivation. They do not necessarily address trauma, abuse, or exploitation.These are real,

immediate; and present now, and in the future.

A European style sector partnership compact addressing the pay, terms and conditions, along with much increased workforce development recognised in a new qualification, will retain staff, and is now urgent to be included in any forthcoming Children’s WellBeing bill in Parliament. Profits can be addressed alongside assured occupancy and increased specialist provision. The whole set up has to be a planned environment stemming from assessment of need, not market availability, determining the matching to the most appropropriate placement