Look beneath headlines – new homes are from small and new providers not from the large ones.

Knowing that small children’s homes providers have been ‘out-opening’ large providers by 3.5:1 over the last 6 months has potential to change everything we have been thinking about the setting up and commissioning of children’s homes.

Beneath the headlines of beneath the headlines of an additional 176 homes and 608 places is new information. The new homes are from small and new providers not from the large ones.

And local authorities are opening their own homes, 11 authorities opened 13 homes. In one region 3 homes were opened by separate authorities, and one opened 3 itself.’ Other authorities have plans to open up their own homes.

There are more surprises with new homes in one part of London, contrary to the narrative that the cost of property prohibits opening in the capital. <span “=””>

But it is noteworthy that these new homes show there is a very small number of providers stepping across from unregulated to regulated

The range across the regions is marked, low numbers of new homes in West Midlands, East, and South East particularly, South West new homes to meet specific needs, NE/Y&H and NW openings for local need, East Midlands increases down to a few LAs.

Other issues are raised for discussion, such as supporting the Registered Managers and Responsible Individuals, crucial in all homes but especially in new ones, signalling the need for an integrated workforce strategy. Other concerns must be the potential effect of new homes on the resilience and occupancy of already existing homes.

The increase has been unplanned and uncoordinated showing the need for strategy based on new analytic datasets moving beyond the descriptive requirements of the Sufficiency duty that can provide the foundation for a new form of regional needs-led planning.