Lisa Holmes Director Centre for Child and Family Research Loughborough University

1. Supporting children and
families returning home from
care: Counting the costs
LISA HOLMES, DIRECTOR, CENTRE FOR
CHILD AND FAMILY RESEARCH

2. Introduction
 NSPCC commissioned the Centre for Child
and Family Research (CCFR) at
Loughborough University to provide evidence
to inform debates about the cost
effectiveness and potential costs avoided of
providing appropriate assessment, support
and services to families on return home from
care
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3. Aim
 To estimate the costs to the public purse if
services to support successful reunification
are provided to all children and families
following a care episode, based on their
needs, and to compare these costs with the
costs associated with re-entry to care
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4. Methods
 Secondary analysis
 Unit cost estimations based on existing
published unit costs
 Bottom up approach
 Distinction between support and service costs
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5. Methods
 Secondary analysis
 Series of assumptions based on existing
research evidence
 Assessment, support and services
 Three levels of support for families with
different needs
 National dataset for looked after children in
England (SSDA 903)
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6. Cost estimations
 Return home from care costs
 Supported as open ‘child in need cases’
 Support from ongoing case worker (up to
twelve months)
 Services
 Parenting support
 Adult mental health services
 Drug and alcohol services
 Child and adolescent mental health services
 High, Medium and Low level of needs
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7. Cost estimations
 HIGH SUPPORT NEEDS (53%)
 SUPPORT
 Open child in need case for 12 months
 Proactive case management including ongoing
support and monitoring
 SERVICES
 Adult mental health services (60%)
 Drug and alcohol services (50%)
 Parenting support (80%)
 CAMHS (45%)
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8. Cost estimations
 MEDIUM SUPPORT NEEDS (16%)
 SUPPORT
 Open child in need case for 9 months
 Proactive case management including ongoing
support and monitoring
 SERVICES
 Parenting support (80%)
 CAMHS (45%)
 Both less frequently than High Support Needs
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9. Cost estimations
 LOW SUPPORT NEEDS (31%)
 SUPPORT
 Open child in need case for 6 months
 Proactive case management including ongoing
support and monitoring
 SERVICES
 No additional services provided (assumed that
these would have been provided prior to return
home)
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10. Cost estimations
 Return home from care costs
 Children ceased being looked after (returned to
live with parents or relatives)
 10,080 (DfE, 2013)
 Average cost per case (across different levels of
support needs)
 £5,627 per case
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11. Cost estimations
 Re-entry to care
 47% (Farmer et al., 2011)
 Does not capture additional costs associated
with oscillating in and out of care
 Estimated costs likely to be an underestimation
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12. Cost estimations
 Re-entry to care
 National dataset for looked after children in
England (SSDA 903)
 Type of placement; placement provider and
location; legal status; placement stability
 Existing unit costs to support looked after
children (Ward, Holmes and Soper, 2008)
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13. Cost estimations
 Re-entry to care
 National dataset for looked after children in
England (SSDA 903)
 Type of placement; placement provider and
location; legal status; placement stability
 Existing unit costs to support looked after
children (Ward, Holmes and Soper, 2008)
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14. Cost estimations
 Re-entry to care
 Children returning to care
 4,738 ( 47% of 10,080 from DfE, 2013)
 Average cost per case
 £61,614
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15. Use of the cost estimations
 Breakeven point
 19% more reunifications in England (900
children nationally) were successful in a year,
this would equate to a national breakeven point
as a result of the costs avoided from these
children no longer needing to re-enter care
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16. Use of the cost estimations
 Project commissioned to inform debates
 Next steps
 Explore variations between local authorities
 Availability and use of child/family level data
 Longitudinal analysis of different care
trajectories
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17. Further information
Contact Details:
Lisa Holmes, Director, CCFR
L.J.Holmes@lboro.ac.uk
Report available:
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-
abuse/research-and-resources/supporting-
children-families-returning-home-from-care-
counting-costs/
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