GOOD PRACTICE

Milton Keynes (2) - Providing support to adolescents at risk of being accommodated
Summary of Context
The population of Milton Keynes is expected to rise to above 250,000 by 2011 (and further in recently announced Government plans) making it one of the fastest growing areas in the UK. Approximately 73,000 people are aged under 25 and the population of children aged under 18 grows by around 1,000 every year.
The starting position for the Authority was one of reliance on expensive external residential placements and agency foster placements. Numbers of looked after children, costs and expenditure were all high. The Council initially attempted to anticipate reductions in numbers looked after rather than plan the services that would achieve them.
However, an 'invest to save' approach and good partnership working enabled the development of a range of community based services that targeted children at risk.
Good Practice
In essence, Children's Services have been promoting a child and family-centred approach with increased emphasis on partnership, greater use of family and community-based support services, more judicious use of formal child protection procedures and less use of expensive and inappropriate residential care. One particular development focused on older children at risk of exclusion and accommodation.
The Youth Service, Children's Services, and Education Welfare and other agencies collaborated to run a 'Close to Home' project providing mentoring, advice and support in three secondary schools serving the three most socially disadvantaged areas of Milton Keynes. Work included outreach to children not in school.

Benefits
This, with a range of other community developments, has enabled the Authority to control its volatile children's placements budget and divert resources towards more support services, in turn further increasing community and family alternatives to residential care.
In particular,

  • The number of children in the 10-15 age group, as a percentage of all children both starting to be looked after and currently looked after, is slightly lower than average. This age group is often the most expensive to accommodate.
  • Significant numbers of adolescents are returned home promptly with packages of support.
Contact: Paul Sutton Tel: 01908 253324
E-mail: paul.sutton@milton-keynes.gov.uk