Actions for Financial Year 2026/27 (Note: Actions and milestones may change as part of an annual refresh)
- Action 1: Work with the provider market to develop provision which meets the need of the most complex children and young people and can adapt to individual need to promote stability.
Milestones By when Desired outcome Monitoring and progress Implement solutions identified through conversations and actively work with local providers. Review progress April 2026 Children and young people with complex needs are better served. Unregistered arrangements are eliminated. Progress monitored through A Place Called Home Programme Board. Monitor the impact of the new local authority in house children’s homes. Review progress April 2026 Increased options are available for children and young people preventing the need for unregistered arrangements. Progress monitored through A Place Called Home Programme Board. - Action 2: Work with health partners to increase the therapeutic and health related input into care packages. Jointly commission specialist provision for children leaving hospital and place of safety provision.
Milestones By when Desired outcome Monitoring and progress Monitor the effectiveness of the specialist provision for children leaving hospital and places of safety. Monthly Children and young people who are leaving hospital or a place of safety have a safe place to live whilst a longer term solutions is identified. Progress monitored through A Place Called Home Programme Board. - Action: Progress innovative solutions (already identified) for those with complex needs such as gap homes; utilising available land to create homes for complex post 16 young people; piloting emergency accommodation schemes with providers to stabilise young people; and solutions to step children across from residential to fostering with an emphasis on those under the age of 12.
Milestones By when Desired outcome Monitoring and progress Progress process for allocation of places within the gap homes project. December 2027 Increase options available to complex young people and work differently to meet their needs. Progress monitored through A Place Called Home Programme Board. Contract manage and review the emergency accommodation. Monthly Increase options available to complex young people and work differently to meet their needs. Progress monitored through A Place Called Home Programme Board. - Action 3: Commission or create a sustainable and affordable care resource to enable placement stability, support children to return home, (including those with Special Guardianship Orders), and where absolutely necessary, provide support to those children who are placed in unregistered provision.
Milestones By when Desired outcome Monitoring and progress Monitor / contract manage the care provider commissioned to support children in these settings Monthly Increase the stability of homes for children and young people across all settings. Progress monitored through A Place Called Home Programme Board. - Action 4: Progress the ‘A Place Called Home’ workstream to increase the recruitment and retention of foster cares to ensure no net loss and to enable in house carer to accept more complex young people (with focus on the younger age ranges who are in residential care).
Milestones By when Desired outcome Monitoring and progress Review the success of the marketing campaign to encourage expressions of interest form new foster cares. Develop a new plan for a new year. Monitor Monthly. Develop new plan by May 2027 More availability of in house fostering for all children and young people. Progress monitored through A Place Called Home Programme Board. - Action 5: Review and recommission the Peninsula Residential Flexible Purchase System to better meet the needs of providers and to ensure continuity and affordability across the residential market.
Milestones By when Desired outcome Monitoring and progress Ensure robust contract management arrangements are in place for providers of independent residential care following successful procurement activity. Monthly Manage the cost of residential care, increase quality and provider engagement. Progress monitored through A Place Called Home Programme Board. - Action 6: Review the availability and move through of accommodation options for young asylum seekers.
Milestones By when Desired outcome Monitoring and progress Contract manage the provision created to meet identified need. Monthly Ensure the needs of this vulnerable group a met. Monitored through the ‘A Place Called Home’ provider sufficiency workstream. - Action 7: In partnership with District Councils, review pathways and commissioned services for young people in care aged 16+, homeless young people aged 16 and 17 and care experienced young people to ensure services enable resilience, capabilities for independence and ultimately effective move on. Use evidence available to ensure the right spread of services across the County.
Milestones By when Desired outcome Monitoring and progress Review progress and impact of the supported accommodation provision for care experienced young people. Monthly More young people are able to access and sustain suitable accommodation. Through the ‘Care for Me’ subgroup of the Corporate Parenting Board. Implement next steps plan for the ending or continuation of the programme. April 2027 More young people are able to access and sustain suitable accommodation. Through the ‘Care for Me’ subgroup of the Corporate Parenting Board. - Action 8: Improve the transitions pathway for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
Milestones By when Desired outcome Monitoring and progress Actions and activity identified within the SEND Strategy and Safety Value Plan. Review Progress April 2027 Young people experience smooth transitions from childrens to adult’s care arrangements. Through the SEND Improvement Board transitions workstream. - Action 9: Take advantage of the newly funded opportunities with the District Council’s to increase the housing opportunities for care experienced young people.
Milestones By when Desired outcome Monitoring and progress Work closely with District councils to understand the likely local need and ensure support is available where required. Review progress April 2027 Creation of more sustainable move on options. Through the ‘Care for Me’ subgroup of the Corporate Parenting Board. - Action 10: Work across children’s social care to support improvements to culture and practice, supporting the journey to making Devon the authority of choice for local providers.
Milestones By when Desired outcome Monitoring and progress Work with the Children’s Social Care Senior Management Team through the Service Development Meetings to highlight the problems faced by providers and to address any presenting practice issues Review progress April 2027 Create more sufficiency and keep Devon’s children in Devon. Through the ‘A Place Called Home’ achieving permanence workstream.