New Ofsted data shows that half of all private and voluntary
fostering placements nationally are concentrated in just 6
providers. That equates to placements for over 18,000 children.
Published for the first time as management information, Ofsted’s
statistics show that the 6 largest providers own 66 independent
fostering agencies (IFAs), around a fifth of
all IFAs. The
top two providers own 47 IFAs, offering over
11,000 fostering places between them, making up 31% of all places
offered by private and voluntary IFAs nationally.
Across England, 93% of all IFAs have been judged
either good or outstanding by Ofsted. The proportion of good and
outstanding IFAs owned by the largest
providers is higher than the national average, at 98%.
The data also reveals that around a third of all private and
voluntary children’s homes are run by just 10 providers, a
similar position to last year.
Ofsted has previously raised concerns about the lack of suitable
care placements for vulnerable children, with national supply not
matching the local needs of children.
Ofsted’s National Director for Social Care, Yvette Stanley, said:
Demand for children’s social care services continues to
outstrip supply, and the need for placements for the most
vulnerable children is only likely to rise in the wake of
COVID-19. We have repeatedly raised the issue of overall
sufficiency of placements for looked after children.
The domination of the fostering market by a small number of
operators creates an additional concern that the loss of any of
the bigger providers could leave major gaps in supply. We worry
that the narrowing of the market on top of the sufficiency
issue is storing up trouble for the future.
Notes to editors
