Barking and Dagenham Council is planning to open its own children's homes to address ongoing placement issues for vulnerable youngsters. The decision was revealed during the Assembly meeting on Wednesday, 23 July 2025, as part of a broader discussion on children's care and support services. The council is facing challenges in finding suitable placements, particularly for children coming into care later with more complex needs, mirroring a national trend.

Councillor Jane Jones, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care & Disabilities, presented the Children's Care and Support Self-Evaluation report for 2024-25, highlighting both improvements and challenges in the borough's social work practices. The report acknowledged positive strides in areas such as threshold application, child protection plans, and permanence planning. However, it also identified persistent difficulties in achieving long-term stability for children in care and ensuring sufficient placement options.

Infographic showing statistics about Barking and Dagenham residents, including population, age, life expectancy, attainment, crime, unemployment, ethnicity, and housing prices.
Infographic showing statistics about Barking and Dagenham residents, including population, age, life expectancy, attainment, crime, unemployment, ethnicity, and housing prices.

We are not alone in this struggle. There is a national issue with placement sufficiency, said Councillor Jones, emphasising the need for local solutions. She noted that Children are coming into care later and they are not necessarily known to us and the care they need is usually more complex and we struggle to find placements for them.

The council's plan to open its own children's homes aims to provide a stable and nurturing environment for young people who are particularly vulnerable and difficult to place. While the exact number of homes and their capacity has not been specified, the council intends for the homes to be located within the borough.

The new homes will ensure that these young people will be cared for within the borough and near to families and friends that care for them, Councillor Jones added, highlighting the importance of maintaining community and family ties for children in care. The council believes this initiative will greatly improve outcomes for these young people.

Councillor Dominic Twomey, Leader of the Council / Labour Group, thanked Councillor Jones and the teams involved, recognising the pressure they are under to deliver good services for vulnerable youngsters.