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<p>The government is clear that the needs of the child are vital when making decisions
about the right care placement. Local authorities have a statutory duty to consider
the right placement for the child and take into account a number of factors, one of
which is placement area.</p><p> </p><p>Sometimes circumstances make it the right decision
for a local authority to identify a placement outside of the child’s local area. For
example, when a child is at risk from child sexual exploitation, trafficking or gang
violence or when they need very specialist care. Out of area placements require approval
from the Director of Children’s Services, and Ofsted monitors all placement decisions
including out of area placements and challenges local authorities that need to improve.
We are setting up a Residential Care Leadership Board, which will bring together representatives
from local authorities and providers to explore how to improve commissioning of children’s
residential placements. As part of this work, we expect the Board to assess data on
the use of out of area placements.</p>
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