Proposed Labour budget amendment on children’s homes ill-thought through and counter-productive

Councillors from the Green Party, Liberal Democrats and Conservatives have united to criticise a Labour amendment to Bristol City Council’s budget. 

The amendment, which will be debated and voted on at the budget full council meeting on Thursday, seeks to create new children’s homes without the necessary planning to achieve the best outcomes for the children involved. 

Evidence shows that children thrive and achieve their best when growing up in families surrounded by their extended networks and local community. 

So when it is necessary for children to come into care, kinship or local foster care will always be the option explored first by Bristol City Council.   

A small number however will have levels of need that mean, at times, a family environment is not the safest or most suitable environment. Residential placements, commonly referred to as ‘children’s homes’, will be needed to keep that child and/or others safe from harm.

Since May 2024, the Children and Young People Committee, that contains three Labour councillors, has overseen the opening of several children’s homes.Two additional new homes are already  open and occupied with settled children and staff. By this summer, a further four homes are set to be fully operational, occupied, and staffed. A recent vote at committee also saw unanimous support to continue with further plans for new in-house children’s homes, providing highly specialist accommodation that is needed. 

Placing children into these homes requires careful planning. Moving home or school is disruptive and emotionally challenging. 

When children have been traumatised, manipulated or abused in their formative years, any move must be carefully planned and orchestrated with a multi-agency, integrated approach.  

Before each child moves, there must be a period of planned transition, tailored exactly to that child’s need, life and education stage and relationships. –  this means the council can have as much confidence as possible that the change  will be positive for them.

This approach, led by Green Chair Christine Townsend has been successful. All of Bristol’s children’s homes now carry an Ofsted ‘good’ rating. Under the previous Labour administration, Ofsted ordered closure of an internal childrens home. This has now also re-opened and rated ‘good’ by ofsted.

Labour are now proposing an amendment to Bristol City Council’s budget this week which increases the number of children’s homes without the necessary planning. 

This is contradictory to the national Labour government, which is taking a considered and informed approach that puts the needs of children first while recognising that family environments provide the best outcomes for children and the best value for the public purse. 

Councillor Christine Townsend, Chair of the Children and Young People Policy Committee, said; “Despite Labour committee members being involved in the ongoing planned work, this amendment ignores professional advice, demonstrates a deep-seated lack of knowledge and fails to understand progress in this area to date. 

“The Bristol Labour Party appears to have a collective lack of basic interest in the needs of children that the entire council is responsible for, and instead is putting forward an approach that puts money first. 

“This is not the correct approach when tasked with enabling children to recover, grow and thrive in adolescence so they can move into early adulthood with emotional security.”

“This amendment did not pass last year, and it will not this year. Labour must withdraw it.”

Conservative education spokesperson, Cllr John Goulandris comments; ‘Labour’s budget amendment appears very muddled in its approach and is financially illiterate. 

“Opening new children’s homes without proper planning and without checking likely demand for places is inevitably going to result in the homes operating with unfilled places – voids – which will make the cost of these homes even more expensive than the current private placements. 

“It won’t help the Council’s finances and it won’t help our city’s most disadvantaged children.’

Children and Young People Policy Committee Member, Cllr Andrew Varney (Liberal Democrat, Brislington West) said; 

“Responsibility for the children in our care is one of the most important functions of the City Council. Often the most vulnerable members of our society, it is our duty to safeguard them, provide stability, and ensure that they can lead fulfilling lives away from harm.

“Once again, Labour have submitted an amendment that treats the children in our care as numbers, and the provision of their care as a financial saving to be made. Children’s homes must be planned carefully, professionally and with long‑term stability in mind. They should never be used as a political football between parties during budget season.

“I look forward to working constructively with the Committee to continue to bring forward the homes and care that the children in our city need.”

(Cllr Andrew Varney (left) and Cllr John Goulandris (right))

The Greens have also been critical of Labour not taking up a seat they are entitled to on the Corporate Parenting Panel. The Corporate Parenting Panel is a multi-stakeholder group where the work of the council with regards to children in care receives oversight from the many agencies and organisations in the sector. It exists outside of and local governance arrangements, reflecting the long-standing statutory nature of this area of responsibility. 

Councillor Townsend continues; “Since the last election, Bristol Labour have continually failed to fill their second seat on the corporate parenting panel. They have used the demands of the committee system to say they have no capacity for this. However, this has not been a problem for the Liberal Democrats or Conservatives, who have both filled their seats despite being much smaller parties – nor for the Greens who fill four seats on the panel.

“This is a decision from Labour that speaks volumes as to where corporate parenting sits within the priorities of its’ leadership.  

“That being said, there are some Labour Cllrs who do recognise the importance of this area.

“The vice chair of the Corporate Parenting Panel, Cllr Susan Kollar is one such person. Susan is dedicated to this work; her care and commitment has been externally evident since her election in – this is what true leadership looks like.

“Labour must now take their responsibility seriously. They must occupy that second seat on the corporate parenting panel and learn the realities of how best outcomes for our children in care are actually achieved.”