Youth scheme 'saves Shropshire Council £1m'
A scheme to provide short breaks to "vulnerable" young people has prevented dozens from going into care and could have saved Shropshire Council more than £1 million, it was claimed today.
It comes as the authority looks to change the way youngsters in care are looked after as a way to make savings.
The Rowans, in Upper Road, Shrewsbury, which provides a home for up to four older children or teenagers who have been taken out of the family home, is set to close as part of the re-shuffle.
Council bosses said instead they would recruit staff to work with families at home on an "outreach" basis.
Since June, a planned short breaks facility has been provided at Havenbrook Children's Home for those identified in need and at risk of family breakdown.
Children who are at risk of being permanently sent to a home are taken to Havenbrook, in Cound, near Shrewsbury, for a few days, allowing a period of "time out" for both the child and the family.
Shropshire Council has agreed to make the trial arrangement permanent after hearing it had had a significant impact.
Since the start of the pilot, 42 young people have received either single or multiple short breaks.
Of the 29 young people who have received or are receiving planned short breaks, only two have been taken into local authority care. Of the 13 young people who received a crisis short break, only six went on to be received into local authority care, six went home to parental care and one moved into a 16-plus supported living arrangement.
The council says the cost of a four-day crisis break at Havenbrook is £1,074, a saving of more than £2,900 for each placement when compared to the cost of local authority care.
And providing planned breaks for 27 children has achieved a potential saving of just over £1 million compared to the cost of providing residential placements, according to Shropshire Council.
