Issue - meetings

This report presents the Children in Care (CiC) Invest to Save Proposal, a targeted programme to deliver savings against the 2026/27 Children in Care budget of £54.84m by reducing the number of children in care and lowering the overall cost of placements, while maintaining strong outcomes and stability for children and young people.

The programme will accelerate delivery of strategic and operational actions to safely manage demand and secure sustainable cost reductions. It provides a structured approach to delivering both immediate savings and longer-term financial resilience within Children’s Services.

Approval is sought to procure specialist support over a six-month period to support implementation of a phased delivery strategy. An investment of £0.561m is required. The programme is expected to deliver at least £2.0m savings by 2027/28 and establish a sustainable platform for the continued reduction in demand and cost.