Bridgend council has set its own target to reduce the number of children in care over the next three years as part of a national focus on looked-after children.
As a result of the First Minister’s manifesto commitment to support looked-after children, the Welsh Government has been working with each local authority to set targets on reducing the need for children to enter care.
Figures from March 2018 show there were just over 6,400 looked-after children in Wales – an 8% increase on the previous year.
Over the past 15 years the number of looked-after children has increased by 34%.
Sue Cooper, director of social services at Bridgend council, told councillors at a recent meeting that the number of children in care in Bridgend had slowly been coming down in the county in contrast to other local authorities in Wales.
She said the council wanted to avoid setting an annual target but hoped to have 10 fewer children in care in three years’ time.
As of March 2019 there were 381 children in care, down from 412 five years ago.
Ms Cooper said: “Welsh Government has been very clear they want to work in partnership with councils.
“I was a little bit concerned they might impose targets on us which would have been very problematic not only for us but for every local authority in Wales – we are committed as corporate parents to make sure that children are kept safe.”
However she told councillors the approach undertaken involves the government and councils working together to produce “realistic and bespoke reduction expectation plans” which focus on “safely reducing the numbers of children in care while continuing to improve outcomes for those already in or leaving care”.
She said: “We have indicated what we feel would be a fairly sensible reduction for us in Bridgend.
“We are not being pushed. We are being cautious, we are trying to take a sensible evidence-based approach.
“The numbers in Bridgend are currently stable. We also have quite low numbers out of county and very low numbers out of Wales.”
Council leader Huw David said the reduction of a third in the average numbers of children becoming looked after was “a remarkable turnaround” and “a big achievement”.
The average number of children becoming looked after in 2018-19 was 7.7 compared to 12.2 in 2013-14.
Bridgend council's corporate parenting committee met on May 29.
