Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am requesting information regarding the council’s expenditure on residential care placements for children in private care homes. Please provide the following information:

1. The number of children for whom the council funded private residential care home placements in each of the last ten completed financial years;
2016: 20
2017: 23
2018: 18
2019: 25
2020: 24
2021: 28
2022: 29
2023: 33
2024: 34
2025: 35

2. The council's total expenditure on placing children in private residential care homes for each of the last ten completed financial years.
2016: 2,311,534
2017: 2,080,517
2018: 1,703,543
2019: 3,501,714
2020: 2,386,212
2021: 2,546,595
2022: 3,657,834
2023: 5,284,204
2024: 7,148,080
2025: 8,056,270

Notes for answer:
• Number of children is an approximation and is not precise. It includes children in residential parent and baby, residential schools, unregistered residential support as well as registered residential packages. This excludes children in inhouse residential homes but potentially would include other council run homes.
• The cost provided is the gross cost before education or health contributions in cases where the care package is paid by social care and reclaimed from health and education. This excludes in house residential homes.