See answers to previous information requests

1. How many children has the local authority placed in accommodation that is not Ofsted-registered / approved since 2023? By this, we mean strictly accommodation that operates as a children’s home (for example, defined as Class C2 residential institutions in planning terms), not foster care or any placement with relatives who may have guardianship orders.
Less than 5

2. Please indicate how many of these placements were in-area or out-of-area.
In: less than 5
Out: less than 5

3. What was the length of the longest single placement in such accommodation?
Approximately 844 days

4. What has been the total cost of all such placements over the period?
£1,143,268 This is an estimate and only relates to social care portion. This excludes health and education contributions.

5. How many children has the local authority placed in Ofsted-registered / approved accommodation in the same period?
Data only available from April 2025 = 14 CYP placed in registered Children’s Residential Homes

6. How many Ofsted-registered / approved children’s home places are available in-area in total?
June 2026: 11

7. How many children’s homes are operated by the local authority?
2

8. Ofsted is clear that any accommodation that operates as a children’s home without registration is illegal, and the people running it are committing a criminal offence. Please provide information as to what risk assessment is undertaken when the authority decides to place a young person in such accommodation, and why a decision to do so would be made by the authority. Please note we are requesting a general position statement, not a response in relation to each individual placement
Please see the following link for guidance- https://trixcms.trixonline.co.uk/api/assets/wokinghamcs/ae5745e3-979a-4f62-a8ad-41913d39b762/Unregistered%20Care%20Provision%20for%20Children:%20Guidance%20and%20Approach%20(January%202025).pdf