A board of governors was established in November 2023 to address shortcomings in Peterborough's children's services department. Ofsted ruled the council's response to child exploitation as "not effective," highlighting a pressing need for improvements. The council encountered a significant rise in unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) towards the end of summer and early autumn, compounding existing challenges.
As of March 31, 2024, the council is responsible for the care of 422 children and young people, including 42 UASC. This represents a 46% increase in the number of asylum-seeking children from 27 in 2022 to 42 in 2024. The influx has placed additional strain on securing appropriate homes and therapeutic care for older children with complex needs.
Katie Liddle, a spokesperson for the council, commented on the situation:
"We did see a huge influx of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children at the end of the summer and early autumn." – Katie Liddle
This surge has led to a bottleneck in capacity, as Liddle elaborated:
"It does have an impact on capacity and we do have a bit of a bottleneck. It takes a bit of time to work through those." – Katie Liddle
Peterborough receives asylum-seeking children through the National Transfer Scheme, which is funded by the Home Office. This program aims to distribute responsibility more evenly across local authorities, alleviating pressure on areas heavily impacted by new arrivals. Despite this support, the council continues to grapple with finding suitable placements for these vulnerable children.
Ofsted rated Peterborough's children's services department as "inadequate," but acknowledged that improvements have been made. Efforts to build on these improvements are ongoing, with a focus on addressing the complex needs of children in care. Katy Cole, another council representative, remains optimistic about the progress:
"We are fully aware that things still need to improve, but the shoots are there and they are growing fast." – Katy Cole
The council's designated nurse for children in care emphasized that the increased complexity of the children's needs is a national issue, not confined to Peterborough alone. This insight underscores the broader challenge facing local authorities across the UK in providing adequate care and support for all children under their responsibility.
