County Council set to approve much-needed provision for children with complex needs

Papers published today set out plans for the new provision, which will provide purpose-built Ofsted-registered accommodation, improving outcomes for children and reducing reliance on high-cost, private placements.

Following a successful bid, £1.4m of Department for Education funding has been secured for the project, which will be match-funded with a further £1.4m from Suffolk County Council.

Nationally, councils are facing growing demand and increasing complexity of need. Suffolk is facing the same pressures, with more children coming into care, and children entering care later with lived experiences meaning that they often require more specialist care and support at higher costs.

A lack of choice in the current care market means there is a critical need for local, Ofsted-registered placements for children with complex needs in Suffolk.

If approved, the new accommodation will deliver much-needed additional capacity to support children with complex needs in Suffolk. The proposed home will provide a stable, therapeutic and nurturing environment, designed to improve the health, education, and behavioural outcomes for the children cared for.

The numbers of children in Suffolk County Council’s care fluctuate on a daily basis. There are currently around 900 children in care in Suffolk, with approximately 20 requiring residential accommodation.

Cllr Bobby Bennett, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, said:

“Like many County Councils, Suffolk is seeing a rise in the number of children and young people with complex needs who need the right care and support. This is a growing challenge for local authorities across the country, with these pressures only likely to increase.

“The new provision proposed at Saxmundham will provide much needed additional capacity to support these children and young people, avoiding the need for private care arrangements which can come at a much higher cost.

“Increasing our in-house accommodation will help more Suffolk children to continue living close to where they would call home, whilst providing the bespoke care and support that they need.”

It is estimated that the current cost for a child with complex needs living in private provision is approximately £16.4k per week. In the proposed accommodation, this cost would reduce to approximately £12k per week, offering a saving of up to £4.4k per child per week.

The papers outline that for two children living at the accommodation, this would represent an annual saving of £454.8k and by Year 3, a potential saving of £1.4m.

Cllr Bennett added: “It is our duty to ensure we are getting the best value for money, so that our limited budget can be spent on delivering for children and families who need it the most.”

If Cabinet gives its approval for the development, planning approval will be sought for June 2026, with construction to complete in September 2028 and Ofsted registration by the end of 2028.

Suffolk County Council is due to discuss the development of the new provision at its Cabinet meeting of 27 January.