CHILDREN in care are costing St Helens Council more than £4 million.

A new council report says the number of looked-after children in St Helens continues to cause a “significant financial pressure” to the council.

According to the council’s latest budget and performance report, there were 448 looked-after children in St Helens as of the end of May 2018.

This is costing the authority £3.9 million in respect of fostering and residential care costs and £218,000 in family support packages.

Cabinet has previously approved the use of £2 million from the children’s services reserve to help mitigate the impact of the financial pressures to the portfolio.

The number of children in care is higher than that reported at the end of the 2016-17 financial year (427) and higher than comparable national averages.

The council has also drawn up a number of actions, as part of its Looked After Children Action Plan, to help reduce the number of children in care.

“The portfolio continues to review and implement effective discharge arrangements to ensure that the overall children in care population can be safely reduced,” the report says.

“Initiatives to help reduce the need for children to become accommodated in fostering or residential care arrangements are being explored and implemented.

“For example, the PAUSE project is working with women who have experienced, or are at risk of, repeat removals of children from their care.”

There was a reduction in the numbers of children coming into care in 2017-18 and there has been a greater reduction in the numbers of children discharged from care in the same period, compared to the previous 2016-17 period.

In 2017-18 a total of 99 children were discharged from care compared to 122 children discharged from care in the previous financial year.

“Work is continuing to deliver a service that will safely reduce the numbers of children entering and leaving the care of the local authority,” the report says.

“The restructure of children’s social care has commenced and will deliver an enhanced early intervention and Edge of Care Service that will assist in further reducing the numbers of children becoming looked after, although these services are still being developed.”

The portfolio also recently undertook a review of the Fostering Service.

As part of the review, the council has implemented a revised structure to help ensure it is able to recruit, support and retain foster carers, which is key to helping reduce costs to the authority.

The May 2018 budget and performance report is due to go before cabinet on Wednesday.