DEVON is set to redeploy workers to its under-pressure children’s social care department.

The service has a number of complex placements for the children and young people that it cares for, and for which it pays what it considers “excessive agency costs”.

Devon County Council’s cabinet heard an initial meeting had taken place to address these issues “at pace”, and a cross-council placement group launched to redeploy resources to the children’s service.

“The taskforce is intended to release staff from across the county council who possess the skills and experience to support the delivery of children’s social care,” a council spokesperson said.

The authority said it had reduced the number of interim managers in children’s service by 70 per cent since last February, and had cut agency use by 11 per cent since May.

It added that further cutting of these levels would be “subject to weekly support and intervention” from the council’s chief executive Donna Manson, and finance director Angie Sinclair.

Children’s social care is forecast to overspend by £6.4 million in the current financial year, which ends in April.

While this is reduction of more than £600,000 compared to the previous prediction in September, the amount the council spends on placements for children and young people is set to exceed the budget by £5.5 million.

Nearly 900 children and young people are cared for by Devon County Council, including 81 unaccompanied children applying for asylum.

Bradley Gerrard

LDRS