Appendix 2: Detailed summary of Growth and Demand pressures 2026/27 to 2029/30 - Children's Services and Education
Children's Services and Education Growth and Demand Pressures
| Ref | Description | 2026/27 (£) | 2027/28 (£) | 2028/29 (£) | 2029/30 (£) | Total (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Home to school transport increase in demand and costs | 2,263,552 | 2,015,846 | 1,246,346 | 2,336,303 | 7,862,047 |
| 23 | Educational psychology service – reprofile of investment for staffing to meet increases in demand | (110,488) | 66,942 | 61,270 | 54,371 | 72,094 |
| 24 | Short break support for children with complex needs - to ensure there is sufficient funding to meet our statutory duties on short break services linked to increased assessed needs of children and young people and their carer’s in Walsall and avoid children coming into care | 360,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 360,000 |
| 25 | Sexually Harmful Behaviour Service to meet increased demand and support in diverting children from high-cost placements. | 148,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 148,000 |
| 26 | Youth in Sight (Adolescent Service) - providing preventative services to reduce the need for high-cost placements and mitigate against escalation of care costs of existing placements | 98,500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 98,500 |
| 27 | Children in care investment to support increase in demand, placement costs and the complexity of the children in care | 17,416,396 | 8,761,049 | 10,995,801 | 5,141,210 | 42,314,457 |
| 28 | Inflationary increases of 4% to placement costs for external framework placements | 246,741 | 251,794 | 256,951 | 262,123 | 1,017,609 |
| 29 | Carer fee uplifts in line with DfE rates and annual inflationary increases | 108,400 | 112,000 | 28,100 | 28,600 | 277,100 |
| 30 | Independent Fostering Agency (IFA) placements - framework retender uplift (including allowances) | 298,678 | 328,786 | 194,453 | 0 | 821,917 |
| 31 | Opening of a new internal residential home supported by DfE capital investment to increase the local authorities’ children's home estate in line with the placement sufficiency strategy | 0 | 697,204 | 817,270 | 0 | 1,514,474 |
| 32 | National House project supporting children leaving care to live independently by providing multi-disciplinary support | 25,000 | (10,000) | 0 | 0 | 15,000 |
| 33 | Staying put allowance uplifts maintaining young people in stable home arrangements | 17,457 | 17,806 | 18,162 | 18,525 | 71,950 |
| 34 | Carer allowances - uplift in line with DfE guidance | 144,680 | 147,523 | 150,536 | 153,500 | 596,239 |
| 35 | Emergency foster carer service investment to mitigate against the need to place children in emergency/unregistered residential accommodation | 125,046 | 5,034 | 5,235 | 5,410 | 140,725 |
| 36 | Lifelong links supporting children in care to create lasting support networks | 115,841 | (15,000) | 0 | 0 | 100,841 |
| 37 | Increase internal fostering school uniform and initial equipment grant in line with cost of living increases | 16,800 | 17,200 | 17,500 | 17,800 | 69,300 |
| Total Children's Services & Education | 21,274,603 | 12,396,184 | 13,791,624 | 8,017,842 | 55,480,253 | |