Privatisation of children's services means thousands of vulnerable children are routinely moved around the country like freight to live hundreds of miles from everything they have ever known. Here's just one example 1/
North East Lincolnshire Council in Grimsby has just signed a near-£1 million contract with Cherry Blossom Children's Home. 2/ bidstats.uk/tenders/2021/W…
It sounds idyllic. Except Cherry Blossom Children's Home is in Peterhead, Scotland, almost 400 miles away. 3/ cherryblossomcare.co.uk
Eight hours away by car (approx), nine hours by train. If your are lucky. 4/
Chosen, presumably, for its outstanding track record? Apparently not. This home was only registered in March 2021 with the Care Inspectorate. 5/ 
North East Lincolnshire Council has also just awarded a raft of contracts to a private foster care agency, Foster Care Associates, owned by private equity. 6/
There is a strong possibility that children found homes through this agency will not be living anywhere near Grimsby. 7/
Almost every local authority does this. 60% of children in children's homes have been moved 'out of area. Many move hundreds of miles, and often a number of times, before they reach adulthood. 8/
Privatisation of the care of vulnerable children is toxic in many ways. But possibly the worst is that it breaks a child's significant relationships and denies them a community they can call their own. 9/
Privatisation is bad for children and families and bad for taxpayers. It doesn't have to be this way. 10/
Meanwhile, North East Lincolnshire is busy doing what councils do... closing support services for children and families. grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-n…
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