Children's Services UK Market Report
Description
The seventh edition of LaingBuisson’s Children’s Services UK Market Report is essential reading for anyone involved in this important area of the UK’s social care system now valued at £27.20 billion. Written and researched by leading sector expert Tim Read, this definitive report offers comprehensive and independent insight into all areas of the children’s services market, with detailed coverage of special education and social care services for children and young people. This report also offers insights into changing market behaviour by providers, including shifts away from multi-sector provision into single segment specialisation and exploration of new areas for revenue growth.
Since the last edition was published in 2022, the report reveals a market that has grown significantly, which we previously reported was at £17.1 billion. Value growth has been underpinned through increasing volumes of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and challenged in reducing the number of children placed in residential care homes. While pressures on public sector budgets remain, demand-led statutory obligations have sustained service volumes and, in turn, market revenues.
In the special education market segment, now valued at £9.04 billion, the volume of children being placed in independent special schools continues to rise dramatically, with the number rising consistently by above 10% for the previous five years.
Our Children in Care chapters, mainly covering Children’s Residential Care and Foster Care, reveal a sub-sector now valued at £18.18 billion. Our report identifies a clear division in market growth between these sectors and details long-term supply trends across public and independent providers to meet rising demand.
The report also explores the current political and regulatory landscape, including Labour’s proposed reforms to children’s social care currently progressing through Parliament. This changing policy environment could have implications for service commissioning, provider behaviour and future investment strategies.
Since the last edition was published in 2022, the report reveals a market that has grown significantly, which we previously reported was at £17.1 billion. Value growth has been underpinned through increasing volumes of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and challenged in reducing the number of children placed in residential care homes. While pressures on public sector budgets remain, demand-led statutory obligations have sustained service volumes and, in turn, market revenues.
In the special education market segment, now valued at £9.04 billion, the volume of children being placed in independent special schools continues to rise dramatically, with the number rising consistently by above 10% for the previous five years.
Our Children in Care chapters, mainly covering Children’s Residential Care and Foster Care, reveal a sub-sector now valued at £18.18 billion. Our report identifies a clear division in market growth between these sectors and details long-term supply trends across public and independent providers to meet rising demand.
The report also explores the current political and regulatory landscape, including Labour’s proposed reforms to children’s social care currently progressing through Parliament. This changing policy environment could have implications for service commissioning, provider behaviour and future investment strategies.
Table of Contents
534 Pages
- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND HIGHLIGHTS
- 1. MARKET
- 1.1 Introduction
- 1.2 Overall Demand
- 1.3 Special Education
- 1.4 Policy Overview of Children’s Services
- 1.5 Payors
- 1.6 Expenditure on Children’s Services
- 1.7 Children’s Services Market Value
- MARKET SUB-SECTORS
- A. Special Education
- A.1 Overview
- A.2 Market Value
- A.3 Demand Drivers
- A.4 Supply of Special Schools and Colleges
- A.5 Expenditure
- A.6 Special School Fees
- B. Children’s Residential Care
- B.1 Profile
- B.2 Demand Drivers
- B.3 Supply
- B.4 Expenditure
- B.5 Prices
- C. Foster Care
- C.1 Profile
- C.2 Demand
- C.3 Supply
- C.4 Expenditure
- C.5 Prices
- D. Adoption
- D.1 Demand Trends
- D.2 Local and Voluntary Sector Supply
- D.3 Spending
- D.4 Policy and Legislative Drivers
- E. Other Children’s and Young People’s Services
- E.1 Leaving Care Support
- E.2 Safeguarding Services
- E.3 Other Services
- 2. POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE DRIVERS
- 2.1 Special Education
- 2.2 Children’s Social Care
- 3. REGULATION
- 3.1 Overview
- 3.2 Children’s Care Services
- 3.3 Special Education
- 3.4 Wales
- 3.5 Scotland
- 3.6 Northern Ireland
- 3.7 Quality Ratings and Risk
- 3.8 CMA
- 3.9 Future Outlook
- 4. PROVIDERS
- 4.1 Key Highlights
- 4.2 Overview
- 4.3 Landscape
- 4.4 Financial Landscape
- 4.5 Strategic Growth
- 4.6 Service Level Growth
- 5. INVESTORS
- 5.1 Overview
- 5.2 Transactions
- 5.3 Investor-Backed Providers
- 5.4 Active and Historic Investors
- 5.5 CMA Investigations
- 6. MARKET OUTLOOK
- 6.1 Overview
- 6.2 Growth Assumptions
- 6.3 Alternative Growth Trajectories
- 6.4 Future Market Trends
- APPENDICES
- Appendix 1. GDP Deflator
- Appendix 2. SEND Code of Practice Overview
- Appendix 3. Children & Families Grant Allocations
- Appendix 4. Labour Government Planned Actions
- Appendix 5. Ofsted New Quality Judgements
- Appendix 6. Capital Funding for High Needs
- Appendix 7. Children’s Home & Foster Care in Wales
- Appendix 8. Safety Valve Agreements
- Appendix 9. Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant
- Appendix 10. Transactions Since 2014
- Appendix 11. Leading Providers Revenue
- Appendix 12. Trade Bodies & Associations
- Appendix 13. Investor Profiles
- Appendix 14. Major Providers
- Appendix 15. Financial Appendix
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