How We Work

Our Ambitions

• Build a Shared Regional Sufficiency Strategy

  Develop a unified regional approach focused on sufficiency, quality, and cost control rather than competition. Use shared data on demand, supply, and outcomes to inform joint commissioning and consistent performance measures. Provide benchmarking data so each local authority can identify themes, address challenges, and plan budgets effectively.

  

• Pool Expertise and Resources

  Combine commissioning, training, and specialist services to reduce duplication and strengthen negotiation power. Share expert roles and collaborate on innovative models, such AS new therapeutic residential pathways, to build regional capacity and expand care options for children with complex needs.

  

• Strengthen and Professionalise the Workforce

  Create a Regional Workforce Academy to improve recruitment, training, and retention across residential care. Coordinate regional training, recruitment, and qualification pathways to tackle workforce shortages, while supporting communities of practice that promote learning and professional development.

  

• Use Collective Market Influence

  Establish regional frameworks with shared contracts and quality standards to ensure consistent purchasing and fair pricing. Build preferred provider networks that reward quality and stability, backed by transparent intelligence sharing to strengthen collaboration with the market and improve the value of public spending.

  

• Invest in Local and Family-Based Care

  Partner with Local Authority Fostering South East and the DfE to strengthen fostering provision. Expand capacity through home adaptation schemes and support tools for existing carers, prioritising regional placements to keep children local and reduce reliance on distant or high-cost options.

  

• Embed Data and Evidence in Decision-Making

  Advance the regional data platform to deliver real-time analysis, forecasting, and benchmarking. Use evidence-based tools to match children with placements and design tailored support, while evaluating outcomes collectively to identify what drives stability and long-term value.

  

• Co-Produce with Young People and Families

  Engage young people’s boards and care-experienced advisors in shaping regional strategies and service design. Ensure that lived experience and children’s voices directly influence policy, commissioning, and decision-making.

  

• Advocate for Systemic Reform

  Collaborate through the RCC to shape national policy, funding, and regulatory reform, particularly around profit controls, workforce investment, and foster care. Use the South East’s regional model as a blueprint for effective collaboration and national improvement.