ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of data concerning the overall costs to purchaser, who may be provider, authorities of residential children's services. According to the Department of Health, in the year 1996-1997, gross expenditure by local authority personal social services on children totalled £2.1 billion. Some detail the amount spent on the budget for children and family services, and where available, specify the allocation for residential placements. The Surrey Children's Services Plan 1998/1999 states that the total budget for children's services for the financial year was £32,772,000. Spending on children with special educational needs in England and Wales has been estimated at £1.5 billion per annum, with special school costs being consistently higher than costs for similar pupils in mainstream schools. Where of course confusion can arise, is where the child has a range of different needs crossing agency boundaries, where negotiation must take place to agree joint or multi-agency funding.
