The unit costs tables provided are appropriate respectively for a London or an Out-of-London authority at 2006-7 and (currently in the Implementation version only) at 2007-8 rates. These unit costs are based on data collected in the course of research conducted in 7 local authorities. Costs for a ’standard’ child are those for a child with no additional support needs placed in a local authority foster placement within the local authority area. Different costs are listed for other placement types. With the Implementation version authorities may choose to create customised cost tables and customise their unit costs. They may also utilise this facility to substitute alternative unit cost figures and so investigate their impact.
The Cost Calculator for Children’s Services calculates costs separately for each of eight social care processes. The unit cost of a process is the cost incurred each time the activity takes place, or the cost per unit time in the case of maintaining the placement, which is a continuous activity. For Maintaining the placement, the values shown in the Process 3 column of the Unit cost table are ONLY the social work costs. The fees or allowances paid to carers are individual to each placement and are therefore held in a column in the imported data.
See the Basic Unit Costs Table
A column at the far right of the Unit cost table contains the Average weekly fee or allowance for each placement type. If the fee or allowance is not imported for a particular placement, the Cost Calculator substitutes the average fee or allowance for that type of placement, as shown in this column.
Variations in the activities and the time taken for them give rise to variations in unit costs. The various rows of basic unit costs show the appropriate values for different placement types, providers and locations within and outside the local authority area. Conditional costs, shown on a separate sheet, are added only if the appropriate condition is met. These are incurred when children have additional needs (e.g. disabled children, unaccompanied asylum seekers, children with offending behaviour, etc.). Other costs that are held in separate sheets relate to placements of different durations and children of different ages.
See the Condititional Costs Table