More than £1 million has been spent by the Western Health Trust in the past five years on emergency accommodation for children taken into care – with some of the most vulnerable young people sent as far away as England, Scotland and Wales.
New figures released under Freedom of Information reveal that since January 2020, over 10,000 nights of accommodation have been purchased to house children who could not remain in their family homes.
In some cases, providers were used for more than a year, while one facility was used continuously over a five-year period.
Nightly rates regularly exceeded £200, with one provider receiving £260,000 in just the first five months of this year alone, and another paid £280,000 during 2024.
The accommodation included hotels, B&Bs, rental properties and placements across the UK.
‘robust safeguarding’
The Trust has defended the arrangements, insisting that ‘robust safeguarding plans’ – often including 24-hour supervision – are in place to protect children and young people.
A spokesperson said, “For the children who are supported in these accommodations, their safety and wellbeing remains our absolute priority. This is an issue not just locally but across the UK, and we continue to engage with the Commissioner on its complexities.”
However, Aontú representative Leza Houston, who obtained the figures, described the revelations as ‘outrageous’. She warned that public money was being swallowed up by short-term fixes rather than invested in safe, permanent accommodation for children in care.
“This raises serious questions about how the needs of these children are being met under the Children’s Order,” she said. “Many are vulnerable, yet the Trust cannot provide them with a stable and safe environment. Instead, some are being sent hundreds of miles away from their communities.”
Ms Houston has called on Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and Trust chief executive Neil McGuckian to provide transparency around the use of private accommodation providers and to guarantee that “the best interests of young people are at the heart of policy.”