The next stage of the Out of Area Placement (OOA) strategy was approved at the full council meeting on Thursday, 25 September 2025.
The strategy
The strategy aims to improve local services for children and young people, so they can live, learn, and be cared for in their own communities.
The term ‘out of area placement’ refers to children and young people being placed in care or educational settings outside of the area in which they or their families live, in this case the Scottish Borders.
The Out of Authority placements strategy presented has made significant progress in reducing the number of children and young people placed out of the region.
The strategy focuses on returning young people to local placements, in the Scottish Borders, increasing early support services, and reducing the need for external services. Since it began, the strategy has successfully reduced the number of out-of-authority placements and achieved substantial cost savings.
The next phase of the strategy involves a partnership with the Vardy Foundation to develop high-quality residential and educational provision locally. This includes the construction of new residential homes, supported accommodation, and specialist facilities for young people with complex needs.
Councillor Julie Pirone, Executive member for Education, Youth Development and Lifelong Learning:
“This strategy sets out a vision where every child can live, learn and be cared for in the Borders. This is a really important piece of work, and I’m delighted that we are moving forward to the next phase with a full business case and delivery plan.”
Council will consider the full business case and delivery plan for the next phase of the strategy in October 2025. The proposed investments are expected to further stabilise the budget and create sustainable local provision for the long term.