Four out of every 10 vulnerable youngsters South Gloucestershire Council puts into care are placed outside the area, a shocking report reveals.

And almost half of those are moved more than 20 miles away from their family home, largely because of a dire shortage of foster parents.

The council’s annual report into “looked-after children” also shows a “very worrying” number of young people who cannot find education, employment or training (NEET) on leaving care, as well as pupils failing at school.

It said: “We currently have too many children and young people placed out of area.

“This is a key  improvement priority.”

There were 75 youngsters placed out of South Gloucestershire in March 2019, the latest available figures, which equals 39 per cent of the authority’s 192 looked-after children.

Thirty-four of these — 45 per cent — were beyond a 20-mile radius of their family home, the report to council cabinet members said.

That proportion is almost four times higher than the previous year when just 12 per cent of children that the council placed in care outside the district found themselves more than 20 miles from their family.

The figure far exceeds the national average of only 15 per cent.

The report to cabinet said the increase was the result of a rise in the use of independent fostering and residential providers, along with “South Gloucestershire not currently having enough in-house foster carers to meet the needs of children and young people in local placements”.

It said steps had been taken to recruit more foster carers in the district to keep the youngsters nearer their friends and families.

These include increasing fees and allowances and changing how the council tries to attract more people to come forward, which resulted in 156 residents enquiring about becoming a foster parent in 2018/19 compared with 102 the year before.

The report said the NEET figures for 17 and 18-year-olds almost doubled from 15 per cent in March 2018 to 29 per cent 12 months later.

“While this has increased, this is a constantly changing cohort and measures are being driven forward to continually reduce the numbers of children and young people who are NEET,” it said.

“Performance for 17 to 18-year-olds is in line statutory neighbours which stands at 28 per cent and South Gloucestershire is performing better than statutory neighbours for 19 to 21-year-olds.

“South Gloucestershire is developing apprenticeship opportunities for care leavers and supporting young people to access higher education.

“Currently there are three young people leaving care in council apprenticeships and seven young people are attending higher education.”

The report said neither of the two children in care at reception year achieved a good level of development, although the only pupil in year one reached the national standard.

One of the three youngsters in year two achieved age-related expectations (ARE) in reading, writing and maths.

The other two “had a change in home and school during the year which impacted on progress” and received additional funding for one-on-one lessons.

None of the three children in key stage two achieved ARE, while two of the four students in key stage four got grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs.

Those in year 11 were helped to cope with stress after “demonstrating high levels of anxiety”.

Labour Cllr Alison Evans told the meeting on Monday, January 13: “The NEET figures are very worrying.

“As corporate parents I would not be happy with our own children being out of education, employment and training.”

Conservative cabinet member for schools, skills and employment Cllr Erica Williams said: “I would like to say how heartening it is we have care leavers in council-led apprenticeships.

“This is not just to give them confidence and skills but surely a more positive outcome with regards to employment 

“I do hope this initiative is taken up as we go on and will prove a very good vehicle for our vulnerable young people to receive good training and, in the end, employment and independence.”

Cabinet member for children and young people Cllr Jon Hunt said an Ofsted inspection noted the council’s corporate parenting was a “strength”.