A £1m award from the Department for Education’s innovation fund will help Croydon and five other south London boroughs meet the needs of looked after children.

The proposed scheme will improve access to high-quality residential care and fostering placements for children who are in the care of local councils.

The successful bid was submitted by six members of the South London Commissioning Programme, a partnership of 10 boroughs, which was originally set up by Croydon Council in 2013.

“We’re delighted the DfE have seen the benefits of our proposals and now we can develop a blueprint that is scalable and beneficial to any other local authorities across the country who may want to follow our lead," Councillor Alisa Flemming said.

"Most importantly, this will really benefit the children in our care as we increase the supply and quality of suitable accommodation across the region.”

The proposal also includes work with current looked after children and their carers to involve them more in designing the shape of future services so they best meet their needs.