England is changing how it looks after children in care, and Regional Care Cooperatives (RCCs) are at the heart of it. The idea is simple enough. Instead of every council chasing the same scarce placements on its own, local authorities join forces and commission children's homes together, across a region. Two pathfinders, in Greater Manchester and the Southeast, have shown it can work. The government wants up to six more, and the Northeast is among the areas working towards one.
The scale of the problem explains the urgency. Councils in England spent around £9 billion on children's social care in 2024 to 2025, and still too many children end up living miles from the people and places they know. RCCs are meant to change that by acting as one regional partner rather than lots of separate buyers. Collaborating regionally, delivering locally, as the model puts it.
The harder question is who runs them. These are brand new organisations, and the roles leading them don't come with a ready-made job description. Whoever takes one on has to think like a commissioner, read a provider market like a buyer, and pull a whole region together without ever holding direct authority over the councils, health partners, youth justice teams and police they depend on. They have to win round elected members and earn the trust of providers, often in the same conversation.
It is a tough brief, and not many people can do it well. With several regions likely to be hiring for similar posts at once, the ones who can are going to be in short supply.
How Penna can support
Penna has worked with local government for years, and children's services is ground we know well, including the people who lead it. We understand how these roles really work, and the unusual blend of skills they call for. Just as importantly, we know where to find the people who fit, and how to get them interested in making the move.
As more regions set up their own RCC, that kind of understanding counts for a lot. If yours is getting ready to recruit, we would be happy to talk it through.